The first post about GT. There will be more

I am not very faithful in writing these posts. Although, when I do, I enjoy it. My husband? - he is faithful. He writes something everyday. He says he needs to do it, for his own well-being. He needs to evoke that creative aspect of his brain. It is a good thing to do.

Last Sunday the family was all sitting around the dinner table, eating dinner, as we do most Sundays, when Grandma Toni said, "I had a very strange experience this week." She has been wanting to buy a tiller for her garden. Why any widow in her mid-80's needs a tiller, I don't understand, but she's been looking in the want ads for months. This particular week she had spotted an ad with several lawn mowers and tillers that were for sale. Excited, she called to find out the price and the size, and other specifics. A gentleman answered the phone (wait let's not call him a gentleman, let's just call him a male. ie: Dr. Laura labels "men" and "males" seperately. A "man" is one who takes care of his family, is integrous, and stands up for his morals. Whereas a "male" is one of that gender who lacks the backbone or the where-with-all to do the right thing) So, a person of the male sex answered the phone. In her small yet steadfast Dutch accent she asked him how much he wanted for the tillers. His only answer? "I don't talk about 'men' things with women. Have your man call me back." Surely, with extra emphasis on "man", likely deepening his voice. She politely answered, "I don't have a man." Yet, immediately regretted saying it. She wouldn't want anyone to know she is "without a man" and thus possibly more suseptable to burglary, theft, break-ins in general. So, the conversation ended there. After telling the account she stressed to us, "and I will NOT have a man call back for me. I will not have anything to do with a man like that." She said it in a light-hearted way. She wasn't upset or concerned about someone who was obviously very strange. In fact, she added at the end, as she does with many of her stories - a Dutch saying - something like- "there are still a few out there, but not many." They never translate well, she says.

My Grandma has been a widow since my mom was only a few months old. Her husband was killed in an auto accident in Holland. And, for all these years, she's done just fine on her own. Raising my mom, supporting the family financially and otherwise, taking care of her home. She still climbs on her roof to get the swamp cooler working when the hot months roll around. There are so many things I could write about her. So, we'll just call this "The first post about my grandma. There will be more. "