My Grandma Susie

Yesterday I spent a couple hours with my grandma Susie.  She is 84 years old, energetic, independent, and has a great sense of humor.

I had been looking for someone to make some comforters for the kids out of John's clothes.  I've kept them in a bin for the past 6 years and have been waiting until the right time to have the comforters made.  My mom suggested that I have Grandma make the 3 comforters.  I don't know why I didn't think of her before.

Grandma is so excited to make the comforters for us.  I'm excited that she's able to make them.  I can't wait to see them in a few months!  These will be Daddy John Christmas gifts for John Michael, Ben and Rebekah.  These will be their best gift yet!

So here's what my grandma does to support herself:

• She makes lavish quilts for people around the world ... literally!  I didn't know this about her.  I knew that she made quilts but I had no idea that she made quilts for people around the world.  She's in the process of making a quilt for someone in Germany!  I asked her how these people know that she makes quilts for other people.  Her response:  "Well Rose, I've been doing this for 30+ years, people should know by now that I make quilts."  Well, ok then. :)  
• She bakes for other people.  There is one man who orders her amish sugar cookies from her on a regular basis.  She makes 5 dozen cookies for him monthly.  
• She bakes pies, cookies, bread and more for a local business who sells them.  She is a fabulous cook and I will be ordering cookies and bread from her now too!

As we were having our coffee break, as she called it, we were discussing books that we've read.  She tells me about a book "Echoes of the Past".  This is a book of short stories, written by elderly amish people, who tell of how they grew up.  Her and grandpa wrote in it!

I learned that Grandma started working as a "maude" (hired girl) when she was 20 years old.  She would help families who had just had a baby.  Back then, in the 1940's, the mother would stay in bed for 9 days.  She wouldn't get out of bed except to go to the restroom, which was a portable pot next to the bed.  The mother ate in bed, fed the baby in bed, and slept in bed.
It was Grandma's job to take care of the mother and her children.  She cleaned the house, fed and cared for the children, helped with the farming and even made butter.
In her writing she told of how the families all had cloth diapers and how she had to clean them.  I won't go into the details of it like she did ... just know that it was a nasty job!  Thank goodness for Pampers!
She worked 6 days a week and started by making $5 a week and eventually made $15 a week. 

I really enjoyed spending time with my grandma yesterday...