My Great Grandmother

[gibbo]

My grandmother had been in a wheelchair from a accident earlier in her life. As she couldnt bend down whilst talking or playing with us she let us sit and play up on the big wooden kitchen table where we were more her height. She would keep the brown paper that the bread had been wrapped in and chalk for when we come to visit and myself and 2 sisters would clilmb up onto that table and draw with great grandma watching from the sidelines. As kids the highlight had been that we were allowed to climb on furniture, as adults it holds special memories as we remember she broke the house rule of "no climbing on furniture" just so she could look at us face to face. Sadly i was only 5 when she died but i still remember sitting up on that table like it was yesterday. As kids we didnt realise they were special times but i think she did.

gibbo

 

[p.risboy]

I can relate to your experience Gibbo. Not the climbing on furniure, but sitting on the 3 open wooden steps, going down from the dining room into the kitchen. No room at the dining table for us kids.
I was lucky to have my gran until I was 13.

Steve.

 

[benny1982]

Hi

I never knew my maternal gran but my paternal gran died when I was 19 and I knew her very well.

Ben

 

[leefer]

Could never understand why my elbows were not permited on the table.

 

[p.risboy]

Could never understand why my elbows were not permited on the table.

ELBOWS. Now that is really bad manners.:2fun:

I suppose, a time for play and a time for good manners.

Steve.

 

[duckweed]

I never knew my great grandparents. But reading your story made me think I should put along with the photo archive I have, little notes of my memories with my grandparents. My grandfathers strong lace up boots and his corduroy trousers taking me up the hill to where he kept his bees, and taking me to my favourite spot the ruined castle. My grandmother who made me rice pudding in a blue and white willow pattern dish. Beating her rag rugs for her with a carpet beater in the back yard. Picking peas in their little cottage garden and popping the pea pods to get out the peas.

 

[gibbo]

Could never understand why my elbows were not permited on the table.

When we used to have our big sunday roasts at my grandmothers we were told no elbows on the table as well. I was once told this was because there were so many of us to fit around the table that if everybody had their elbows on it there wouldnt be enough room for everyone. I still dont know if this is the reason for not having elbows on the table or whether they just told us that.

gibbo

 

[gibbo]

I never knew my great grandparents. But reading your story made me think I should put along with the photo archive I have, little notes of my memories with my grandparents. My grandfathers strong lace up boots and his corduroy trousers taking me up the hill to where he kept his bees, and taking me to my favourite spot the ruined castle. My grandmother who made me rice pudding in a blue and white willow pattern dish. Beating her rag rugs for her with a carpet beater in the back yard. Picking peas in their little cottage garden and popping the pea pods to get out the peas.

That would be a good idea. A lot of us only know our ancesters in name only etc but if we leave notes along with the photos our future generations will know what their ancesters were like as a person and just not a name.

gibbo