INTERVIEWING GRANDMA...

I just watched and videotaped one of the sweetest things ever.
Tornado interviewed my 85-year-old grandmother. More importantly, she is Tornado and Twister's GREAT-grandmother!

I first have to say how impressive it was to witness an 85-year-old woman still going strong at midnight. Secondly, I have to say how even more impressive it was to watch Tornado sit patiently and kindly listen - with eyes on the speaker - to the complete answer. You cannot even begin to imagine how hard of a task that can be where my grandmother is concerned. To say "she rambles" would be the understatement of the year...the decade...the century...the past millennium!

Grandma is a talker. It's one of the things about her that can drive you a little batty at times, but it's also one of the things we love most about her. It is incredible to hear the details that she is able to recall. She not only has this amazing memory, but she is knowledgeable as well. Grandma is like a walking encyclopedia...with a cane. She still remembers names, dates, and a plethora of other information on an unbelievable amount of topics. She has had so many life experiences. It would be a crime for us not to get some of her memories on tape, so that is just what we started. I say "started" because we are nowhere near being finished.

The interview lasted for just over twenty minutes. I honestly think that if we would have had more tape that Tornado could have kept questioning, listening, and learning. I know that Grandma could have kept going...and going...and going... Grandma is also like the Energizer Bunny. Seriously. In twenty minutes, Tornado was only able to ask the following questions:

1. What is your full birth name?
2. Do you know why your parents selected this name for you?
3. Did you ever have a nickname?
4. If so, how did you get it? (Technically, this question was answered before it was asked.)
5. When is your birthday?
6. What year were you born? (Technically, this question was answered before it was asked.)
7. Where were you born?
8. Were you born in a hospital?
9. What are the full names and birth dates of your parents?
10. Where were your parents born?

Is it amazing to anyone else that she could correctly answer the last two questions? Obviously, these all of these questions should have taken only 5-10 minutes to answer. Grandma did not see it that way. I was so proud of Tornado for listening to her ramble. The thing is...when you are interviewing an 85-year-old woman that has an incredible memory...nothing is "rambling". The unexpected information that she gave in answering these ten simple questions held ALL of us in rapt attention! We were all disappointed when the video tape ended, and we cannot wait to continue the interview as soon as possible. We currently have a list of ninety-two questions and are hoping to add more as we think of new things to ask!

What a wonderful gift is the gift of legacy!

INTERVIEWING GRANDMA...

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/08/interviewing-grandma.html