Grandma Stephens

I spent a lot of my early and grade school time before and after school with my Grandma. And nearly full summers until I started year-round soccer as a kid.

She was born in 1933. I’m not sure where but I know she grew up in Pennsylvania. Had lots of brothers and sisters, I only met 2 of the sisters and one of the brothers.

Always said her family came from Hungary.

She went by Theresa, but her name was Tressa at birth.

Her family would call her Babe as she was the youngest. Most out-of-town relatives would call her aunt babe.

She loved most animals, specifically dogs. My earliest memories are of Ginger, a poodle. She had constant stories of one of her previous poodles “Gidget” who I believe was buried in the flower bed.

She helped me with important stuff like potty training.

Air popped popcorn machine (only at night during sleep overs).

Building tents behind the chairs on the treadmill.

Grade school homework.

Made waffles over pancakes. French toast as often as she made waffles.

I always had cereal stocked. She always wanted you to have a banana in the cereal.

SpaghettiOs with hotdog always stocked.

Fried okra and hominy were regular things.

Preferred Pizza King pizza from what I could tell.

Nerf guns in the hallway. The long arrow dart kind.

Hoarding 2 liters and other bulk items in the laundry room when they go on sale.

Dogs doing their business on news papers in the back laundry room instead of going outside.

She liked gardening. Corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, black berries.

Lots of puzzles. And Yahtzee.

Liked bluegrass music. Specifically the dulcimer.

Blackberry picking had to be done early (before the birds go to them). Hands were stained with berry juice. We would make jelly using a manual press.

She had “the board” which we used as a hard surface for everything (puzzles, drawing, ceiling for tents).

Played “catch” baseball in the back yard.

Walking to get the mail by the road.

Bought Apple stock in mid 2000s based on my enthusiasm for my laptop and iPod.

Riding bikes in circles in her drive way.

I broke a very large magnifying glass of her’s trying to start a fire with it. I felt very bad about it.

Built gourds for purple martins.

She bought a red Mini Cooper fairly late in life.

Always had humming bird feeders out.

Did not like the taste of alcohol and I constantly got her to try beers after I could drink and she hated all of them.

Bowled regularly until she was unable to drive.

I remember many arguments between her and my Grandpa over dollar amounts lower than $3. I don’t think its because they were without enough money, rather the perceived injustice of one of them “cheating” the other.

Hoarding news paper cutouts / recipes. The “back room” was my dad’s old bedroom and it was packed with boxes of unsorted clippings. The only mess in the house.

Chapstick in the medicine cabinet.

Hanging hair in the garden to scare off deer.

False teeth. Which creeped me out as a kid. I think she knew this cause I was very concerned about them.

Never in a hurry.

Old pencils ground to the nub.

Cabinet with the gum in it. Spearmint and Juicy Fruit. Sometimes cinnamon, too Big Red.

Small black and white T.V.s in the bathroom.

Soap Operas mostly The Young and the Restless and the Bold and the Beautiful.

The Price is Right.

Regis and Kathy.

TV Guide in the news paper.

She would keep house key safety-pinned to sweatpants that didn’t have pockets.

Bed was always made extremely well. I never saw a wrinkle on it.

Ice cream pronounced “Eye-Scream.”

VCR that ate tapes.

Could hold a grudge.

Once told me that people who say money can’t buy happiness were all lying.

Had a computer that was never used.

Extra toothbrush and tooth paste for each grandkid in case they stayed over.

Chicken soup when you were sick.

You could see when she was disappointed in you but she was always calm in her letting you know.

Used to tell a story about a riot or something near her school and that she quit and never went back after that day cause it scared her.

She frequently told me a story about the “rumble seat” in the back her family’s car that would flip up from the trunk and how much fun it was to ride in that spot.

Didn’t swear a lot but wasn’t afraid to do it.

Always voted Democrat far as I knew.

Could stay outside and work in the heat forever. She would also notoriously not drink enough water.

She always talked about going to Disney World but never did. Although I think she just wanted us kids to go, which we did a lot.

Fascination with swiping and pinching images on the iPad.

Not religious, didn’t discuss it beyond a story she told me one time which was that her dad told her she could go to any church she wanted except the Catholic Church. Not sure if that was any of them or the specific one where she grew up.

She lived long enough to lose lots of her autonomy and I’m sad she is gone. But also happy that there is no more pain. Her not being able to be outside in her garden or keep her dog was torture and all she wanted from life. I’m grateful for my time with her.