For Jan 17, 2010

Tell a fond memory of your Grandma.

I had two Grandmother of whom I was very fond. Of course since Grandma Poulson lived in the same town I have probably more memories of her but I still have some very special ones of Grandma Hansen as well.

First Grandma Poulson (Nana):

When I started kindergarten mother had started teaching at the high school so I would go to the elementary in the morning for a half day and then walk to Nana's at noon and stay with her until mom came to pick me up. I am sure Marsha was there as well since she was three years younger and Nana would have been babysitting her also. What I remember most though from those days were the treats. Nana always had cookies in her cookie jar or had just made some that morning for the cookie jar. I really liked them but can't really tell you what kind they were. I am sure they changed in variety as often as she cooked them but I seem to remember chocolate chip ones being my favorite. I always liked her tapioca pudding too that she would give us for lunch or snacks. It even had raisins in it at times and I didn't mind even though they were cooked in with the pudding. Nana also had a shed out by the side of the house where we liked to play and spent a lot of time in and around it. Nana also was always with us for Christmas Eve. That was always special but the one time that has since become the most special was the year that she passed away on the 26th of Dec. She had stayed long enough for us to have Christmas before she finally was able to let herself leave. She was ill for several weeks and we would go in and see her each night after we got home from school and it was hard watching her get so feeble and sick. I had turned 10 that year and it has always been a very strong part of my memory especially since that was the same year that I had been playing marbles on the front sidewalk of our Alamo type looking elementary school (at least that's what I always thought it looked like) when someone ran out of the front door and yelled to tell us that President Kennedy had been killed. We all ran into the school and and our teachers then told us what had happened. That was in November and happened in Dallas, Texas, a place that was as foreign to me then as China. Now however it is a special part of my history since I spent part of my mission very close to Dallas and had visited the museum near the area where it all happened. The years of mystery cleared up quite quickly as we were able to walk down the road and look toward the building where it had all taken place. I don't remember Nana's reaction to it but I believe that was one thing we probably talked with her about that day after school.

Grandma Hansen:

Our trips to Centerfield were far and few between. It was along drive over Indian Canyon on that narrow old road that wasn't widened until I was in high school. Then the trip down toward Price and turning north toward Provo and then before getting to Provo turning south again to go through Manti and on toward Gunnison and finally Centerfied. At least we knew when we saw the temple standing up on that hill that we were at least getting a little closer. We would go all the way through Gunnison and then into Centerfield and would be carefully watching for the old beet factory because we knew we were really close then. The turn down the dirt road to Grandma's and Grandpa's was really close then.They always seemed to be watching for us as well because we could barely turn into the yard before the door would come open and they would come down the steps and take us each in their arms and give a a big hug. Grandma always seemed to have an apron on as well except for when she was going to church. She made fantastic meals that were also ready for us when we got there. We loved to go down the steps and into the two rooms, divided by a wall with a hole up in the top that we would climb through to get into the other side as we played. I believe it was explained that the hole was there so heat could get into both rooms. It wasn't real big but neither were we. The girls always stayed in the one side and the boys in the other. The girls were lucky too because the Old Victrola record player was in that room along with all of the records. It was fun to play and listen to the music as it came out of that old horn type speaker mounted to it. Grandma was always so loving too and would get grandpa quite quickly to rescue us from the bathroom when we couldn't get the door open. I must admit though that the one thing I really remember about Grandma was her telling us to use no more than 4 squares of toilet paper when we were wiping after using the bathroom. (Now if you want some real awakening count the number of squares you use next time and remember the toilet tissue wasn't double layered at that time either).

Grandma as I told you in the last blog was the recorder for Grandpa. She had very beautiful neat writing that has always put mine to major shame but I suppose that had to be so that she could fill that roll for grandpa in his later years. She was also very loving as was Nana and she always had cookies too, and if I remember correctly they were made from whole wheat bread. Grandma always cooked with whole wheat and honey and I loved the fresh bread she would make for us when we were there. I was blessed with two very wonderful grandma's. I left for my mission in 1972 and returned home in 1974. I knew that I wanted to marry Marie and Grandma had since moved to Orem from Centerfield. Dad and mom and I went out to stay with her one weekend after I had returned and I remember it was about the time the Provo temple was completed. Anyway I asked dad if I could borrow the car and drove down into Provo where I went to the jewelry store, bought a ring that I could afford with my limited money and went back to Grandma's. I was very quiet about what I had done and thus they were all surprised later when they discovered that I had bought the ring while we were out visiting her a few weeks before I actually gave it to Marie.