If You're Lucky...
 

...you make it to be 90, and people throw you a big birthday party in a backwoods church in Southern Missouri. You might not care much about it, because, well...you're 90. What the fuck haven't you seen by then? If you're *really* lucky, one of the guests is a lady you've known since the second grade. She's 90 as well, but you look a helluva lot better than she does, and so you end up feeling pretty good about things, overall.

The lady on the right - the much less ravaged looking one - is my wife's grandmother, Stella. I don't know the lady on the left, but her daughter brought her out for Stella's special day, and Stella was damn surprised to see her. After all, when you're 90, people who you've known since childhood start to get pretty scarce.

Stella is hell on wheels, an opinionated, prejudiced, pious, whining midget of a woman who, upon hearing that my wife was leaving her husband and taking up with me some 12 years ago, promptly wrote Selene out of her will. Then, after getting to know me, she wrote her back *into* the will, and started throwing money at her whenever she thought we needed it. It seems she ended up liking me quite a lot after all. Go figure.

Stella lost her husband just about a year ago. They were married for over 65 years, and not a day goes by that she doesn't think of him, talk of him...honor him. Stella still lives mostly independently, and is in full command of her faculties. She cooks like a demon, tends her flower beds and generally puts most of us younger, softer stock to shame. We should all be so lucky.

She's a grand old lady, for all her shortcomings, and I'm proud to know her. I thought you might like to meet her, too, and wish her many more.

Rock On Granny Stella !!!:devil: ( in a good way )

Both my Grand mothers ( NOT Grand fathers , no they died off young , late 30's to early 40's ) lived to there late 90's ,
Hell my Mom walked in on her mother ( 90 + ) gettn' some in her retirement condo once !!!!!:doit:

She sounds like soooo much fun 'spode.

You have the most awesome family....we should all be so lucky.

She *is* fun, in an odd sort of way. Not "ha ha" fun, but something more substantial.

Sounds a lot like my gran.

That's awesome! I hope I look as good at 90 as she does!

Happy Birthday Gran!

Nobody in my family has lived longer than 62 and all of my Grandparents died in their 50s. I was always envious of people who could talk to an older generation family member about family from long ago.

Awesome. She does look great, I bet she's a hoot to listen to when she's on a roll. Thanks!

I like "adopting" grandparents. I've got several; mostly Hungarian. Go figure. But then again, I just plain *like* older people. I work with one gentleman who is 83; watching him try to understand UML has been a trip. :D

Go Stella!

But A good judge of character.

Wow - she certainly looks good for her age!
If Selene has inherited the good aging gene (and appears to, although hard to tell at this young age!) then you better watch out :)

Glad to hear she came round to our way of thinking about you anyway...

Did she actually like the other old timer? It would be sod's law if it was someone she's always loathed - but then, like you say, she would have been able to crow over her anyway.

Stella does look great--happy 90th to her!

One of my grandmothers died a couple of months ago at the ripe old age of 94, and she was a real character too. She often had that same expression on her face as Stella does, "WHAT is it you want now?" :lol:

I didn't get a lot of details, but they had been friends as younger people. I think the gal was mostly there because she was one of her few actual peers still kicking.