GRANDMA NELSON

Daddy pulled off the interstate, and I saw the all familiar red barn, and I knew we had arrived at Grandma Nelson's farm. I always had mixed feelings about seeing my Grandmother. It seemed she had as many Grandchildren as the old Mother in the shoe nursery rhyme. I saw her as different, but that is not why I hestiated. The truth be known I always got in trouble at her house, and ended up sitting in the car after I had been scolded.

"Remember to watch your tongue,"Emily, we don't want to have any episodes do we?, my Mother warned. That is what she called them, "episodes". what she really meant was the unspoken rule that governed anything that concerned Grandma Nelson.

As we got out of the car, Grandma Nelson came out of the house, and first she hugged my father, and then my mother, and then she got to us kids one by one. There was three of us, but my brother and sister didn't seem to have as many questions as I did about Grandma Nelson. The first thing I noticed was her dress, and my mother gave me the all familiar "eye roll", with piercing eyes. I quickly moved my eyes to eye level, which for me at 5 years old, was staring right at her bossom. I didn't want to sit in the car again, so I knew I had to watch my P's and Q's. It was 90 degrees, and back in 1955, the cars did not have air conditioners in them, and neither did most of the houses. Grandma Nelson's house certainly didn't have an air conditioner.

As I went through the ritual, Grandma Nelson, quickly reached into her dress pocket, and pulled out some stuck together Christmas hard candy, and handed it to me, my brother, and my sister. My brother, hugged her for it, but I quickly stuck the candy in the pocket of my jeans. My mother quickly said, accompanied by the eye roll, "What do you say, Emily?" I could see that it was starting already, even if I avoided the forbidded questions. At least I didn't have to sit in the car, it was blazing hot.

The visits got infrequent as Daddy was busy at work, and we just didn't go as frequently as we used to, which was fine by me. It wasn't like I disliked my Grandmother, but I just never understood her, and to me, her ways were odd. We did visit occasionally, and I managed to keep myself out of trouble, when we did.

I always admired my mothers Christmas presents, they were pretty, and they had such fancy bows on them. I made it a point to ask her how she made those fancy bows. She didn't buy the bows that were already made, she made them herself out of ribbon, and then she curled the ends of the ribbon, and that made them all the fancier, and pretty. I always loved helping her wrap presents, and one day, she taught me how to make those pretty bows. I was eight years old by then and it was time she taught me.

These were the gifts that needed to be mailed and I was more than happy to assist and help her wrap the gifts, and it gave me the opportunity and practice to make those fancy bows. There was presents for Uncle Freddie and Aunt Millie, and for the Nelson's nieces and nephews they were plentiful, just like the Old Lady who lived in the shoe nursery rhyme, except in nieces and nephews. Mother did the best she could, barrets for the girls and hot wheel cars for the boys. There were plenty of those, as Daddy had nine brothers and sisters. I got tired wrapping those small gifts, and that is when my Mother handed me a box, and she simply said, "Here wrap this box too, Emily, it has to be mailed tomorrow. I opened it up before I taped the box shut and I discovered a dress inside. I said, "A dress for Grandma Nelson, she will certainly need that."

My Mother simply, said," Emily, just wrap the gift, and don't start anything.

I wrapped the gift for Grandma Nelson, and never asked a question. The rule was the same as always.

"The Grandma Nelson Rule."