I have AG’s toys, some clothes, the portable DVD, the Ipod, etc all sitting on the dining room table and ready to go.  We’re going to get up early tomorrow and go to Tallahassee for the day.  Anna Grace’s Great-Grandparents live up there (my maternal grandparents) and I thought tomorrow would work out good as a time to go for a visit. 

I hope my grandmother decides she will spend a little less time sleeping than she did last time.  We’ll see. If not, it was obvious last time that my grandfather likes the company. 

Over the years my maternal grandfather was seen as mean, irritable, and aggravating.  But, with age he has softened quite a bit and then, with my grandmother’s stroke we saw the real side of him.  Last year my grandmother lived in a rehab facility for about three or four months.  During this time my grandfather lived alone, did as he pleased, and to all our great shock… he did great.

And… he was nice.

I didn’t hear him call anyone a name… not even once. 

He’d actually talk to you on the phone.

But, something odd would happen.  He’d go visit my grandmother and if he was there too long, he’d return to the cranky old man we’ve known all these years.  My mother started paying attention and it was then we noticed that when they are together, my grandmother picks at my grandfather constantly!  All these years we all treated grandma like she was the "victim" and she played it well.  I feel bad that I didn’t realize sooner that my grandfather is a decent person, he’s just a hen-pecked and baggered decent person.

Last time I was up there he talked my ear off.  Before my grandmother’s stroke he would’ve dozed off in his recliner.  We now realize he was doing that all the time to escape my grandmother and we’re not entirely sure he was really asleep.  I’m looking forward to visiting with him without grandmother interrupting… so I hope she sleeps a little bit so I get the chance.