grandparents

[eleanor2]

i was writing a letter to my friend today.i added a poem my niece wrote about her grandad.it is really funny.you can tell she is really close to her grandparents. my grandparents wern't really very close to me. none of them. sob sob. i can remember my gran who we called mama did give me her lipstick end once. i felt so special that she gave it me. have you got any fond memories of your grandparents.

[jazzactivist]

I have good memories of a grandmother who was made of really tough stuff. She lived until the age of 99, smoking 10 cigarettes a day plus a dram of whisky to wake up and a cherry brandy to go to bed! She had struggled through really hard times and for few years had carried out her shift in a dairy and then my grandad's shift on a farm when he was ill, and had even been a poacher at one time to keep her family alive. All this as well as running a small market garden from her cottage. She wasn't at all well off, but was always generous and helpful to everyone in her village and in very old age she still lived at home on her own and the sons and daughters (and grandchildren) of her contemporaries used to come round every day and help her out because she had helped their parents and grandparents. I have always really admired her and hope that I will become as a good a gardener as she was.

[sheddie]

What a lovely character your grandmother sounds and what a shame she didn't make 100yrs and get her letter from the Queen!

[sunflower]

When I left my homeland Canada as a small child, the people I missed most were my maternal Grandparents. However, my grandma seemed to have a special link with me all accross those miles. I remember the delicious smell of the brown paper parcels she would send me, always filled with just what I needed. I was always amazed that the clothes fitted me exactly, even though I was tall for my age. One day, I opened the familiar brown parcel to find FIVE dresses ,one for every occasion. I was four years old and what a present for a little girl! I spent all morning trying on the dresses and dancing around the living room. Grandma came to visit me once when I was six and it was so good to see her. Unfortunately, she had become very deaf and so I was unable to have easy conversations with her. I wanted to ask her so much about my Mom who had died but it was impossible. The picture which remains in my mind of her is, sitting in a high back chair with hands on her knees palms down and the most engaging smile on her face. She was a handsome woman with dark hair worn in a bun. She was very tall and graceful.....and our family Hugoneaut name means just that.!

[eleanor2]

jazz and sunflower your stories have touched my heart.your grannies do sound like my dads gran.he always talks of her with such love.i think she was the maternal love he received.she ran a corner shop.she helped everyone out. both her sons got killed in the war.so she showered her love on everyone in need.

[CountryLady]

When I was born both of my paternal grandparents had died as had my maternal grandfather. I only vaguely remember my remaining grandmother who died when I was three years old.
I feel as though I've missed out on something special having no grandparents.

[eleanor2]

my hubby never knew any of his.they all died before he was born. i had all mine plus a step grandad. yet none of them really bothered much.my mum in law was such a lovely granny to mine. that she learnt me a lot about going out of your way to be there for your family.i used to think i am going to be a good granny like her.thing is once the grand sons came .my heart melted instantly anyway. there wish is my command.i'm a soft touch i'm afraid.

[CountryLady]

Can't imagine that for a moment Eleanor!;)

[Oola]

I'm very close to my maternal grandmother. My maternal grandfather died in 2002 and it was such a blow to the whole family. He was a really keen gardener and we've set up a special 'cup' in the local gardener's association summer show with his name on it. He used to love growing sweet peas, so the cup goes to the winner of the sweet pea category. I'm not very close to my father's side, although my late paternal grandfather was wonderful with children.

When my paternal grandfather died, I had a dream not long after where we were standing in the kitchen and he said to me "I'm so sorry I can't be with you anymore" and gave me a big bear hug. It feel really vivid. I believe in God and an afterlife, although there are a few things I'm not exactly sure about, but I really felt because I'd been upset it was a connection made to make sure I was comforted about it all (he was a very dedicated Christian). Likewise, with my other grandfather (an atheist!) came to me in a dream, funnily enough taking place near my old lower school, and he appeared in the darkness with a massive bright white light shining behind him. He was even wearing one of his cardigans that he used to wear. I also had another dream where he called me on the telephone, but he sounded different. I said this to him and he replied "that's because when you die it's like you're young again". Before he died he had really been suffering with macular degeneration, and although people may think I'm clutching at straws, I sort of interpreted this to be another message that he was actually OK. My sister sort of half-woke up in an inbetween dream and awake-like state, and said she saw him walking around her bedroom. She wasn't frightened and said "are you ok Pappa?" and he said he was fine. Although he was an atheist he was a very earthy man with very good principles and morals - a real no-nonsense sort of person, so I think whereever he's gone, he really is ok.

