Stay Blonde: Grandma

Some days I wish I could experience snapshots of my Grandmas life. The life before she the crazy, loving, fabulous, and ridiculous grandmother of mine.

She has lived through and seen so much- that I sometimes want to see for myself. Because I am selfish.

This all hit me the other day when my grandmother told me my car was 'fancy'. I'm thinking to myself- My car fancy??? What is she talking about?

When I asked why it was fancy, she told me it was 'fancy' because I unlocked it with a button on my key.

I have NEVER stopped to think about this before, but the idea that a car could be unlocked with a button on a key for my grandparents, is almost inconceivable.

Spending time with my grandma makes me wonder what life would be like WITHOUT all of this technology.

Cough cough- I blog, tweet, text, pin, instagram, email, call, Facebook, and the list goes on...

The stories my grandma has shared with me seem to be straight from the history books.

My Dad's mother was the daughter of a corn farmer in Iowa, and grew up learning the ways of the Farm with her younger brother.

She talks about radio shows being a BiG deal. She says they'd all eat dinner, and then sit down as a family to tune in together.

She remembers when they got their first black and white television.

She remembers making long trips in to 'town' to buy shoes, and clothes.

She said she wondered, 'will I ever get out of Iowa??'

One of my favorite stories, one that I have not had the privilege of hearing until recently, is about her serious boyfriend, and it was not my Grandfather.

She dated this gentleman who was in the services, and like many brave men were, he was sent to war. My grandmother said she wrote letters to him every week, and like many of her generation, she has the most beautiful penmanship, and got letters in return.

She said six months after he left, she got a letter from the Military informing her that he had killed in action.

She went on to meet, and marry my grandfather and the rest is history. She sure got out of Iowa, the darling couple (see picture here) lived in eight states, and three countries. They raised two boys and two girls, and ended up traveling the world in their retirement.

My grandmother has done so many creative things in her life, she had made four ceramic Christmas nativity sets, shes been in a writing class for 15 years, she took up calligraphy, she's driven across the country more than once, shes was in Shakespeare class, she wrote a book about her family genealogy, she golfed, and still plays bridge so often it's almost scary.

Now that Grandpa is gone, there are less things that she's involved in, but she still the same.

She still retains her beautiful penmanship, she answers the phone with the same voice inflections, and gives advice that was clearly shaped by her generation.

At twenty she was worried about my love life, wondering why I was 'still single'. She wanted me to attend church with her because she had sat by a 'very tall, handsome gentleman' last week. She had plans of introducing me this unknown, 'good ole catholic boy'.

I always wonder, what was she doing at twenty, where was she, what was she wearing?

She advises me to see the world while I can, because 'your only young once', and she didn't get to see it all until her retirement.

She tells me NOT to wear heels when I go out because, NO boy likes a girl taller than him. And now that I've found a boy (he's the best), she tells me just how much she prayed for me to find someone, and as she says, "Kaylin, I prayed every day, and I am so thankful you found someone taller".

I just love my grandmother so much. I am glad honored and grateful to have spent so much time with her, learning about her life.

I am not sure exactly what inspired this post, or even what it's even really about. Because nothing can quite describe grandma, or capture her character.

But I think it's about the way she makes me feel as her granddaughter, her special granddaughter, and all the love she has given me in so many ways. Be it through stories, birthday cards, phone conversations, or Sunday brunches she always manages to be so fabulously herself it makes me happy that I have her to call, Grandma.