Granny

One of my best friends is my grandmother. She's 84 years old and has a mind like a steel trap. She's had lots of health problems, and she's slowing down, as I guess we all will someday. But she's an inspiration to me. She's beaten cancer twice, two unrelated cancers. She picked red as her "happy color" and wore it constantly throughout her treatment and recovery both times. She didn't wear black for almost a year after both fights with cancer.

Granny and I have lunch at least once a week. When I was in college working at a preschool, I got to leave for lunch every Tuesday, and Granny would always come pick me up and take me out to eat. There was a time when we'd decide what time to meet on Wednesdays. We never talked about WHERE to meet, because Davis Kidd Booksellers was "our" place. We'd sit by the fireplace in the cafe, drinking coffee and reading magazines for a couple of hours, then go shopping. We didn't do anything extrordinary. We just spent time together. The hours I've spent with her shopping, eating, talking, just being together have created memories that will stay with me long after she's gone. Now that she's slowing down, I buy her groceries for her. I take her to the doctor and the bank, and cook for her. I just try to take care of her. I hope my kids will learn how to treat the people they love.

She's a sharp lady. She's rather unassuming, but I guarantee she knows what's what and she's not afraid to tell me about it. Granny was a bookkeeper for something like 40 years. She got a degree from business college at a time when women didn't do things like that. It's not a Master's or Doctorate like ALL her grandchildren have, but at the time it was a big deal. I guess unintentionally, she set the standard.

She's an amazing person. If you still have grandparents, spend time with them. Get to know them. Learn something from them.

Ella's Shopping

Ella was born a girly-girl. She loves hairbows, dresses, purses, and make up. She thinks she has to be adorned with jewelry to leave the house. She's all girl, and I love it. She told me a few weeks ago that to "relax" we should go shopping. I think we have a problem. A shopping problem. She's the only 5 year old girl I know who "goes shopping" at the school bookstore. She's been late to school twice this month because she likes to "shop" in the bookstore after I drop her off. The thing is, it doesn't matter what she's buying. She just likes to shop. The bookstore carries your normal school bookstore stuff: pencils, erasers, notebooks, dry erase markers. She can make this a shopping expedition. She tells me before school what she wants to buy and makes sure she has enough money. The bookstore closes 5 minutes before school starts, so she should be on time. Why can't she get to class? She stands in the hall admiring her purchases and showing them to her friends. She has been banned from the bookstore until after Christmas. We're going to Disney World in 2 weeks. What is she most excited about? Shopping at Tinker Bells' Fairy Treasures.