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Posted by Joyce Stevens January 24, 2008 at 9:53 p.m.

For The Love of Grandparents

Stories My Grandmother Told Me premieres at the American Heartland Theater in Kansas City this month. The review wasn't very favorable, but reading about the play brought back childhood memories of time spent with my grandparents. I loved visiting my grandparents. When Grandma came to pick me up, I knew that she would keep me for several weeks. She would only allow one granddaughter at a time to stay with her so I knew that I would be the sole focus of attention while I was there. Every visit, she cut my hair and took me shopping for new clothes. I hated the hair cut. It looked like she put a bowl on my head and cut off any hair that stuck out and my bangs were ridiculously short. I could hardly wait until they grew back in. I would pull on them constantly trying to get them to grow. My sister said that I was lucky. Grandma gave her "permanents" when she was a little girl. My grandparents lived on a farm in Holden, MO. My grandfather farmed, raised cattle and kept horses. He and my grandmother rode horses in parades and horse shows. Gramps was 6'4" tall and Grandma was 5'1". They made quite a pair! Being a bit plump and on the short side, my grandmother had a hard time reaching the stirrup to lift herself into the saddle. She had a very gentle horse named Dan that she trained to "stretch out" so that he was low enough for her to be able to get into the saddle. Dan was the only horse my grandparents would allow me to ride by myself. Often during my visits, Gramps would have a new buggy for me to try out. He'd attach it to one of the horses and lead the animal around while I rode in the seat, grinning from ear to ear, having the time of my life. Gramps would also take me for a ride on the tractor and let me steer, only to pretend that I was losing control and we were headed for the pond. I would squeal and Grandma would yell at him to stop that before somebody got hurt. It was all in good fun though.My grandparents were also antique dealers. The house and the barns were full of antiques. They called their shop Granny's Antiques. They took me with them when they traveled to auctions. These trips started before dawn, at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. This was long before the life-saving benefits of seat belts were known and I would stretch out in the cab of the pick-up truck with my head in one lap and my feet in the other. Grandma was partial to fancy glassware but Gramps loved to restore furniture. Some people think that refinishing and restoring devalues antique furniture. I disagree. The way that Gramps stripped off the years of dirt and old varnish to reveal the beautiful wood underneath was like magic. He would sand until it was smooth, apply stain and then varnish. He also taught himself how to cane chairs. I marveled at his endless patience as he caned chair seats. That is painstaking work! When I was about five years old, I was outside with Gramps. He was working on a piece of furniture and watching me watch a hummingbird. The hummingbird was about a foot away. I was sure that I could reach out and grab it. Gramps read my mind. In his orneriness he encouraged me. "Go ahead, try to catch it," he said. I so wanted to hold that hummingbird, but I was hesitant. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to catch it, he egged me on. Ultimately, I didn't reach for it. I could tell from his chuckle and the glint in his eye that Gramps was just having fun with me.I miss my grandparents. I am grateful to have known them and for the memories they created and lessons they taught me. I am a better person because of their love and guidance.These are just a few of the fond memories I have of my grandparents.What fond memories do you have of your grandparents?