Happy Birthday Grandma Elsie

The TV is on in the other room and I just heard the Lawrence Welk show come on.   That show always reminds me of my grandma Elsie and it just dawned on me that today is her birthday.

She and grandpa Glenn went on to heaven years ago but every now and then something reminds me of them.   She was a creative and ingenious homemaker and learned from the Depression years how to recycle anything and make do.   Grandma was the kind of woman that always busy with something and prepared for guests at a moments notice.   Her cupboards were always well stocked with homemade cookies for us grandchildren.   She certainly didn’t need exercise equipment like an elliptical trainer because she was nonstop, full of activity.   Grandpa   was the same way.   He got bored if there wasn’t something to do and he was always busy in his workshop or on the farm.   But, when Lawrence Welk came on Saturday night you would find the both of them sitting in front of the TV enjoying the show.   I really miss them some times, but oh what fun will have when we are together again in heaven!

When I was 12 I had back surgery and had to be hospitalized for six weeks.   Grandma came to stay with me sometimes and I remember an especially hard night when she held my hand during a painful ordeal.   She comforted me for hours with prayers and scripture verses and funny stories while I endured painful needle sticks as the doctor and nurses try to start an IV line.   I have such tiny veins which make it hard to find one when I’m really in desperate need of fluids.   I was in pain and very angry about my situation.   Grandma told me that God was with us and he understood my agony.   I wanted to curse because it hurt so much but I knew better than to do that as I was brought up not to say bad words.   I told grandma how I felt and she said it would be OK to let go of a few curse words if I needed to.   She told me God understood.   I never ever heard grandma say a curse word, at least not the ones most people used.   She did however have her own way of expressing her discontent.   If she got upset about something she would say, “oh, chicken horses!”   She was a hoot sometimes!