My grandfather enjoys life. He was delighted when he turned 70 (nearly twenty years ago now) because he could ski for free at all the local ski areas. He continued to do this even as his cronies and skiing buddies passed away one by one. He hasn't been skiing in a couple of years. He and my grandmother spend as much time on their boat as they can. A few years ago when they traded in their beloved sailboat for a powerboat, my grandmother insisted that, if they were going to buy a Grand Banks, they paint it bright red and name it Firebird so it would stand out from all the other Grand Banks. They did, and it does. This summer we spent a week cruising Penobscot Bay with them. My grandfather and grandmother know the Maine coast like nobody else. And in every harbor they have stories about friends, boats, the people in the houses on the shore.
Some of the names of the boats my grandfather has had are: Firebird, Counterpoint, Cadenza, Surprise, Grendel's Mother, and Telephone (so his secretary could tell callers, "I'm sorry, but Mr. Fowler is on the Telephone right now."). There are others, I am sure, but these are the ones I remember either from being on them or from the stories. One of them sank at its mooring, I remember that, and he raised it up from the bottom.
My grandfather forgave my father and me for not going to Princeton, but I remember going to a football game there with him and seeing how clearly he loved the place. He still has bosom buddies from there -- on my two driving trips across country I stayed in Montana with his old roommate Turk Orr. My grandfather will tell you that he loves you, and that he is proud of you, and put his hand on your shoulder, then offer you a drink. My grandfather loves to laugh and tell stories, and doesn't take anything too seriously. My grandfather is a staunch Republican, and my grandmother a good Democrat, and they cheerfully cancel one another's votes each year.
My grandfather has been on email for at least ten years, which is pretty cool for an old guy. He haggles over the prices of Christmas trees and will proudly bring home a scruffy and misshapen one if he can get a good deal on it. When I was young I remember he would go out back behind the house and cut one from the woods each year. He makes a fuss about precision in hanging a few -- not too many -- tinsel icicles on the decorated tree, hung so they fall down straight and symmetrically. Oh, I just remembered this -- he used to have an amazing garden, including a very productive asparagus patch. And high bush blueberries, that he would make into blueberry pancakes for me. He was the one who taught me the secret of making pancakes -- watching the bubbles and turning the cake when the bubbles no longer close. He reads voraciously, and loves classical music.
My grandfather proposed several times to my grandmother. The last time was shortly before he headed overseas to fight in WWII. He was in his Navy uniform and they were walking along the streets of New York City and he suddenly turned to her and blurted out crossly (my grandmother's word), "My feet are killing me, and if you don't say yes you will never see me again!" She said yes.
My grandfather is a good woodworker, a good businessman, a good husband (60+years) and father (5 children, 8 grandchildren), a yachtsman and until recently an athlete, a citizen and a friend. I am proud to be his granddaughter.
[UPDATE ON GRANDPA: The tumors are getting worse and his remaining kidney is ceasing to function. There are two options: do nothing and he will die of renal failure, or get dialysis. The doctor is not enthusiastic about dialysis. Grandpa is, however, feeling better after an infusion of new blood and is in higher spirits today 3/10 -- complained bitterly about the fake maple syrup on his pancakes this AM at the hospital which just goes to show he's got his spunk back enough to concentrate on the important stuff. I will be spending some time with him tonight, and of course will sneak in a supply of real maple syrup....]
I hope he is okay. Sounds like the kind of person that they should make movies about.
Posted by: Ernie the Attorney | March 09, 2004 at 05:41 PM
What a sweet post. It gave me a warm fuzzy.
Posted by: Jordan | March 09, 2004 at 08:46 PM