On being a Grandma

Agnes is named for, among others, a grandmother I never knew - Agnes Busath Clayton. My dad always talked about her - and in such a way that I felt that I knew her. I look forward to knowing her someday.

I had 3 grandmothers that I knew - and they played a large role in my early years. And my Grandma Connie - who lived into her 90's - was an integral part of my adult years - and I love that my older kids have memories of her too.


I'm not sure if my relationships with them were traditional or not, but they are part of the fabric of my life.

We often visited my Grandma Stevens on Sundays - drove out to the Inglewood Cemetery to visit my Grandma Clayton's grave, and then drove on to Grandma Stevens' house.

I always enjoyed the visits there. She had a drawer in the hall - we could play with the stuff in that drawer. I'm sure it wasn't brand new or expensive, but just because it was different, it held quite a fascination for us. And she taught me to play cards and drink 7-Up out of a shot glass!! (That seemed like such wicked fun!!)



Sometimes we stayed there when my mom had a baby. She wasn't always pleased that my mom was having another baby - but she loved us all anyway!

When my Grandpa Clayton married Connie, she came with a daughter from a previous marriage - and she was just between Alice and me in age - what a nice set up that was!! For several years, we spent a week or two each summer at their house - in Lakewood - and felt like we'd spent a month at the Ritz! I guess it doesn't take much to make some folks happy.



We'd sleep in, eat T.V. dinners, walk downtown to the movies, and when they owned the Hollywood School of Drama, we went to the plays the students put on - not sure we understood them, but it felt pretty glamorous!


There's no such thing as a photo of all of my mother and father's grandchildren!! And this is the closest I could find of all Grandma Terrill's grandkids - Phoebe and Eliza are missing - but we included them in spirit - and paper plate!


Eliza was here this week and right at the top of her agenda was visiting with both of her grandmas. I'm pleased that our children love and appreciate their grandmothers.


And I love being a grandmother!!



Even in my sleep!


And I treasure this photo - although Ida is missing because she had not yet been born - and look forward to the occasion that will prompt a photo of all the grandkids, including Miss Ida!!

Melanie Wilkes said "It's always a happy day when babies are born." I would amend that to say that "It's always a happy day when grandbabies are born!"

I hope my grandkids have good memories of their experiences with me - I'm trying to structure those good experiences, but would love any input on the great memories you have of your grandmas!!

Note: The third grandma was my Grandpa Clayton's 2nd wife - Helen - and I have no photos of her. My memories of her are dim - Alice and I stayed with her when Mary was born. It's a long, complicated story, but she became involved with an apostate group and left my grandpa. Her two children are my Aunt Jane and my Uncle Peter - called Gil or Gilbert also or Pete - and they are the best part of that brief marriage! I remember that she was quiet, soft-spoken and kind.