My cousins and I had a great trip visiting with my Grandmother, Janie. We heard some great stories, chatted about family, drank martinis, and talked interior design.
When you are talking with someone who was born in 1913, the range of subject matter is vast, and the weight of issues that seem heavy are minimized with her perspective on the world. When the subject of a family member getting prostate cancer came up, her response was "every man gets that", and on we went to the next topic.
Many people want to know her secret, and she claims it is that vodka thins her blood. I'll drink to that! This is our standard drink in our family known as a "Cliffhanger", pegged by my Grandfather, Cliff. All joking aside, the duo had cocktail hour every day at 6:00, which kept them connected with one another on a daily basis.
Janie started her own interior design business in Jackson, Michigan in the 30's. She had no degree in interior design, and had to teach herself. She has a passion for bold interiors, and loved working, even though it wasn't the thing for women to do back then. She and my Grandfather lived in over 22 homes in their lives, and she loved making each one unique and personal. She has created little pen and watercolor sketches of some of her favorite interiors.
This is where the creativity started. A knowledge of always having something to keep you busy, and your mind working. Janie continues to read the Wall Street Journal every day, and creates her own needlepoints which I will share with you next.
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