Super Gran..? the jury is still out!

[paladinlady]

My Grandmother, who's a grey haired 70 year old, has 2 hobbies they are rifle shooting (she belong to a rifle team) and tapdancing, but she says, not both at the same time! Her favourite music is Shriekback's 'Faded Flowers' and 'This Big Hush' and anything by Dean Martin. She's frightened of spiders but wants to wing walk when she is 90... she said she will do it if she can find any industrial strength underwear. Any one else got grandparents like this?:smallconfused:

[Serpentine]

Not quite, but my dad's dad - my Detz - is pretty great. He used to do tapdancing, too, and was a local paper's first professional photographer. He left that to become an Anglican minister, and was a Padre during the Vietnam War. He wasn't allowed to leave the compound without a gun, but he never had any intention whatsoever of using it so he didn't bother with bullets. Nowadays, even though he's meant to be years retired, he's still doing weddings (mostly of his grandchildren) and funerals and I think also prisons which he finds fulfilling. A few years ago he had to take over regular church stuff, cuz the previous minister ran off with a parishoner...

[paladinlady]

Not quite, but my dad's dad - my Detz - is pretty great. He used to do tapdancing, too, and was a local paper's first professional photographer. He left that to become an Anglican minister, and was a Padre during the Vietnam War. He wasn't allowed to leave the compound without a gun, but he never had any intention whatsoever of using it so he didn't bother with bullets. Nowadays, even though he's meant to be years retired, he's still doing weddings (mostly of his grandchildren) and funerals and I think also prisons which he finds fulfilling. A few years ago he had to take over regular church stuff, cuz the previous minister ran off with a parishoner...

That'll be tough act to follow... must be something about tapdancing that keeps you on your toes (excuse the pun)!

[Serpentine]

He's writing his memoirs. I look forward to reading them :3

[xelliea]

Clones... Blarg.

Anywho, my father is interesting, he's mad enough but is still fun, we have very simular interests, however he is a bit too left wing, as for my grandmother, well she must be about 90 now but she is very kind and a bit of a yes woman, for younger generations, my 13 year old brother is a barrel of laughs.

[paladinlady]

Clones... Blarg.

Anywho, my father is interesting, he's mad enough but is still fun, we have very simular interests, however he is a bit too left wing, as for my grandmother, well she must be about 90 now but she is very kind and a bit of a yes woman, for younger generations, my 13 year old brother is a barrel of laughs.

Sound as if your grandmother should learn a few tips from my grandmother, aren't they the words from a song..?

[Lord Loss]

My great-aunt, who is in her eighties, just stopped cooking her own food and killing her own turkeys for food a few years ago.

[paladinlady]

My great-aunt, who is in her eighties, just stopped cooking her own food and killing her own turkeys for food a few years ago.

Wow... that's something... I don't think my grandmother would kill her own food. Being a veggie she said she'd take any game my grandfather shoot to the vet if there is any chance they would revive when he's bought them home. But then again being a top marks woman she's always said if any of her kin were starving she'd change her views. Practical lot these people who have lived through the wars.

[littlebottom]

my great nan turned 100 recently, she lives alone and looks after herslef un-aided. okay, its not tap dancing or rifle shooting, but hell i think thats impressive.

[KuReshtin]

My grandmother turned 83 in November. She moved to a flat about 5 or 6 years ago since she thought that she didn't need the three-story house with a great big garden anymore after my grandfather passed away.
So she sold the house and moved to a flat instead.
Before my grandfather passed away, she helped him with a lot of things as he was in a wheelchair and had an amputated leg.

After she moved to her new flat, she made friends with her downstairs neighbour (oh yeah, the flat is on the second floor in a house with no elevator) who is about 8 or 9 years older than my grandmother, and they usually get together to play cards or have a cup of coffee. Whenever one of them thinks it's time for a game of cards or a cup of coffee or whatever, they take a stick and knock on the floor (ceiling in the case of her downstairs neighbour) to let the other know that the coffee is almost ready.

The downstairs neighbour was a tee-totaler when my grandmother moved in, but she's been 'cured' of that by my grandmother, so when they play cards, they have a glass of sherry or two each.

When my uncle and aunt remodeled their kitchen a couple years ago, and they didn't have any stove or oven, my grandmother cooked huge batches of food for them so they could bring home and heat up in the microwave.

Whenever i come home to visit the family, she invites the whole family for lunch/dinner where she cooks for all of us. Usually, that means that we're about 8 or 9 coming to eat, so there's plenty of food needing to be cooked.

My parents are now a little worried that she should get a walking aid, because her knees and hips are getting a bit worse for wear (she worked in a school kitchen for most of her working life), but she refuses because she says that 'that's for old people'.

My grandmother is great. :smallsmile:

[paladinlady]

It's great to hear about grandparents who are so cool and do so much, there's a lot of 'em about. Guess they have been through life when things weren't so easy, makes them tough cookies now. :smallsmile:

[Zar Peter]

...
My parents are now a little worried that she should get a walking aid, because her knees and hips are getting a bit worse for wear (she worked in a school kitchen for most of her working life), but she refuses because she says that 'that's for old people'.

