Tag Archives: grandmother

Grandmother’s Day

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Mothers Day brought together three mothers and one grandmother. Kristin is the mother of Elijah (11 months). Alice is the mother of Calvin (five months). Kay is the mother of Kristin and Andrew (Calvin’s father) and grandmother of Elijah and Calvin.

Kay Mothers Day

Elijah, Grandma Kay, and Calvin

It’s only a matter of time before Mark Twain’s description of his relationship with his mother will describe Elijah’s and Calvin’s relationship with their mothers and grandmothers:

“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she rather enjoyed it.”

Grandma is having a great time with these little guys. Already Elijah is wearing her out chasing him around the house to protect him from his curious self. Calvin is not yet peripatetic, but he already offers his own kind of trouble. He’s huge and heavy for Grandma to carry. But, when all is said and done, when Elijah and Calvin are able to talk and look back on Grandma Kay, they will echo the serious complement Mark Twain paid his mother.

As Andrew’s picture from Mothers Day illustrates, I think she rather enjoys it.

  • Gordon C. Stewart, Chaska, MN, the day after Mothers Day, May 14, 2018.

Verse – Night Blooming Cereus

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My grandmother would phone the night
it finally bloomed.  An ungainly
plant, sparse, with long tendrils, all light
green. Four brothers climb happily
into the car all wearing their
pajamas, excited to see
even an ugly plant.  We stare
at the white and gold bloom, and she
smiles, having hope even for me.

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, Feb. 16, 2014

Click HERE for more information and photos of the Night Blooming Cereus. The bloom only lasts one night.

Verse – “Of the Dead”

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Steve hits a home run with this piece. OUCH – and a good laugh.

Verse – “Of the Dead”

De mortuis nihil nisi bonum.

Of the dead speak nothing but good.

…

As the family gathered

after my mother’s death,

of course we told stories.

…

My three younger brothers

did not seem to recall

what most disgusted me

about Mom in our youth.

…

On the phone, she would smile

and say in a sweet voice,

“Good-bye then…see you in church,”

hang-up, and then yell at me,

“Shut-up, when I’m on the phone!

Stop fighting!  You boys drive me crazy!”

…

Then, RING, and “Hello, there…”

in the sweetest low voice/ imaginable.

…..     …     …     …     …

I had been wanting to play

a CD of clever church songs

for my two unchurched grand-kids,

and as I dropped their father off

to  get his repaired car,

I hit the PLAY button, stepped around

to the driver’s seat, heard them yelling

at each other, smashed the OFF button,

and heard myself out-yell them,

“Shut up!  Stop fighting!

You kids are driving me crazy!”

– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, Illinois, July 7, 2012