Grannie Annie for real!!

It's official. Jennifer Catherine Joiner arrived early this morning. I don't have all the details just yet. Yesterday was a long day. Dave's first call came about 6AM saying they were on their way to the hospital to have her induced. I didn't hear again until 6AM today. Lyn ended up having a C-section. Having a first child at 40 isn't easy. But I talked with her, too, and she seems strong. She seemed disappointed that it would be Monday before they can go home. Hospital stays get shorter and shorter, don't they.

I'm going to fix coffee and wake up now, will be back shortly

Ann

Ann,

I was thinking about you last night and wondering. I think being a grandmother is one of the greatest pleasures in life!!

And Ann, now we even have more of a connection than we previously did with ancestors being in the same place at the same time, since your granddaughter and I share a birthday.

Again congratulations!

Love, Carol

How exciting, Ann! Congratulations to you and your family!

Congratulations Ann. I don't know what it's like being a grandmother, but if it's anything like being a grandfather, you must be happy.

Grannie Annie,

I am so happy for you. Becomimg a gradmother is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Your life has now begun and wlll do nothing but improve.

Dave and I have so much fun with our grandsons

Little people are the best people.

How much does she weigh?

How wonderful, Ann. Congratulations!

Being a grandmother is great; we can spend time with them and just play without all the worries we had when we raised our own children. We can spoil them, and the best part, we can send them home.

And you know what? They are all perfect!!!

Congratulations Ann! How exciting for you and the entire family. Hopefully as a Mom at 40 your daughter also has lots of life experience that will get her into a good healthy recovery. I am not a grandmother yet, but I am sure looking forward to it!!

Cheers -
Pam

Dear Ann,
I post this story for you.
It is called, Love enough to spread around. That you have.

Love,
Betty


Old Agnes had not really noticed any difference. She had retired the moment her first ten grandchildren were born, of course, and she was no longer just the Mother of Thousands, she was the new Grandmother of ten.

Old Agnes had changed, though. She was light-hearted. She was excited! She knitted things! She planned new adventures! She hummed happy tunes! She smiled her odd smile at odd times! Oh, yes, Agnes had changed! But Old Agnes never noticed it at all. Probably the only ones who did notice were The Thousands and Wooffer.

It was the beginning of spring. The breeze blew, the clouds flew, the flowers started to bloom, and the grasses grew. It was perfect weather for a field mouse (or any other body for that matter), and Old Agnes was cleaning house. She swept the halls, shook the rugs, turned the mattresses, and dusted the chandelier. When everything was as clean as it was going to get, she turned her energy to baking cookies and special cakes. When that was done, she went shopping. “Let’s see, pepperoni, cheese. Oh, mustn’t forget bubbles, paint brushes and , oh what was it?… ice cream!” Off she went, wheeling her shopping cart and having a great time. Old Agnes was getting ready for her grandmice to spend the weekend. The smile that was on her face that day, must have frozen there, because that is the smile she had on her face for the rest of her life!

Old Agnes put everything away and sat down in her big old chair. She had to think of something special to do with her grandmice that would make their weekend very special. She thought a long time, and then, she began to smile. “If Wooffer would only do it!” she said to herself. Then Old Agnes stomped around and jumped with happiness at the very thought!! She ran out the door and searched for Wooffer that very minute.

Old Agnes found Wooffer at the ditch with a big bully frog hanging out of his mouth. It was a game that Wooffer played with the frogs. First he would wait until he saw their eyes, just above the water… then he would dive under and try to catch them. He always let them go, if he ever got one; but the frogs thought that no one could catch them, and yelled, “NaNaNa Nanny Booboo!” with their big thumbs sticking in their ears and waving all the rest of their fingers at Wooffer. But that is another story.

When Old Agnes found Wooffer, she was smiling her odd smile and looking so happy that Wooffer dropped the frog and said, “What’s the matter?!”

“Nothing could ever be the matter,” exclaimed Old Agnes. “I came to find you on purpose.” Then Old Agnes began to explain to Wooffer just what she had in mind for her grandmice’s special weekend.

Wooffer listened with both ears. Wooffer began to smile, too. It was a great idea.

When Old Agnes saw Wooffer running towards the Castle of a Mouse House she started to giggle, to jiggle, to wiggle. And when Wooffer was very near, she ran out to meet him. She could not help herself, she was that excited.

