"Nineteen and twenty-two"

My Grandma would have turned 88 years old yesterday - Mother's Day. I'll always remember her birthday because it usually fell on Mother's Day. I'll always remember the year she was born because when I took her to the doctor's office and the nurses asked her what her birthdate was, she (in her hard of hearing ways) would shout "May nine, nineteen and twenty-two!" When the poor little nurse would repeat, "1922?" "Yeah, nineteen and twenty-two!"

Grandma and great-granddaughter Zoey, August 2008

At this moment I'm reminded of one of John's favorite Grandma and Grandpa stories...
We were having lunch at the Parkette (or Poopette, depending on who you ask). There was a hoard of us... the entire family. I think Amanda and Joey might have even been in town?! We all ordered our food, the waitress was doing her best to serve everyone.... it was taking time, precious we-could-be-eating time. Grandpa finally got his soup. He was looking everywhere around his bowl for some crackers....
"What kind of a person serves soup without crackers?" he mumbles to Grandma (and the table).
"An IDIOT!" says Grandma. (She didn't miss a beat.)
Everytime we eat crackers - and now that Zoey askes for "Traa-ters"- I think of it too.

Freda (much before she was anyone's "Grandma")

October 2009

Thinking of you Grandma!