My parents were divorced when I was eight. My sisters and I got to spend time on Sundays with my dad. More often than not he took us to his mother’s apartment. We called his mother and my grandmother Gigi. Gigi was a very formal lady who believed young ladies should sit straight and tall on the sofa. She would chat with us about school and ask my dad about his week. Sometimes my sisters and I would look through copies of her McCall’s or Good Housekeeping magazines as we sat. Other times my dad would put on an old movie or a sports program and we sat silently and watch it too.
Things would liven up at three o’clock when Gigi would put out a bowl of corn chips and a plate of Lemon Cooler cookies. She would also pour everyone mixed drinks. My dad, sisters, and I would have Coke with orange juice mixed into it. Gigi would have rum and Coke. (I didn’t realize until I was much older than she had rum mixed in her drink.)
Once the snack was over we would help her gather up the glasses and bowls and take them to the kitchen. Then it was time for quick hugs and goodbyes before we headed back to our house.
I never remember being bored or feeling stifled by the Sunday we spent at her apartment. I do remember thinking that she expected our best manners and liked order. My other grandmother was the direct opposite, but she is another story for another day.
(Visited 69 times, 1 visits today)
Great post, it made me think back to visits with my nana. =)
Thank you for sharing your memories. Memories of Grandma always seem to be the best!
My grandma always used to give us Lemon Cooler cookies too…they must be popular among grandmothers!!
what a neat memory of a different era.
This made me think of my own g-ma. She was an amazing cook and I haven’t thought of her in some time. Thanks.
Love the weekly theme! Makes me think about the fun I had over at grandma’s house 🙂 Thanks for the memories.
I have memories like that too!
Your post brought back memories of the Sundays my sister and I spent with our Dad,stepmother & her parents. They were quite old fashioned, the afternoons were always boring, sounds like yours were a lot more interesting.
~Maggie~
We could all identify with this post, in one way or another: how we spent Sundays, what our grandmothers were like, etc.
Lovely.
Loved this post! I too had grandmothers that were completely different from each other, except in their love for the grandkids 🙂 Kathy
I love how she gave you your own “cocktail” — especially brings back memories of Shirley Temples, or getting to drink milk out of what we called “the fancy cups” just to make it special. No champagne has ever tasted as sweet. 🙂
Oh no! That sounds terribly boring. I’m glad you didn’t think so, though.
manners matter. I say this a lot here.
Great title: “Sitting up straight in the sofa”. I love this post. And I can’t wait to read about your other grandmother! Who needs fiction – just look at your relatives!
Suberb S-post!
Best wishes,
Anna
Anna’s S-words
Gigi seems like a proper-lady and it’s always good to have manners so I think she is right about sitting up straight and having manners. and orange juice with coke? that’s an interesting mix
thank you for your visit.
What a lovely S post. Yes that was good manners in those days, sitting straight on the sofa. Wonderful.
so formal and you still enjoyed it 😀
HATED hearing “sit up straight”. Great post.
On behalf of the ABC Wednesday team, thank you!
ROG
I was taught to sit up straight too, but now my feet went first on the couch..I want to feel comfortable..
Wow…that’s very interesting. I think we were always playing outdoors…so sitting on the furniture wasn’t so important. I think that sitting still is a good thing though…I’ve had to institute it a couple times with my very busy son! =)
What a great little “slice of life” story. Nicely done!
I never heard of orange juice and coke. I just might have to try that. I think probably a lot of people had opposite grandparents. I know I did LOL. Great S post. Enjoyed reading it.
Gigi would make chiropractors everywhere quite happy!
I love this line “who believed young ladies should sit straight and tall on the sofa.”
That just sounds like the start of a book to me.
She sounds rigid yet loving. It was good you knew what was expected of you so you didn’t disappoint your Dad or your Grandmother!
I would have always been in trouble there because I cannot sit still for anything!
Thanks for this charming post on our little journey through Alphabe-Thursday’s Letter “S”.
It was quite special.
A+
Oh man, I just love me some Lemon Cooler cookies. A friend from Atlanta used to bring those and the Key Lime Coolers up when he visited. Now he’s in NM and salsa doesn’t travel as well.
Sunday’s with Gigi and dad sound like a little slice of heaven to me.
I can see you all lined up. My Grandmother in law was like that when my three girls were little. She even had the plastic cover on the couch because she had a little dog. My girls always looked pretty uncomfortable though I am glad you have fond memories. My parents were also divorced when I was young but when we visited my grandparents with my dad it was always a mad house. Aunts, Uncles and cousins wresting and playing one game or another.
Sundays are a great day for a little family together time. What nice memories.
Orange juice and coke? never tried it but it sounds interesting!
Lovely to have those memories of your Gigi. I don’t think it hurts at all to have to sit quietly, with straight back once in a while!
We would go to my grandmother’s and watch Lawrence Welk and eat those butter cookies that have the whole in the middle….we would put them on our finger and eat all around and try to keep it on our finger. Isn’t it funny the things we rememeber about our childhood! Thank you for sharing about yours!
this post touched my heart. I am in the middle of a divorce and my daughters are 9 and 4 and they are with their dad this weekend and …
what a sweet memory.
Both my grandmothers died when I was very young and I have only vague memories of one of them. I loved reading about your Gigi – too funny that she was drinking a rum and coke! LOL
I’m a squirmy sitter. I’d be in trouble too. But I love what you got from that Sunday experience.
Do you sit up straight now?
Do you have rum-and-cokes now?