A Surprise and an Interview

Imagine my standing at the kitchen sink washing up breakfast dishes quite late in the morning when the phone rings. I wipe my hands quickly on the nearest dish towel and cross the room to answer. (John is tethered to his neck harness.) The lovely voice at the other end says, "Hello, Vee?" I rack my brain trying to think of someone who knows me by that name. (Long story.) I listen and realize that I am speaking with Linds. Linds! Our own dear Linds. What great fun to chat with her and, let me tell you, she has the most lovely, refined feminine voice. Oh it was great fun to have a conversation with her. I hope that I didn't sound the total ninny as I am so fond of accents (of course, I don't have one) that I can slip into mimicking a person. Did you catch me, Linds? I only slipped once. I hope. Thank you so much for the day brightener, my friend!

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I spent a leisurely afternoon and evening with my grandmother yesterday and decided to ask her some of those questions that a few of you have been interested in. Here's something of how the conversation went.

Me: To what do you attribute your long life, Nan?

Nan: Guess that the good Lord didn't want me yet. The relative who lived the longest only lived to be eighty so it can't be good genes or maybe Grammy was going to live to be older before she got typhoid fever and died.

Me: Do you have any beauty secrets?

Nan: Well I was always told that I have a nice smile. I think a good smile is a woman's best secret. I wouldn't get a facelift or anything.

Me: Why not?

Nan: Because I have always felt that I should be happy with myself no matter my age.

Me: What keeps you going?

Nan: I'm very interested in my family and I'm very curious about a lot of things. I always have been. So I keep reading and playing the piano and having good conversations. I like to go places.

Me: What's the biggest change that you've seen in your lifetime?

Nan: I really don't know. (She pauses to think and screws up her face.) I guess that I would have to say the computer.

Me: How have you gotten through tough times?

Nan: Well, when your grandfather died just 24 days after a cancer diagnosis, I spent a lot of time asking God why me. I mean there were some real bad men who didn't have anyone or anything and they wouldn't have been missed, but your grandfather was such a good man and I loved him so much. He did almost everything for me and I was totally lost without him. Finally, I just said to myself that I had to go on. I had to go on living. Life is for the living. With the help of the good Lord, I was able to move on.

Me: Any advice for mothers or grandmothers or great-grandmothers or great-great-grandmothers?

Nan: Just love. (She pats my hand and repeats, "Just love.")

Me: *Sniff* Thanks, Nan.

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By the way, just in case anyone didn't already know that Miss Sandy is a genius. Check out her comment on yesterday's first post about how to disguise a tv. I am beside myself at the possibilities. Thank you so much, Miss Sandy!