Monday, May 27, 2013
As a child I spent a couple of weeks each summer with my grandparents. The train trip from Gananoque Station to Toronto exposed me to train travel (I still love it!). Riding streetcars, visiting the CNE, shopping at Eaton's and Simpson's with lunch at the in-store cafeteria, and playing hide and seek with the neighbourhood kids on Parkview Hills Crescent were strange, new experiences and a taste of life in the big city. Huntsville was a whole other dimension. Gramma liked to sing songs from her youth on the car rides to the cottage, and there was always a tasty lunch to break up the long journey. What fun I had swimming, fishing, roasting marshmallows, playing cards and visiting Gramma's friends. She loved to walk, pointing out various birds along our way. She usually beat me at badminton, and try as she might, she could not teach me the game of cribbage (one of her favourites). Gramma and I travelled to Montreal to take in Expo '67. All those foreign pavilions. It was a weird and wonderful experience for a 12 year old! As a teenager, I remember having a conversation with Gramma about some of my latin texts and being totally amazed that she knew all about these dreary old literary folk. But, of course, she loved to read, and could converse on any topic, politics of the day or scandal of the week.
My grandmother was a gracious lady. She loved and had an appreciation for fine things. She dressed impeccably, always conducted herself appropriately, and could teach Martha Stewart a thing or two about household/business management. She was a master at planning and achieving goals, whether it was learning a new craft or building a home in Florida. She was no stranger to adversity either. In her younger years she overcame obstacles and hardships with courage and determination.
In short, Gramma is an example to us all. I am proud to be her grand-daughter and I thank her for sharing her love with us.
