My Grandparents, Part One

Being able to have known all of my grandparents at least into my high school years was such a blessing, mostly. My father's parents were my favorites, probably because I was able to really know them early in my life, and probably because they spoiled me rotten. When I was six, my mother was pregnant with my sister, and taking care of Herb and me was undoubtedly wearing on her six weeks before the delivery. So when my grandad showed up for a visit, he offered to take me home with him on the train, riding from Columbus to Long Island, New York. The two months I spent with them were a child's best dream, and I apparently was not one bit homesick! No wonder! We went out for dinner on the weekends (YUMMMMMY clams at Howard Johnson's!); my grandmother took me on the train into New York City for shopping, lunch, and to see a show at Radio City Music Hall, and then we would meet my grandfather for dinner at Stouffer's before returning home. Ahhhh, they trained me perfectly! On normal weekdays, my granddad would ride the Long Island Railroad to work in the city and would return home around 6. While he was gone, in the morning we would stay quite busy: cleaning, as she taught me how to dust even the table legs and to polish silver and brass, even the doorknobs; baking pies, cakes, and cookies; preserving any fresh veggies or fruit or making jams; weeding the garden; planning dinner; washing clothes with a wringer machine, hanging them out, and ironing them (I was convinced that I could iron handkerchieves better than anyone else). For lunch we would make applesauce sandwiches with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top, or have Crosse and Blackwell Cream of Celery soup with toast squares. Ahhhh... and then would come the lovely afternoons. Those were the best part. She almost always listened to the afternoon soaps on the radio, and so I became entranced with the adventures, such as "Stella Dallas, Backstage Wife." We also read and read and read. She was the one who really encouraged me to read all kinds of things I would find lying around, such as the Lambs' "Child's Version of Shakespeare." What a lovely memory for me, as I think back on the wonderful times we spent together. Maybe even some of our grands will think back with smiles on time spent with us. I hope so!!!