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Name: Megan
Gender: Female
Interests: Christianity, Science, Hiking, Talking on the phone, Emailing, Sign Language, Missions, etc...
Expertise: Um...I don't think so...
Occupation: Student
Message: message me
Member Since:
6/26/2005
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| This summer I have been commissioned to take care of my grandma. She and her husband do pretty well by themselves here in Walla Walla. But the family thought it would be nice if I would accompany them on the annual pilgrimage to Alaska and help them up there with the things that are hired out here (like cook, clean, etc.) Anyways, I have been learning lots about myself, my family, and the real importance of things.
My grandma and I have very similar eating habits... We like to munch the entire time we are at the table and hate to finish our meals. We both eat a lot--Smith style.
I can also see why my dad is the keeper. My grandma loves to save things--glass jars, rubber bands from veggies, every card she's received, all her Reader's Digests, etc. I guess it's just that she spent most of her time in depression-era Washington and in Alaska, when things like that weren't readily available. I have been trying to go through closets and cupboards with her. We've had decent success: two bags and one box for Dorcas. 
My grandma LOVES pictures. She likes to save calendars because of the pictures. In her younger days, she kept extensive, well-labeled photo albums. She loves to pore over pictures and tell me the stories of the people in them. I think she is reliving her academy and early-twenties days. LOL! She has the most hilarious stories. I've probably heard them about four or more times already, so I should be able to retell them. =)
Speaking of pictures, I found the following already scanned on to my grandma's computer. Too bad there's not a scanner here for me to show you some of the other neat pictures I've encountered.
This is my Swedish great-grandma Lillian with her sister Effie (I think) in the black. My great-aunt Virginia is the older girl. My grandma Geneva is the younger girl holding the doll. The twin boys are Al and Art. Twins ran in the family. Effie had twin girls. Lilly and Effie's younger sister Violet had twin boys. No twins in the family since, as far as I know.
Great-grandma Lillian's parents came over from Sweden. In their home, Swedish was spoken and understood. But when Lillian had her own family, she refused to teach her children Swedish because she was an American. My grandma Geneva often recalls how her mother would explain again and again to her sisters that English was the language of her choice. I don't know if I agree with her reasoning. I think it would have been neat to prolong the Swedish speaking in the family.
Here is the whole family. Great-grandpa and great-grandma Green with the four kids. My grandma still loves her dolls. I wouldn't doubt that the doll in the picture is still in a box in the garage. :)
I have also realized what really matters when you're in your 80s. Health, for one thing, is a major blessing. I often take the ability to walk for granted. I don't need a cane, a walker, or a wheel chair and I hope I never need them.
Friends and family are very important. My grandma has always had a ton of friends. She loves having people over for lunch or just to visit. Even though she is very forgetful, people still love to come and eat at her house. She has never been a gourmet cook, but she loved people. It was typical behavior for her to stand up during church and invite the entire church to her house for lunch. She may not have had enough prepared, but she reasoned that she could always open another can of beans. She kept in touch with her friends by letter and by phone for years. If she was traveling nearby, she would go out of her way to visit her friends or distant family. Her cousins were always very close. Although she isn't a born Smith, she still is very connected to the Smith family. Two of her former sisters-in-law come to visit everyday. Everyone seems to love her. And so do I.
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| Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I am the only graduate this year from Ouachita Hills College.  On a happy note, I finished all my graduation requirements at Christmas. Rather than wait till May and be the only graduate for an entire weekend, I am graduating on.... Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Yay! You're welcome to come if you can. I understand that with the short notice and weekday time will make it difficult to come, so no hard feelings. Please note that there will be no OHC graduation on May 18, 2008. | | |
| At long last we finally have a house. After living in FOUR different locations for the past month and a half, we FINALLY can stay put. (Although I'll be on the move again in August.)
Come visit us sometime! Just let us know when you'll be in the area. =)
Praise the Lord!
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| Summer is here--finally--in Northern Maine.
I was bored... So, mom got out the scissors. 
This first picture was taken in the earlier part of the year by my roommate Tara.
My hair had grown a little bit longer by this morning.
Here is after my mom put away the scissors.
My days have been filled with correspondence courses, trips to the
library, laundry, shopping, and house searching. My parents
offered on a house, so hopefully we'll have a place to settle in about
two weeks.
I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer.
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