For those of you that don't know her, this is Grandma. She's my father's mother. This picture was taken just over a year ago, on her 90th birthday. As you can see, Grandma is a vibrant woman who often seems to defy her age. Her mind is sharp and she is very funny, even when she doesn't know she is.Yesterday, she had surgery on her knee. She was determined to have the operation because she could no longer walk. The doctors told her that at her age she could have serious problems with an operation--she might not survive it. Her attitude was that she didn't care about the risks, she didn't want to lose that much independence. Grandma's no stranger to surgery: she's had 2 knee replacements, 3 hip replacements and a back operation. (Perhaps all of these doctor visits are responsible for her giving TMI about her medical ailments if you ask how she's doing!)
One of our favorite things about Grandma is that she has her own vocabulary for certain things. Here are a few examples that come to mind, but feel free to submit any others in the comments section:
"condominion" instead of "condominium"
"swisher" instead of "swiffer" (the floor-cleaning thing)
"cupcookie" instead of "cupcake"
"toasted cheese" instead of "grilled cheese"
and the most famous--"slither" instead of "sliver"
e.g., "I'll just have a slither of cake."
Lest I make Grandma sound unintelligent, she isn't. She's talented, hard-working and caring. She doesn't like to be idle, which is why she couldn't tolerate being in a wheelchair. Surgery at 91 may sound absurd. But for Grandma, it truly doesn't.
One of our favorite things about Grandma is that she has her own vocabulary for certain things. Here are a few examples that come to mind, but feel free to submit any others in the comments section:
"condominion" instead of "condominium"
"swisher" instead of "swiffer" (the floor-cleaning thing)
"cupcookie" instead of "cupcake"
"toasted cheese" instead of "grilled cheese"
and the most famous--"slither" instead of "sliver"
e.g., "I'll just have a slither of cake."
Lest I make Grandma sound unintelligent, she isn't. She's talented, hard-working and caring. She doesn't like to be idle, which is why she couldn't tolerate being in a wheelchair. Surgery at 91 may sound absurd. But for Grandma, it truly doesn't.
