Flashback Friday - Grandpa Harold

I always thought that everyone had a family like mine. Before I was ever a twinkle in my parents eyes, both of my grandfather’s had passed on. I was luck to have two very loving grandmothers that spent loads of time with me. Where the unusual part rolls in…my paternal grandmother had married and divorced multiple time after grandpa was gone. I don’t blame her…raising 6 children (the youngest was only 3) after you lose your husband would be hard, and I’m sure very lonely.

One of the men that grandma married stuck around even long after the divorce. And boy howdy…I had the best grandpa ever!


My grandpa stopped by our home every Sunday morning for coffee, a smoke (always Pall Mall cigarettes) and Fig Newtons. Unless my mom had made his favorite, lemon meringue pie.
Dad and him would argue about everything, mostly driving truck. They could one up any story the other ever told. But the best part was, we had all heard the same stories a hundred times before. Grandpa had one of those husky smokers voices though, you could listen to him for hours at a time.

I was his little girl though. I remember his huge hands grabbing me under my arms and swinging me up for a hug and a whisker rub across my cheeks. He was always clean shaving, so I really don’t know how his whiskers always seemed so ruff.
I think this photo was following a birthday for me. Grandpa, dad and me always celebrated our birthdays together, we only lacked 8 days between them all. I can honestly say that the care bear in that photo is still in my possession to this day.
Unfortunately Grandpa is not with us still, but I’m sure glad of the memories that we shared.