Grandma Arrives at Harrold Country Home
Posted by Grandma on April 26, 2016
How we got here is a long story. Besides, the getting here is not what matters. It’s that we are here. Three generations learning, trying and living together. Mom, dad and three grandchildren live in, what my husband and I like to refer to as, the Big House. Grandpa and I live in the addition we built. As you leave the big houses’ kitchen you enter the utility room then go through the laundry room where you may knock on my door. We have taught the grandchildren that this must be so and in return we knock as well. We must respect each other’s privacy.

When outside we work and play together. Me not so much work because of my ailments but I do know how to keep the grandchildren busy. In summer months I tend to man the barbecue while everyone works. My eldest grandchild has shown an interest in cooking so this year I’ll hand over the tongues and teach her some recipes. Recipes my grandmother, and her great-great-grandmother, taught me like potato beet salad. This recipe and more I’ll share with you at a later date. The younger granddaughter likes to work in the vegetable garden where she supplies us with a variety of vegetables to accompany our meal.
Grandpa does all the lawn cutting and there is a lot of lawn to cut. He puts on his iPod and listens to his favourite tunes, probably Bob Dylan, Van Morrison or The Eagles. Besides lawn cutting he does a variety of jobs. Taking care of the garbage and recycling is one of them. He’s always going to the hardware store for something or other.
What I find most important about our arrangement is that both grandpa and I have found a purpose. We lived many years after the boys moved out and grandpa retired just living, if you know what I mean. The days just seemed to melt into each other. Sure we enjoyed our vacations to Florida and our time in cottage country but otherwise our lives were like a melting candle and our wick getting shorter and shorter. I remember saying to grandpa one day that without a job to go to and no children to care for, what is our purpose? Do we live the rest of our days just entertaining ourselves. Read books, watch television and do our chores. I think we should have a purpose. It seems meaningless otherwise.

So by happenstance we fell into this arrangement and now our lives have purpose.