Remembering my grandparents....for my children.

Tonight during our Bible study, some of the questions led us to discussions of memories we have of our grandparents. There were tears shed, as we remembered, and laughed, and cried. And then I realized that I don't talk about my grandparents to my kids. I'm not sure why, but I don't. They know very little of them, and I think that needs to change.

So here is a letter to my darling children, hopefully the first of many, where I will recount some wonderful memories....

On my father's side, I knew only my grandmother and step-grandfather. My grandfather died before I was born. I don't have many memories of them....as they lived about 3 hours away, and we did not see them often. The visits we did have were brief and formal, often over coffee and Finnish cinnamon toast at their home. I do remember the little coffee nook we would sit in as we visited... I can picture it like it was yesterday.

But my maternal grandparents lived in my home town, and we were extremely close. They were quite old (I was a late child for my mom and dad), and with us being the only family still in town, we spent a lot of time with them.

My mom and I went over to my grandparent's house almost every night either after school for dinner, or after dinner, to play cards. I know for my mom, it was a chance to make sure they were ok, and a chance to give my Grandma some company. Grandpa was a big silent German farmer by that time....

I remember playing cards so vividly. By the time I was 8 or 9, I was the fourth player, learning to play Shmear and Sheepshead simultaneously. Amazingly, we would switch between the two at will, depending on which we wanted to play. I'll never forget learning sheepshead. Grandpa was explaining the game to me, and told me that you have to have an ace to bid. So the next hand, I had 4 aces, so I bid 4. Anyone out there knowing sheepshead knows that an Ace alone does not a hand make.... I didn't make it that round, but Grandpa got a good laugh out of it!

I was very close to my maternal grandparents, spending MUCH of my summers with them when I was young, traveling with them to the land in the country to do the gardening. Grandma and I would make sandwiches (typically egg salad), and Grandpa would load the old car. I wonder what year/make that car was? I'd love to see one again. It was an early 60s model I believe.... The ride to the land was only about 10-15 minutes. It was near the old family farm. Aside from a small wooden shed, and the still functioning well/windmill, it was simply a land plot that we planted as their garden. I learned so much from them, helping create the rows with old wooden stakes and twine, hoeing the row, planting seeds.... and working the land. At lunch time we'd sit in the car with the windows open, using well water from the pump to make koolaid, and enjoying our egg salad sandwiches. Honestly, some of the best memories I have...

There are many, many more memories to be written. And they will be. Fun remembering. But enough for now.