Memories....

Within minutes of my mom dropping me off for the night, my Gramps and I were out the door to get some Brigham’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and him a Vanilla Frappe (always vanilla!). We would take the dog to Oakley Country Club to run around and chase the squirrels. On the way home, my task was always to get the jimmies that had fallen off my ice cream unstuck from the leather seat before he saw them (he has a thing for clean vehicles). It was about 7pm, so that meant off to “bed” for Gramps, a.k.a. he would watch a game if it’s on, but Court TV if there wasn’t; all the while the dog at the bottom of the bed. When you’re little, nothing beat jumping onto the bed with a 250lb 6’3” man and wrestling around knowing he was the gentlest giant. It always started the same, we’d wrestle and then he would sing, “The three of us, the three of us, It’s a good thing there isn’t anymoooooooore of us!” in his big booming voice. Me, him and the dog, that’s all that mattered to him at that moment. Then when he’d get tired he would turn serious. “You know, Jackie, I want you to always remember what side of the family your bread is buttered on; who has always taken care of you.” I always responded the same, “I know Grampa.” And I did, he wasn’t being mean, he was being honest. Then he would politely kick me out of the room. On my way out I was sure to grab my Grandmother’s make-up kit, combs, brushes, and hairspray. It was makeover time for Grammie! The chair she sat in by the fireplace was perfect, I fit right behind it. She read her millionth book and sipped her wine as I combed, teased, and sprayed enough hairspray in to seal cement (She always managed to get a hair appointment the next day). I would put on her blush, eye shadow, and lipstick; layer after layer after layer, she never missed a sentence in her book. We didn’t talk much, we didn’t have to. That was our time and then it was bed time. In other words, my time to hide so I didn’t have to go to bed! I remember one night it took her a half hour to find me. I was getting better at hiding, in the shower I sat for what seemed like forever, but a half hour passed bed time none the less. After that off I went, you don’t argue with Grandma, you won’t win, but I never had trouble falling asleep.