I tried to quickly look up some data on this, but I couldn't find any, so I'm just going to guess that Grandma McDaniel is one of very few Great-Great Grandmothers in the United States. Today she is 96. She isn't a health guru, she's not church-y, and a few years ago she was probably still doing some crossword puzzles and word finds and doing her own housework (including painting her basement!). She now lives in a home where I think what keeps her going are the gossip and doing daily crafts.
Here are the reasons why I love and admire Grandma -
1. She raised four children in a duplex in Jerome and was a coal-miner's wife.
2. When I was little she would allow me to yank on the skin on her hands, and I would marvel at how thin her skin was compared to mine and that I could see her veins.
3. She and Grandpa lived directly behind us, across the alley, when I was growing up. The reason I love peonies is because she had them in her backyard, and I used to watch the ants crawl all over them.
4. Going into their house when Grandpa was still living and around lunch time - at least on the weekend and in the summertime- their kitchen would smell like beer and cucumbers.
5. When I would come home from college on winter break, she would teach me how to make fudge or chocolate covered cherries. In return for that, and on another winter break, I washed her window sills, and since then have understood the importance of keeping those clean along with the glass on the windows themselves.
6. One time she said to me on Thanksgiving, "You know, I see these people on TV who are gay. And everyone makes a big deal about it. I don't really care. If they're happy that way then fine with me."
7. She's good at keeping secrets and good at predicting things. On Easter weekend 6 years ago, Steve and I told her we were expecting a baby (because we didn't know it would be two babies quite yet). She asked me, "You know, twins run in the family? I had twin brothers." The twins had died in a fire when they were young, but I don't think even her daughter (my dad's mom) even knew that story. And then that Monday, Steve and I found out we were having twins.
8. She never cared much about what she ate or if she got any exercise. And she drank the occasional beer with her lunch! But she did clean her own house until she had to go into assisted living a few years ago.
9. She loves her great-great grandchildren, and when we visit her or she comes to a family dinner she talks gently to them and might even throw in a tickle.
10. Whenever we are parting ways she often squeezes my hands so hard and looks in my eyes and either says she is so happy for me and/or that I need to visit her more often. I really do need to visit her more often.
We love you, Grandma. And we hope you have a very wonderful 96th birthday (and that maybe someone can print this out for you).
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