[Oola]

I am also looking forward to making my parents grandparents....hopefully in the next few years!

[Katelb]

I think those are lovely dreams Oola and I am quite sure there is some kind of afterlife.
My mother doted on her only grandchild ,my daughter who in turn adored her Granny.Now she is well on the way to making us grandparents on New Years eve! so that is something we are really looking forward to.
My grandfather died when I was 8 and I was the only one with him but he was a wonderful old gentleman who had travelled the world as a Cunard captain so he had many interesting tales to tell;he and me Granny looked after me a lot during the war. They were my maternal grandparents,I never met my paternal grandfather and only rarely saw my grandmother due to the disruption of war.
I guess I shall be like you eleanor2 and spoil my grandchildren !!! Kate

[Crocus]

Hi, my maternal grandmother was a real lady! Her sons never ever saw her in her pjams! Me neither, for that matter! She used to get up very early in the morning when we visited during our summer school holidays, and by the time we got up, bread's been baked, everyting were ready for breakfast. My granddad died when I was not even born yet. Paternal granddad I also did not know, and grandmother had a stroke. So it was only my maternal grandmother I really remember. She used to laugh a lot as well. One thing that made me laugh quite a lot were her 'knickers' on the washing line! Goodness me, white and very big! Bloomers f you ask me! And she enjoyed it so much when I went into fits of laughter, which of course made her laugh and then we could'nt stop! Oh my, the memories we have eh? We used to write another letters quite regularly, and it meant so much to me.

[eleanor2]

oola you must have been very close to your grandparents.that must have been lovely.

[Redstart]

We are now grandparents (Nan and Grandad) to our two Welsh grandchildren. My grandparents were good Yorkshire stock! My paternal grandfather is the one that got me gardening and every August I get clear memories of going up on the moors with him to pick bilberries and then playing in the garden with him while my grandmother (an excellent cook) made bilberry pie for tea - I used to go home stained purple but very happy.

My maternal grandfather was always an invalid in my lifetime. He was gassed in the First World War and was always an invalid but had been able to hold down a job as a Coop manager until his fifties. His wife was my mother's stepmother as my real grandmother died at 43 (valvular heart disease) so my mum's stepmother was my granny; she was so kind to me and always had treats for me. I loved walking through the fields to go and see her. Because of my grandfather my gradnmother had to earn money and worked in an ironmongers; she later ran a village shop when she was a widow and seemed to really enjoy that.

Interesting Oola - when my atheist paternal granfather died I was 14 and I saw him at the foot of my bed telling me he was all right and not to worry about him. Later he appeared with my father-in-law to tell me they were both all right and I looked forward to seeing my Dad - which made me think what I saw was an on-waking dream as my father-in-law and my grandfather didn't know each other in life; much as I would have loved to have seen my Dad after he died, I haven't. Interestingly the other two were taken ill and died suddenly and unexpectedly but at 88 my father had had enough (a form of motor neurone disease that old people get) and wanted to die. Perhaps that's why I never saw him - he's happy. Perhaps only those that cling to life return! Or perhaps I'm just older, wiser and more cynical.

[dinger]

I hope my grandchildren will have good memories about me in years to come like some of the sweet things that have been said on the forum .

[eleanor2]

how to read the latest post by going to page two. i never realised how interesting this thread would be.we all have such different memories and experiences.i think that we can all be good grandparents is so important.family ties are breaking down and thats not good.the extended family is a great support system.

[Crocus]

Hi, I'm looking forward to our grandchildren even if it's still more or less 10 years in future! Study and working on careers first, I think!

[Crocus]

I hope my grandchildren will have good memories about me in years to come like some of the sweet things that have been said on the forum .

I cannot see why not your grandchildren won't have fond memories of you one day, Dinger! You're a lovely person! Crocus

[dinger]

Are any of you great grandparents yet .I am I have 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren .Makes me feel old

[Redstart]

No yet dinger as my eldest grandchild is not yet three!

[eleanor2]

mandy my eldest is three.what is itlike being a great gran dinger.

[gothfairy]

Sadly for me, the only grandparent I knew was my paternal grandmother, an opera singer, a llovely Welsh lady to whom I was very close. She died in 1975, just a couple of weeks before my youngest sone was born three weeks prem, and a month before my own mum passed away. Longevity doesn't run in the family... I keep telling myself I will be the one to break the mould.

[eleanor2]

lets hope you do gothfairy.look after yourself and be positive.