Walk like the Egyptians

Hurray!!! Today is my grandma's eighty-third birthday (I can remember this easily, as she is fifty years older than me!). Today, I thought that I would write about my mom's side of the family, in honor of my grandma's birthday (don't worry Mom...I will write about you and Dad separately).

First of all, I have to say, I am proud to be a Keck. My dad's side of the family is really great. However, practically the moment I breezed into the United States, I had a magical relationship with my mom's side of the family...the Daniels.



When I was very young, my grandparents lived in a little house on Fairview Avenue in Decatur, Illinois. I have many fond memories of the house and the city of Decatur alone. I remember all of the little pictures of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy my grandma had taped up against the bedroom wall where Jessica and I slept. I remember Jessica and I laying in that bedroom tucked in under our Snoopy blankets playing flashlight tag on the ceiling with our yellow Popeye flashlights...and reading Archie comics. I remember the yellow smiley towel that Grandma had in her bathroom, along with the frog soap holder and the 70's flower anti-slip stickers on the floor of the bathtub.

My grandparents had a little table for Jessica and me, where we would play kitchen. There was a special drawer (I believe it was the lower right hand drawer) in the center island of the kitchen, where we could find any number of play pots, pans, and dishes.

Speaking of toys, Grandma always had presents waiting for us when we'd visit sitting on the orange and brown floral sofa and on the little round table. I remember specifically the time we came through the door and Jessica and I found stuffed animal Care Bears for each of us. There was also a special treat located in the secret drawer of the round table (one of my favorites...Pick Up Sticks).

We would play for hours in the backyard, looking for creatures and pretending to swing from the long branches of the weeping willow tree. Grandma would often puncture holes in the top of an Oleo container (I think that I probably learned the word "Oleo" from my Grandma!) so that the little crickets and fireflies that I would capture could breathe until I let them go.

Blowing bubbles on the porch of the house was always a good time. Grandma would also always give us a half cup (Grandma had the thinnest plastic cups known to man) of 7-Up or apple juice. I loved taking trips to Tolley's and riding the mechanical horse (I LOVED that horse!).

The pets there were always fun too. Katya the spaniel and Mabel the beagle were always fun to play with. At dinner time, Jessica and I sat on chairs with wooden slats that would pinch the back of my thighs when I wore shorts. Mabel would often be sitting the doorway of the dining room barking her signature beagle bark...RORK! All the while, Katya would be under the table going down the line of legs and pawing at each person's shins (which was quite painful!). Grandma and Grandpa also had a cat named Mr. Keke. I don't remember a lot about him...except that he was always either going outside, coming back in, or sitting in the window.

I remember visiting my Aunt Nancy (a.k.a. Aunt Bubbles because she liked bubble baths) at the yarn store she worked in...and eating popcorn balls with her (mmmm...popcorn balls). My aunt had a little house nearby. I remember playing with the western style doors that went from the living room to the kitchen. She also had two cats, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan who would run for their lives when they'd see me coming. No worries, I'd always find them hiding under my aunt's seemingly tall bed "dit-do", though my aunt would tell me over and over again that her cats would scratch and bite. I also remember Aunt Nancy's guitar and thinking how amazing it was that she could play Puff the Magic Dragon (much to her delight...I don't know where the beautiful picture of she and her guitar is or I would paste that baby on here!).



I remember sitting at the piano with my Aunt Ruthie and learning to push one key at a time on the piano instead of banging all at the same time. I remember watching her also play the flute! I remember Aunt Ruthie's hair. I remember it being long. I remember it short. I remember it being straight. I remember it being curly too...and watching her put hot curlers in her hair (seemed like a very cool thing to do!).





I remember Grandpa and Grandmas' recliners with the table between them...and the air machine that sat on it. I can remember Grandpa sitting in that recliner napping or watching tv on their big wooden console television with the TWO dials (fancy!). I remember Grandpa sitting on the porch sipping his extra big cup of iced tea (with the neat long rows of ice cubes from the ice maker). I remember Grandpa's voice, his suspenders, his clunky looking brown tie shoes and button up shirts (NEVER v-neck shirts and very VERY rarely a tie).



Grandma always showered us with presents, hugs, and kisses. She went along with all of our games, as well as our many many silly performances and art shows. Grandma had the coolest things, such as the Mickey Mouse banks that she kept change in and required a butter knife and a steady hand to retrieve the coins. She also had neat purses that she let Jessica and I play with as children at her house. I remember thinking how neat they were with the twist clasp. And oh how I remember Grandma's banana cream pie...my favorite (Grandpa would secretly let me pull off the peaks of the meringue and eat them before the pie was served...mmmm!).

Leaving Grandma and Grandpa's house...all I remember was my mom crying. Soon though, my mom wouldn't have to cry about leaving them again.

By the time I was in second grade, Grandma and Grandpa moved up to Minnesota to our house. Until their basement apartment was finished, they stayed up in our playroom. I will never forget the night that Grandma screamed because she discovered that our plastic finger puppet of a caterpillar glowed in the dark! Upon completion of the apartment, Jessica and I camped out downstairs in the basement. I remember Grandma giving us each a glass (more like a goblet) of grape juice and my mom pretty much threatening our lives if we spilled on the new carpet.



Throughout my childhood, Grandma specifically kept us kids busy. She would play any game (real or imaginary). I remember her teaching me 1, 2, 3 O'Leary, with our playground ball (she would even kick her leg over the ball!). We would play Old Maid with Grandma...and cheat to ALWAYS make Grandma the Old Maid! Grandma often played cowboy with Robert on their imaginary horses, Gus and Gow. We'd play hide and seek. Grandma would always just throw a blanket over herself (and sometimes Robert too) and sit in the corner until we found her. Grandma was a wonderful playmate.



As an adult, I have a lot of appreciation for my wonderful Grandma. She's interesting to converse with about any topic from back in the day she was a child (which I used to refer to as the days of the pyramids), to things she just doesn't understand (because, as she puts it "she's elderly"). My grandma has always been there in my life and I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I've had to know her and be loved by her.



Happy birthday Grandma....I hope that you've enjoyed my rendition of "A Trip Down Memory Lane".