Life goes on........!

[TWINKLE]

My husbands 96 year old grandmother died in the early hours of this morning. 

'Titine' (pronounced - TeeTeen) was a big personality in the family. 

My mother-in-law got us all together a couple of weeks ago (almost) to celebrate "La Fete des Grandmeres"  (I know there's an accent in there somewhere,  but I'm too tired to care and I know that Dick hasn't got a clue in French so - who cares?!![:)])

Anyway - she's gone now and I always sort of thought she'd always be there - as you do[;-)]

She didn't like me very much - always making comments about my pointy high heeled boots and how pretty I made myself just to go shopping (yawn, yawn!)  Oh yes - and how expensive all the lovely Christmas decorations must cost me whenever she came around ours during the festive period.

She loved my husband though - her grandson -  and all of her other grandchildren (they do don't they?) My Nan loved me to bits and was always weary of potential suitors or even of my friends.  That's what grandparents do don't they - protect you? 

They always make too much food too when you pop in to say hello (which we never do often enough by the way) and you have to eat it all otherwise.........well....you just have to!  She used to slip him a fiver (50 francs[;-)] and she always had cartons of his favourite cigarettes tucked away in her cave (pantry).

I remember the day when I truly  fell in love with my husband (18 years ago) was when he first took me to visit Titine (we had  run out of ciggies[:$]).  He was so caring and laid back when he was around her - I just melted!  I had a very special relationship with my own Nan - so I suppose that's why it meant so much to me[:)]

She worked the land and she certainly wasn't one of those cute grannies that you warm to - she was a hard working peasant woman and worked hard even during her 4 pregnancies.  She went into labour in the field for one of them and as soon as the baby was born and taken care of by the local midwife, she was back in the field 2 hours later!   Gas and air?  Epidural?  Foriegn words for this lady!

It's her funeral tomorrow - they're burying her in the graveyard in the hamlet where we live now.  This is the place she came from.  She always said  "If you never came to visit when I was alive -  then don't bother showing up when I'm gone!"

She's gone now. 

 

It was never a big love story between me and Titine - but I will go tomorrow.  My husband can't - he's working - and in our line of work you can't just ring up the boss and say "My gran died".  Five hundred people paying to pretend to be Irish one day a year ain't gonna be happy[:D]

Cheers Titine!

xxxxxx

[JayJay]

Sorry to hear your news & that hubby can't get to the funeral. Titine sounds like she was a great & strong character.

Shall I break into song & there's no one quite like grandma?! It's true though, there isn't.

[TWINKLE]

Lol!!!

The last time I saw her,  I was helping her walk slowly up the path and she was cackling away about my boots and how much I could hurt someone if I kicked them up the bum.  I looked at her and said with a twinkle in my eye "Yes - but at least they would move a bit faster!"[:-))]

[JayJay]

That was wicked, tut tut!!

[TWINKLE]

SHE was the wicked one - believe it![:D]

[JayJay]

Cos you married into the family maybe, my nan was like that, the in-laws were never good enough.

[mint]

twinkle

thanks for sharing the story of titine with us.  a life well-lived, i believe the vicar would have said if the funeral had been in the uk

but just YOU wait until you had grandchildren of your own and one of them is as cheeky and full of mischief as you!  what'll you do then, hey?