Maternal Grandparents

When I pulled this photo I could not help but smile.  There are so many stories just waiting to be told.  This photo was clearly about capturing a photo of my grandparents, however, it is the house that really resonates with me.  This mansion, framed by white pillars was a magnificent playground. There were dozens of bedrooms and two TV's and a each time we made our annual Christmas time visit we were welcomed by our cousins and aunts & uncles.  I am not sure when we stopped traveling to Salem to celebrate Christmas, possibly when the families (of the 9 children) started getting to vast to fit in the house, but the memories are vivid and for that I am thankful.

My grandma is now 92 and she is awesome.  She is healthy and witty and fashionable to boot.  My grandpa died many years ago from ALS.  ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.  My grandpa was diagnosed and then passed about 6 months later.  My memories of my grandpa have faded, which is sad, but seeing him here in front of their house is comforting.

In my last post I talked about looking deeper into photos to see the details, and along that line I just want to mention the distance apart my grandparents are standing.  My grandpa seems to be smiling and my grandma looks a bit stoic...I wonder what their relationship was like...I probably will not ask my grandma about this but I will ask my mom - it is a story I have an opportunity to learn more about.  Is there a story you are wondering about?  Learn about it before the storyteller is no longer around.