Great Gram’s real name is Etta Gwendolyn Buzzell St. Laurent (Buzzell was her maiden name).  She was married to Bernard “Nard” St. Laurent for 53 years.  She grew up in Dover, and he was a Somersworth boy.  They had four girls, Marcia, Nancy, Brenda and Karen (also known as your Grammy).  Her husband died in 1992 at the age of 73 (the same year my Dad died at the age of 67).

Over the past 24 years, Great Gram has lived on her own on Pinewood Drive in Somersworth. She does her laundry, cooks her own meals, goes grocery shopping, takes a daily shower and can hear a pin drop on the other side of a room (otherwise known as good hearing).  She’s still sharp as a tack, meaning mentally sharp… able to listen attentively, able to join a conversation and express herself in every way.

What makes this somewhat ordinary set of things extraordinary is the fact that she turned 98 years old October first.

98 years old! 

She’s been blessed with a loving family and very good health (she was only admitted to the hospital twice in her life besides giving birth to her daughters).  Most people (A) never live that long and (B) if they do, have lost their health, can’t hear, can’t walk, can’t talk, are in nursing homes, and aren’t mentally sharp.  Among other challenges!

Almost a century old, she was born in 1918, the same year World War I ended.  Woodrow Wilson was President, the Red Sox beat the Cubs in the World Series (they wouldn’t win again until 2004).   The average annual wage was $1500.00 (today it’s $50,000).  A house cost $4,820 (today it’s at least $300,000.00 for a decent house in the NH Seacoast).  A car cost $360.00 (today it’s $33,000.00).

Amazing huh?  Happy birthday Great Gram, you are living, breathing history!

It was a beautiful summer with a couple notable twists: the Clickman clan lived there from June 30 through August 15; it featured phenomenal weather with the longest stretch of sun and clear skies I can remember in our 20 years of owning the beach house.  We had our annual 4th of July party, there were sleepovers, lots of boogie boarding, yummy deck food grilling, drippy castle building, freeze pops; river and lake building and visits to the Scoop Deck.  Here’s a visual recap of July & August:

Hanging out with my buddy Jack, who continues to have a lot on his mind:

So, why did we all move (Uncle Tim, Jack’s family, Grammy & Papa, etc.)

Talking about Madigan – I like her, she’s a good cousin, but she likes to play different games

There are two houses on this street for sale

How come the street is water (looking at photo of Venice I took)?

I think I might want to be a landscaper when I get bigger (having watched our landscaper plant a new garden… you were propped up on the kitchen counter looking out the window at them for a couple hours)

Papa, look at how the windows go up and down on the U-Haul, you turn this handle!

I don’t want to learn about space any more

there’s lava at the middle of the earth

Why is Arizona hot?

Grammy, what’s the biggest number?  what’s the number called?  It never ends, it’s a never-ending number.

Papa talking to Grammy with Jack in the back seat… I think he learns a lot from his siblings… for which you immediately reply: “Yes I do… I can hear you talking!”

You sir, are unbelievable.  Smart. Sharp. Funny.  and darn precious. You’re five!

Powerful water streams were shooting through the air, drenching the Dover soccer field on a warm early summer day.

Sprinklers here, sprinklers there, sprinklers everywhere.

Who can resist the temptation of checking it out? Not you, not your brother, and not your oldest sister (Molly was playing soccer).

It started with the sprinkler head, turning it in different directions, getting the feel of how the stream could be re-directed.  Next up:  body jumps over -and through – the stream.  Then, aiming at each other, getting fully soaked.  Then – especially you Jack – full body immersions as you soaked yourselves.  I love the “butt” photo – how funny is that?

The look of complete satisfaction in the final photo is an awesome capture of what it’s like to be a kid:  go for it, no qualms, no regrets, pure joy, total experience, in-the-moment fun.