Another gramma Story...

Grandma stories....Oh boy, do we have them.

Remember the episode of FRIENDS...”The one where Nana Dies” - the most touching moment was when they were trying to find a pair of Nana’s shoes and they found a shoe box full of Sweet -n- low packets. And they talked about Nana’s idiocyncracies and they cried until they laughed and laughed ‘till they cried.
We did that with our Grandma. Here’s a good one...
Grandma had a best friend named Marion. Those two were inseparable. Marian could still drive and the two of them would go shopping, and out to dinner and most of all to the Elk’s Club. They loved eating out and pull tabs...and vodka tonics.
Well, after Gram moved to durand, she and Marion would talk every night. And they would talk about how they would get together as soon as they could. So a trip up to Superior was planned. My mom and a close family friend picked up Gram early one morning ( it was still dark) and they traveled to superior.
Mom said that Gram was bouncing in her seat the moment they hit the city limits of Superior. Mom then drove to Marion’s apartment. Before she even had the car in park, my gram bounded out of the car and practically skipped to the door of Marion’s apartment building. ( all of this in a dress and heels!) Well the two of them came out of the building like two teen-aged girls jabbering away at school in the hall. You would think that they were 16 year old girls out for the day going to the mall. It was a hoot.
So, Mom and our friend took the girls shopping. Gramma needed a new “garment”. Now, according to Gram, she knew and firmly stated she couldn’t find one in Eau Claire...she had to go to Superior and Duluth to find a decent “garment”
Now you say...what the hell is a “garment”. A garment is Gramma term for a girdle. Yes...my gramm prided herself on a smooth figure and often told my mom, me and my sister that we would all be better off if we wore a garment. Believe me, I own a body shaper. I wear it sometimes when I’m doing Bette or have something really slinky to wear. They are a bitch. Sure, you look good, but it is tough to breathe and you move a whole new way. Like I’ve said..it’s tough being a girl sometimes.
Ok...I digress. So the 4 women tramped around the malls shopping and looking for a garment to no avail. So they decided to go to lunch. I have no Idea where they went, but I know that gram ordered something “dainty’ and only ate half. (another story...another post)
Then it was time to go to the Elk’s Club. This was like making a pilgrimage...this was following the holy star to the manger, this was the end all to be all. So my mom dropped off “the girls” at the front door and went to park the car with our friend. It wasn’t more than 4 minutes later, that they are up the stairs and went into the club. “The Girls” already were at a table, had vodka tonics in hand and a 2 huge stacks of pull tabs a piece. My mom said it was like shopping on the day after Thanksgiving and the women are fighting for the last Tickle Me Elmo. The Girls were pulling tabs fast and furious drinking their cocktails and talking the talk. So this happened for a while and then they took Marion home.
The last stop was at the bakery ...the family favorite and they had to get Cherry Crimp and Swedish Raisin Rye bread. When gram got into the car after saying goodbye to Marion, she said that her back hurt. Well...she was wearing heels and did more walking than she had in over a year.
Gramm, mom and our friend went into the store and gramm was walking a bit funny. They initially thought...oh she’s tired and she has heels on, but then my mom looked down. My grandmother - the woman who is ALWAYS a lady - had on her heels, but they were two different shoes, two different colors and two different heel sizes. My mom and our friend watched gramma click her way down the aisle and had to stifle howls of laughter. They couldn’t tell gramm...she would have been embarrassed and then really pissed at the two of them for letting her be that way all day long. It would be like telling The Queen of England that one of her corgi’s took a dump on her love seat - you don’t tell that to Queen Liz.
My gramm always kept up appearances. Appearances were everything. She was ever the lady and everyone said so...and you just can’t tell a lady that she’s wearing two different shoes. So they finished shopping, took gramm home and laughed all the way to my parent’s house and couldn’t wait to tell my dad.

The night before the funeral while having dinner,my mom shared that story with my sister and I...we laughed till we cried. Those are the fun memories and then we started to think about more and then laughed some more...I’ll try and share them.
I guess that’s what it’s all about. Remembering the good times.
AND DON”T FORGET YOUR GARMENT!