My mother’s mother, my grandma, was a big, wonderful woman.  My mom and I went to her house for spring cleaning.  It was a big house with lots of nooks and crannies for me to explore.  It had a solarium on the first floor, a cellar, a sewing room and balcony upstairs, and another whole room on the third floor.  My grandma was “slipping.” That’s what my mom told me.

She looked like she was walking fine to me, and except for a slight limp, I never saw her slip.

One day my grandma was sitting in the dining room watching my mom clean.  She looked at the clock and said, “It’s lunchtime!”  She went into the cellar and brought up cans of tomato soup.  In the “ice-box” were raspberries and cheese slices.  She made lunch.  We had tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and after that a nice bowl of fresh raspberries.

My mother went back to work on cleaning the house.  My grandma did the dishes in a big sink and I was allowed to dry them.  After the dishes were done my grandma and I sat in the dining room together.  In minutes she said, “It’s lunchtime!”  I looked at her and wondered.  She went into the cellar and brought up cans of tomato soup.  She found more cheese slices and raspberries in the “ice-box.”  She busied herself in the kitchen and once again made lunch.  My mother gave me a look and put her finger to her lips.  We ate lunch with my grandma for the second time.

Once again grandma washed dishes and I dried them.

My mother put her supplies in the solarium, and told my grandma that she had to go home.  She had to be home to fix herself up and make a dinner.  Dinner was not grilled cheese and tomato soup!  I asked my mom on our way home.  “Is that what you mean when you told me grandma was slipping.”  My mom told me that grandma often forgot things.

Yesterday I found myself opening a second can of chicken soup for lunch, within an hour.  It is alarming, but true!  My husband says nothing, but watches me when I do such things.