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Old 03-20-2010, 03:53 PM
 
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My dad's mother never visited very often. She and Grandpa lived 8 hours away in another state. They came for my brother's high school graduation. We had ponies and one foaled not too long prior to their visit.

Well, Grandma and Grandpa lived in a city and NEVER went to the country except when they visited us. As my grandmother sat in a chair with a fuzzy green rug under her feet, the foal decided he wanted to come in and join the fun. He walked into the house, across the floor to my grandmother's chair and started to eat the rug.

He was used to coming up on the porch to wait for my younger sister and brother to go out to play with him.

Boy, did Grandma jump.
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Old 03-20-2010, 03:58 PM
 
Location: Aurora, Colorado
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I have so many...mostly things like the sounds of their voices (they used to sing in church so we have a lot of tapes with their solos on them and when I was younger, they used to make cassette tapes and send them to Germany...my dad was in the military) or their cologne/perfume that can just transport me to something that reminds me of them.

But as a side note...there is something that I am so grateful for and wanted to share. My grandfather died last year and my grandmother is in a retirement home with advanced alzheimers. When my grandpa died, we had to go through their house and start to get rid of things. Much to our surprise, my grandmother took the time (it must have been a long time ago) to label things. The china cabinet had teacups and bowls with little pieces of tape on the bottom that said things like "Great grandma's wedding bowl". She also wrote on the back of every single picture so we would know who was who. When we were going through her cedar chest, we got to the bottom and there was her wedding dress, her wedding album (all filled out and even had the napkins they used 60 years before), and lots of things like football programs with my grandpa's name in it, newspaper clippings, birth announcements, even my uncle's first lost tooth!

Anyway...as with most homes, there was a ton of stuff that we sent to the Goodwill, but I literally sat and cried that my grandma would have had the foresight and taken the time to label things so that we would know what was important. It made me think of all of the loose photos I have (and all the electronic photos I have) that still need to be put into a scrapbook. Of all the things that my kids have made me over the years that I just stuff into a drawer. It taught me that if you don't take care of things and take the time to make sure that they can be shared, they can often end up in a junk pile when you're gone. I went home after being at my grandpa's house and started organizing things.

BTW, there were a few things I asked for from my grandparent's house...mostly just sentimental things that reminded me of them. They didn't have a lot of money, but as the oldest grandchild, I was able to take the photos, programs, newspaper clippings, etc and am working on a keepsake for my family so that we don't forget the things that my grandparents thought were important and hopefully our children's children can look at that and understand a part of our family's history.
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Old 03-20-2010, 04:05 PM
 
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^^What a great idea.

I always tell my daughter stories about her grandparents and great-grandparents. She knows about the things we have from them. She loves all those old stories as I did growing up.

It never occurred to me to label things though.
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Old 03-20-2010, 04:09 PM
 
Location: Aurora, Colorado
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoExcuses View Post
It never occurred to me to label things though.
I'm starting to make progress, but my goal so far has been to go through loose photos and write stuff on the back. I bought some photo boxes and keep them organized at least by where we were (we've lived in a few different states) or what year it was. Eventually they'll find their way into an album, but at least (so far) I've written the place, the people and the date on the backs.
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Old 03-20-2010, 04:14 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by the3Ds View Post
I'm starting to make progress, but my goal so far has been to go through loose photos and write stuff on the back. I bought some photo boxes and keep them organized at least by where we were (we've lived in a few different states) or what year it was. Eventually they'll find their way into an album, but at least (so far) I've written the place, the people and the date on the backs.
Taking it a step farther, if you have more than one child, you could label on the back of things who you want to have it when you are gone. Say something like a pitcher or bowl has a special meaning to one of your kids, put their name on it so there is no question when the time comes.
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Old 03-20-2010, 05:26 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles>Little Rock>Houston>Little Rock
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I never knew my Dad's parents as they died before I was born. My Mom's mother and grandmother were a big part of my life until I was in my early teens.

Before I was five, my great-grandmother (Grandma) owned a boarding house in Los Angeles and I remember going to visit her there and meeting some of her boarders. Later she bought a 4 unit apartment bldg. in the Wilshire district in L.A. Mom, Dad, older brothers, myself, and younger sisters moved in to one unit. My Mom's mother (Nana) moved in to one with her 2nd husband, Grandma moved in to one bringing one of the boarders from her boarding house, and the 4th unit was rented to the Garcias, a family of 9.

My Mom and Dad and Nana worked so Grandma took care of us when we weren't in school. She was a great lady and took no guff from any of us. She baked the best apple pie ever. We pretty much roamed the neighborhood playing after school and summer vacation, but we knew she was always there if we needed her. Whenever we were being lazy and not doing our chores she would always say "Stir you stumps!" That meant get moving.

When I was 13 she slipped and fell and broke her hip. She died a few weeks later. I still miss her. We then sold the building and bought a house in Hollywood. Nana eventually moved in with us when she was diagnosed with colon cancer and died a short time later.

Mom's Dad (Grandad) lived about 45 minutes away from us with his second wife, Marie. We always went to visit him on Father's day and he came to us on Christmas and Thanksgiving. Odd that we didn't see each other more often. He always looked forward to our Prime Rib and Yorkshire Pudding for Christmas dinner. Grandad and Marie were murdered in 1986.

My parents and grandparents have all passed away now. I am considered the matriarch of the family and there is no patriarch.
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Old 03-21-2010, 02:14 PM
 
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My paternal grandma (Nana) made me feel so special.

She would invite me over for periodic sleepovers. She would make anything I wanted for dinner and she'd let me drink soda pop, which wasn't allowed at my house. For dessrt, she'd always surprise me with something wonderful from the local Italian bakery.

Afterwards, we'd play "treasure hunt." She'd fill a little cardboard jewelry box with spare change she had collected and hide it somewhere in her house. While I looked for it she'd call out, "Your're getting hotter," or "You're getting colder" until I found it.

At night we'd watch games shows together like the Price is Right or Let's Make a Deal. When it was time for bed, I'd crawl into her twin-sized bed with her while Papa snored next to us in his own twin-sized bed. I can still remember how she wore pastel silk nightgowns and smelled like baby powder.

In the morning I'd go swimming in her pool. She had a boat-shaped raft just for me. Periodically she'd come out of the house with cookies, ice cream and other treats and I'd take a break from swimming to listen to a little radio she and Papa kept on their picnic table while they read the obituaries or talked about how things were when they were growing up during the Great Depression.

It was such a special relationship. She's been gone for 20 years yet I can still remember her voice and her red hair and her wonderful meatballs--- the best I've ever tasted. There was always a pot of them waiting for me when I came to visit after Mass on Sunday afternoons.
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