Being a middle-aged mother of four children and returning back to school was exciting but just a little scary for me. You know when you first start kindergarten, your mom is with you. Then all of a sudden, she says “good-bye” and you want to cry. This is the same thing: my children have gone to school, and now it is my turn to leave the house. I felt abandoned when I first entered school as a five year old. As an adult re-entering school, I did not have that same feeling.

    As you go through school, you learn many different things like history facts, math, science, etc. but there seems to be too much more information at times. It seems to have become more meaningful than when I was actually in school as a child. I just didn't have enough motivation to care that much about school.

    As an adult, I have greater confidence and a lot more self motivation. Being at the Parent's Place has helped me brush up on the subjects I needed to go on to college or Mildred Elly Business School. The subjects I have been working on are math, science, history, reading, and writing. I now enjoy reading more because I am able to comprehend more. It's more than just words on a page; it is now a story. My favorite subject is writing. I can sit anywhere I want and write whatever is on my mind. Being here at the Parent's Place has made me feel good about myself. I feel more confidant about my writing, and I enjoy showing my special gift (my writings) to everyone. 
 

Grandmother's 95th Birthday

Mom, Gram, Aunt Florence

    Gram always had a house filled with relatives: aunts, uncles, cousins and my family. We had a big family. I remember the goodies Gram made for us. If she wasn't baking, she would have a big sit down meal for us. She would always say,” Add a little more water to the soup and there will be plenty for everyone.” who came to her house. Gram never minded how many people came to the house because that was the way she was. She always welcomed everyone with open arms.
 
    In the summer we would spend a lot of time at Gram's house because she had a big back yard and a lot of room to play, especially when cousins came to visit.  We would often get sprayed with water on hot days. Sometimes we would sleep over when our cousins would come to visit. That was fun.

    Then came Thanksgiving, another time to get together. The whole family would be at Gram's; another time for aunts, uncles, cousins, and us to come together. There would be a table for adults and a couple of tables for us kids. Because there was so much food, we needed a table just for food and pies. When the meal was served we all sat down and gave thanks for the food and everyone around us. There was enough food for a least four meals. The pies, oh the pies, were so good. Almost as good as the meal itself. 

    Gram had fifteen grandchildren all about the same age and when we were together we were silly. We would write our own plays and make our parents, aunts, and uncles, Gram and Grandpa come to the play. They laughed a lot at the plays because we would be silly. They thought we were funny. They had to think we were funny because we belonged to them. Gram was the best though because she made sure she had old clothes and blankets for us to use in our plays. I remember one of the plays where my cousin and I only had to say was “How!” like the Indians did. I forgot to say “How!” and boy was I embarrassed. I tried again and got it right on the second try. 

    Gram would have a special chair in her kitchen where she would read books, but when we needed to talk she would make tea and sit and listen to our problems. If she had any advice, she would give and we would listen to her. She gave us good advice.

    My Gram was cool. She taught us wisdom and patience. There is so much to tell about my grandmother because she is a very special person. She turned 96 years young on Oct. 1, 2001. Even though she passed away On March 11, 2002, she is still our Gram and very special to all of us. We all love her very much.

April 5, 2002