My grandmother is great. :smallsmile:

My adopted aunt (adopted because she'S the friend of my grandmother) needed a stick when she turned 89 and said that now she's beginning to feel old. She's 93 now, loves to have little kids around and is generally a great person to talk to. Well, she had been a nurse so she can also be a pain when she's insisting that you should take some actions for your health but we can live with that.

[littlebottom]

My grandmother turned 83 in November. She moved to a flat about 5 or 6 years ago since she thought that she didn't need the three-story house with a great big garden anymore after my grandfather passed away.
So she sold the house and moved to a flat instead.
Before my grandfather passed away, she helped him with a lot of things as he was in a wheelchair and had an amputated leg.

After she moved to her new flat, she made friends with her downstairs neighbour (oh yeah, the flat is on the second floor in a house with no elevator) who is about 8 or 9 years older than my grandmother, and they usually get together to play cards or have a cup of coffee. Whenever one of them thinks it's time for a game of cards or a cup of coffee or whatever, they take a stick and knock on the floor (ceiling in the case of her downstairs neighbour) to let the other know that the coffee is almost ready.

The downstairs neighbour was a tee-totaler when my grandmother moved in, but she's been 'cured' of that by my grandmother, so when they play cards, they have a glass of sherry or two each.

When my uncle and aunt remodeled their kitchen a couple years ago, and they didn't have any stove or oven, my grandmother cooked huge batches of food for them so they could bring home and heat up in the microwave.

Whenever i come home to visit the family, she invites the whole family for lunch/dinner where she cooks for all of us. Usually, that means that we're about 8 or 9 coming to eat, so there's plenty of food needing to be cooked.

My parents are now a little worried that she should get a walking aid, because her knees and hips are getting a bit worse for wear (she worked in a school kitchen for most of her working life), but she refuses because she says that 'that's for old people'.

My grandmother is great. :smallsmile:

that is the sort of thing that makes people awesome, the little things, the things that show they care, and simply enjoying your life.

[rakkoon]

My grandmother went to see the Chippendales when she was 77 en was rushed to the hospital with a computer addiction when she was 82.
She was playing so much she forgot to eat and take her pills.
She's 96 now and still plays 2 hours a day.
Last two years are really weighing on her but if I can make it to 94 like she did I'll be very lucky.

[Amiel]

She'd be more amazing if she combined her two hobbies; now, that takes talent!

[paladinlady]

She'd be more amazing if she combined her two hobbies; now, that takes talent!

So true... shuffle, hop, step. Shuffle aim, fire!

Todays technology has gotta be a good thing for people of our grandparents age. Mine Skypes her friends all over the world, she says the games are good for keeping her brain alert and the labour saving gadgets are amazing.
Her mother washed all clothes by hand and used a hand cranked mangle.

[paladinlady]

My grandmother went to see the Chippendales when she was 77 en was rushed to the hospital with a computer addiction when she was 82.
She was playing so much she forgot to eat and take her pills.
She's 96 now and still plays 2 hours a day.
Last two years are really weighing on her but if I can make it to 94 like she did I'll be very lucky.

That is so cool... and it's so cool they are giving us positive role model examples, something so neat to aim for. Life is what you make it with the hand you are dealt.

[Amiel]

So true... shuffle, hop, step. Shuffle aim, fire!
Still, your grandmother redefines the definition of epic; more elderly folk should follow suit. It keeps them healthy, active and happy. And isn't that what living is about? :smallsmile:

[grimbold]

your grandma sounds awesome
both of my grandmas are rather stay at home

[Mauve Shirt]

My grandmother's rather standard grandmotherly hobbies include Scrabble, bridge tournaments and knitting, but she's still living on her own and travelling and having fun at age 84, so I think she's pretty awesome.

[paladinlady]

your grandma sounds awesome
both of my grandmas are rather stay at home

Stay at home they may be... but I bet they have both done amazing things in their life time. Looking after a family is no mean task, you have to be a Jill of all trades. Most of these Grandmas have been alive during a war. Mine remembers eating mashed parsnip flavoured with banana extract in sandwiches when she was a child during WW11 as there was such a shortage of food stuff.

[paladinlady]

Still, your grandmother redefines the definition of epic; more elderly folk should follow suit. It keeps them healthy, active and happy. And isn't that what living is about? :smallsmile:

so true... we're here for a good time, not a long time.:smallsmile:

[rayne_dragon]

Wow, I wish I had grandparents as cool as some of the people in this thread.

Not to say anything bad about either of my grandmothers, though, who both are/were awesome, just not in such a spectatcular way. My paternal grandma always gave me a $50 bill for my birthday and christmas each year. She also made me a nice quilt and was really good at putting together puzzles. She passed away, sadly. My maternal grandmother is really nice. She always comes around to my mum's house to help clean up and she's always trying to help out. She also makes glass jewelry and some of it is quite neat.

[Traab]

My grandmother raised 11 children in upstate new york, and kept a rifle by the back door she would use to blast any game animals that happened to wander by. (Lots of deer in that area) She lived on her own till she turned 80 and was the organizer and chief cook for our 400+ member family reunions till she was 75.

[bluewind95]

When I'm grandma-age, I want to be at least half as awesome as this (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/japanese-woman-83-escaped-tsunami-bicycle-20110318-103616-151.html) granny.

My grandmother's pretty super, too. She's raised like 9 kids (and only 3 were her own!) and is still the healthiest member of the family.