Grandparents

I've been really lucky to have come from the stock that is my family tree.

My Grandpa Rip is pretty amazing. He remembers people and places from the 1920s - I can't remember last week. He's the epitome of the man's man, too. He's never spoken much but he'll hold his end of a conversation if you start one. He's got really great stories but he picks his time to tell them. We're also learning that he's the true king of the one-liners. Most important is that he's the most dutiful grandpa, father, husband, Catholic, community member, soldier, billiards champ, bartender, shortstop and just plain dude that you can imagine. He lives his life right.

My Grandma Val is also fantastic. She hasn't changed one bit since my first memories of her. She's in her 80s now but she probably gets carded if she asks for a senior discount. She drives herself around, she has a great apartment, and she won't even go to a movie with another man out of respect for my Grandpa Clyde. We have some great movies from the 70s where she's riding a motor scooter around her old yard on the farm house they used to own. She's always been a totally hands-on grandma and I can't imagine that anything scares her.

I have some great guideposts in place to remind me of what's really important - and how to stay centered.