Grandma Adair

I just got home from a fun afternoon taking Courtney and three soccer friends up to their game in Logan. A car trip with four teenage girls is VERY entertaining and I loved every minute! Part of the reason I was happy to make the 1.5 hour trip to Logan on a Monday afternoon was for the excuse to spend time with my Grandma who lives there. She's 92, is so fun to talk to and has a dry wit that makes me want to record every conversation so I can laugh with her all over again.

We had just had a family dinner Saturday night and I'd seen her there. After she reprimanded me for never calling her, I told her I'd be visiting on Monday which was even better than a call. She agreed. There were a lot of people there, including two of her nieces which no one in our family had seen or visited with in years. Knowing I'd see her on Monday, I didn't interrupt her conversations with her nieces. At the end of the evening I said goodbye, gave her a hug and told her I'd see her Monday.
Grandma: Who is that talking to me? (She's can't see faces very well and has a difficult time hearing conversation when a lot of people are talking.)
Me: IT'S ANGELA, GRANDMA. (Keep in mind I'm yelling, because you need to yell to be heard.) I'LL SEE YOU MONDAY.
Grandma: Monday?! You're coming on Monday?
Me: YES, AT 5:00 IN THE EVENING.
Grandma: Well that's wonderful dear! But someone else is coming to see me on Monday! Who is it? Someone just tonight said they were coming too!
Me: THAT WAS ME, GRANDMA. I TOLD YOU EARLIER TONIGHT I WAS COMING.
Grandma: Have I seen you earlier tonight?

Uncle Ron called me at 8:30 this morning to ask when I was coming. I told him 5:00. Apparently Grandma was convinced I was coming first thing this morning to watch Dan play in a soccer tournament. He said he'd let Grandma know I was actually coming this evening. When I arrived, (at 5:00) she said she'd been sitting in the same spot all day, afraid to go anywhere because she might miss me and I wouldn't know where to find her. (Kind of made me think of that sad Mormon movie about the Grandma always looking for a letter in the mailbox.)

We sat and visited for 45 minutes before we headed over to Courtney's game. Grandma told me a lot of fun stories I hadn't heard before about the day they got their first washing machine. The day she saw her first airplane -- it landed in her town and people could pay money to go for a ride. She told me about the refrigerator her father built -- a wooden box lined with burlap sacks and a pan of cool water inside. It did a good job of keeping the butter and cream cool and they would last for 2 or 3 days. She said she loved to play basketball in Jr. High and loved going to the basketball games in high school and follow the team to all their games. She would cheer so much she came home hoarse most of the time.

She also wondered if I'd brought Nicholas because she hadn't seen him in so long (4 months ago, but she keeps forgetting and tells me every time I visit that she's never met him.) She asked me about Dan's business and thought it was great Courtney played soccer and played the piano.

Rachel, you may want to give her a phone call. I mentioned you had a new boyfriend and she looked at me and said, "Who's Rachel?"
I said, "Angela, Michelle, Michael, Sheree, Rebe..."
"Oh, Rachel! That Rachel!"

So after our 3 hour visit we sat in the car waiting for the girls to get Subway sandwiches. We talked about family and I mentioned that Grandma Reagan just had her 100th birthday (even though she's now dead).
Grandma: Oh, I loved Grandma Reagan. I always loved visiting with her. You know, after she moved to California, she would still call me and we'd visit. She was pretty lonely without you kids there.

We talked for a minute about Grandma Reagan and Aunt Marge and then:

Grandma: I loved Grandma Reagan. But how did you know her?
Me: (WHAAAATT!) Well, she was my Grandma.
Grandma: Who do you belong to?
Me: Your son, Mike. And Nancy.
Grandma: Oh, yes. I know that.
Me: (joking -- kind of) Did you think you've been driving around with Joy all afternoon?
Grandma: (laughs) Well there's so many names and people, it's hard to keep track of who's who!