Happy Birthday, Grandma Wells!

September 28, 2006 /

Today is my Grandma Wells’ 90th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma! I wish you were computer savvy, so you could read this, but maybe I’ll just print it up and mail it to you. I thought, since Grandma’s birthday is on a Thursday this year, I’d do 13 Things You Should Know About My Grandma.

1. She makes some tasty coleslaw.

2. She worked full time, graveyard shift, at the Gallo Bottling Plant until she was 84 years old. She was a bookkeeper for them.

3. She also makes some yummy lima beans. (The trick is to buy dried lima beans, and soak them in chicken broth instead of water, before you cook them.)

4. She was married for over 50 years, to (who else) my Granddad Wells.

5. She is a 3rd or 4th generation Californian. Not too common around here, esp. for someone her age. Her family was from Shasta Valley.

6. She loves nature. My happiest memories of visits with her were spent outside, in her garden, digging, pruning, and planting.

7. She had two children. My dad, and my uncle, Bobby, who succombed to Down’s Syndrome in his 30s.

8. She lived in her house for about 60 years. My grandpa built the walls out of old railway cars, because it was during World War II, and lumber was scarce.

9. When she got too old to feel comfortable and safe walking alone in the park for her exercise, she walked around her house for a set amount of time every day. That exercise probably helped to save her hip from fracturing when she fell almost two years ago.

10. Since that fall, on Thanksgiving of 2004, she hasn’t walked unassisted. She can’t live alone anymore, and has moved to Portland, OR, to be closer to my dad. She lives in a nursing facility there. Ted says it’s the only one he’s ever been in that doesn’t smell bad. That’s a good thing.

11. She worked as a beautician for many years, before starting work at the bottling plant. I’m sure when Gallo hired her in her 50s, they didn’t expect her to be there for 30 years.

12. She helped us to pay for Maya’s Montessori preschool for several years while Ted was working on his PhD. I don’t know how we would have afforded it without her help. She truly values education.

13. She’s a very loving, caring person. And she loves Sees candy. 😉

That’s it…13 things. I love my Grandma, and I wish I could go up to Portland to visit her. But when we were there last month, I brought her some Sees, so I hope she enjoys it!

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