grandmother and grandfather

i knocked on my grandparents door and could see my grandfather slowly making his way to open it. he recognized who it was, sighed, and said, "well katy, would you like to see my train?"

around the christmas tree a circular track was set up. my grandfather sat in his reading chair by the window with the train controls in his hand. he proceeded to show me how he can manipulate the lights, noise and movement.

he then stopped the train and told me how the process of setting it up had weighed heavily on him and he was glad it was done. setting up the train had in his words, "required much use of his mind".

the next worrisome item he stated was the fact that beds had to be made. my aunt and uncle, including their nine children, are coming to stay at my grandparents for christmas. my grandmother had stripped all the beds, cleaned the sheets, and now the beds must be remade. my grandmother requires the help of my grandfather because making a bed is much easier with two rather than one.

my grandfather said that he so dreaded making the beds that he lost sleep over it. he felt he could barely muster the strength to maybe make one bed a day.

the problem he related was that grandmother would ask, "how much sheet do you have on your side?" he would then have to relay to her descriptively whether it was just right, too little, too much or possibly just past the mattress, touching the floor, etc. the questions never stop he said. and no matter how closely he follows her directions, she almost always redoes his side anyways.

i volunteered my services, much to his delight, and proceeded to make beds with my grandmother. since we are both bed-making perfectionists it was little trouble and not in the least time consuming.

after finishing one room we got side tracked by christmas decorations. my grandfather came in, saw the situation and stated, "grandmother you are distracting our guest from making those beds." he really did not want to be left with grandmother to make them :)

once we finished he kept singing a song from the musical scrooge:

thank you very much!

thank you very much!

that's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me.

he sincerely was so grateful that i got him out of making beds with my grandmother.

now his worries have moved on to finishing the christmas decorating.