Wooffer rushed up, as he and Old Agnes had planned. He lay flat on his stomach… front feet out flat… and back feet out the other way… flat. Old Agnes ran up and leaped upon Wooffer’s back, right behind his beautiful ears. “Come on, children!” she exclaimed, “this will be a ride to remember!” The grandmice looked at Old Agnes, then they looked at Wooffer. Wooffer was at least twenty times the size of the biggest grandmouse there. They were all looking at Wooffer’s beautiful white teeth, and not a one of them missed Old Agnes holding onto his fur right behind his ears, and smiling her odd smile.

One by one, every grandmouse found the courage to climb up and hold on for dear life to Wooffer’s fur. Edgar did not like to think of Wooffer’s sharp teeth, and he wanted to ride on the tip of Wooffer’s tail, to be as far away as possible. Old Agnes thought very fast. “Come up here with me, Edgar, it is the best view in the world!” (Wooffer Wags, you know.)

Edgar was glad to sit right next to his Granny. It made him feel safe and special. And so, with everyone holding on for dear life, off Wooffer trotted. He followed the planned path that he and Old Agnes had mapped out the day before. Up over the dirt mound… then down as fast as Wooffer could run,… through the tall grass and into the weeds… out of the weeds and into the ditch… through the water (everyone got wet), around the yard… through the nursery pots (which flew in a dozen directions) and just then… Wooffer saw Cho Lee Yen… as planned. Off he went on the wildest chase the grandmice could imagine. He caught Cho Lee by the tail, and off they all flew… Wooffer, Old Agnes and all the Grandmice… through the air.

When they landed on the roof of the house, Old Agnes was just cackling with glee. The grandmice began to join in one by one, as they got over the shock that they were still alive… and soon, everyone was laughing and congratulating each other on the joy of it all. “Can we do it again, Granny?” said Edgar. All the other Grandmice were asking the same question. “Can we do that again?”

“Well, first we have to get off the roof,” Old Agnes, chuckled, “and then it is up to our good friend, Wooffer, and our good friend, Cho Lee Yen!”

Cho Lee Yen flew Wooffer and all the field mice down to the ground, where it all began again. They started off once again, over the mound, through the tall grass… into the weeds… through the ditch… around the yard… through the pots… through the air… and onto the roof. The sounds that came over the air that day can only be described as, “the pure joy of living!” It was a day that Old Agnes will never forget, and a day that the grandmice will tell their grandmice about in the years to come.

When Wooffer lay down on his stomach to let the field mice off at Old Agnes’ door, Old Agnes bowed to Wooffer, and said, “I am sorry I ever called you a Heathen. You are the best friend I ever had.”

With saying that, Old Agnes ran into the Castle of A Mouse House and began getting out the Ice Cream and Cookies. All the Grandmice told Agnes that she was the “best.”
And she was, you know. The best Granny that ever was.
-----------------------

Oh, Annie!
What a ride is in store your you!
Love,
Betty.


I have, of late, felt a shyness to post a story that I have written. I have many errors in the writing.

Betty, you have nothing to be shy about!

Grannie Annie:

Enjoy that baby all you can.

Thanks, all of you for your good wishes. I talked to David today. Lyn is doing fine. The doctors already have her walking the halls, and say she will be going home tomorrow, even after a C-section. Jennifer's birthweight was 5lbs 11oz - about the same size as her aunts Lynn and Susan. (Her father was several lbs larger and much later coming - men, for you.) David, unlike his dad was there all the way through, and is taking extra time off to take his wife and daughter home and get them settled, and Lyn back on her feet. Here is the first picture:



I can't decide who she lookes like - a composite of all of us. I think.

Ann

She's beautiful!!

Carol

Dear Grannie Annie,
You will never be the same.

She does look just like me!!!

I am smiling at her open eyes and how much she really looks a lot like you.

It is so nice to know that she is loved by many.

Me included.

Love.
Betty

Absolutely beautiful.
to the whole family!

Grannie Annie,


She looks just lke you. Now I want a granddaughter also.

Joyous news! Congrats!

Ann, she looks bright as a button and already posing for Grannie's brag book. Enjoy it all!

Thank you all for your kind comments. Sorry it took me so long to respond. I'm deep into revising the character sketches for the community at Briny's in Adam. Twenty years changes the way one person looks at others. I feel more charged about my writing than I have in a long time.

Ann

Ann,

This forum and a new grandchild can do that to a person.

Have fun writing.

Have fun viewing pictures of your new granddaughter.

Carol

Forgot to congratulate you, Ann, so conratulations.

The latest:



Dressed to go home



Home and snug

Grannie Annie