I've had the oportunity to visit with Grandma this week - she's staying with Elizabeth until Monday. It's such a pleasure getting to talk to her and hear her stories. For example, when she was 18 (around 1934), she was staying nights with a pregnant friend, Mary Catherine, whose husband worked nights. One dark and stormy night, Mary Catherine's water broke. Of course they didn't have a phone or a car so grandma had to walk to a service station down the road to call the doctor. She was very emphatic with the nurse on the line - insisting that the doctor needs to get there NOW!!! because she didn't know anything about childbirth. When the doctor did arrive, grandma tried to excuse herself to the living room, but the doctor insisted that he needed her to stay and assist in the delivery. Grandma was shocked and appalled and dismayed by what it took to give birth...so much so in fact that she vowed to never date again! She says she stuck by her vow for a while...but not a realy long while :-)
Posted by jfer at January 24, 2002 12:56 PM