Thursday Thirteen: Granny is Turning 90!

Thirteen things about Courtney's grandma (Granny)

My grandma, who we all call "Granny", will be 90-years-old on Tuesday, so I thought I'd do my Thursday Thirteen about her today!

1. She was born on April 4, 1916.

2. She has been married 3 times, but has never been divorced. She has out-lived all 3 of her husbands!!!

3. Her first husband died when they were very young...I don't know the exact age, but upper teens or early 20's not long after they were married. They didn't have any kids together. (I also cannot remember what caused his death! I know I've been told, but it escapes me right now.)

4. Her second husband was the one she had her 2 children with (my dad and my uncle), so he was my grandpa. He died when I was around 2 years old (of lung cancer), so I never really knew him. I do remember seeing pictures of me with him, one of which he had set me on top of the refrigerator for some reason? lol

5. Granny was then single for a few years after he died, before she eventually married again sometime in the early-mid 1980's. Her third husband was someone she had been friends with for years, and his wife had also died. He had done some carpentry work for her on her house, and eventually they got married. His name was Herman, and that's what we called him too.

6. Granny and Herman loved to travel together. They bought an RV and took many wonderful trips together for many years. We went with them a few times in the RV. It was fun. They also owned a cabin near a lake (that Herman built), where they would go stay several times a year. I remember going there with them a couple times when I was younger, and I had so much fun fishing and hanging out by the lake and at the cabin with them.

7. Sadly, she became a widow again when Herman died of cancer around 1998 (give or take a year, can't remember for sure). This happened the day I had left to go out of state for a week. It was a required trip for a college class I was taking at the time, so once I did find out, I couldn't get back home (we had all taken a van together, so I didn't have my own transportation or anything). The funeral was during that week before I returned home, so I missed it. I still feel guilty about that! My husband was asked to be one of the pallbearers, which he was honored to do.

8. You cannot go to Granny's house without being fed. She always has a meal, or at least lots of snacks and drinks made up no matter what time of day you stop by. And breakfast was our favorite, which always included biscuits and her own homemade white gravy that we all called "Granny's Groovy Gravy" Yummmmy! I have lots of memories of our family and my uncle, cousins, etc being at her house and everyone sitting around the kitchen eating, talking, drinking, telling dirty jokes, and just having a good time. Granny likes to laugh and likes dirty jokes, and listening to various comedians. And when we were younger, she would always pull me and/or my sister aside and give us some money. We would always tell her she didn't need to do that, but she always insisted.

9. Granny always has a fire burning in her fireplace (except in summer). I love fireplaces, and I'm sure that is where I first developed my love for them. Her wood-burning fireplace and hearth and mantle are huge and the focus of her family room, and I could sit and just stare into those flames.

10. She can sew, knit, crochet, do wood-working, and make just about anything. She taught me some of this when I was younger, although I have forgotten so much of it! She has made a lot of her own clothes, and they look professional. She still takes classes sometimes just for fun to learn new things (like painting, doll making, etc). She also loves to do crossword puzzles.

11. I have always admired and looked up to Granny. She is a strong lady with many talents. She's one tough country chick!!!

12. Even now within days of turning 90, she is still active, lives alone in a large house on a big farm, and takes complete care of herself. She still has many hobbies and interests, gets her hair done almost every week, and still goes out with her friends (although she has out-lived most of them too). As I mentioned in a previous post, she even still runs around in shorts in the summer time, and looks good in them! She helps people whenever she can, and although I don't ask her for anything, I know she would give me the world if I needed it.

13. I can only hope that I will live as long and healthy and as full of a life as she is living!

HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY GRANNY!!!

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