A few things you should know about Grandpa Pud:
- He is an awesome storyteller! I like to think my storytelling genes come from both my grandpas, who are masters at this age-old tradition.
- He is funny and loves to tease people in a sweet and nice way. He's forever telling my husband that he's hen-pecked. (Which would make me the hen!)
- He uses great old-timey words like: the pokey (jail), scullduggery (shady goings-on), speed -- as in "How you doin' Speed?" (an affectionate term for his great-grandchildren), and many others I will remember after writing this.
- His name isn't really Pud. It's Theron. He now shares that name with a great-granddaughter. Pud is apparently a nickname he received as a child because he liked to play in mud puddles.
- He is and will always be a gentleman with his daughters and granddaughters -- the stories he tells us are very G rated. The stories he tells his grandsons are decidedly more interesting and racy... Especially his World War II stories.
- Grandpa is a master carpenter. He built his house using boards from an old church that he bought and dismantled. All of us have beautiful wooden items that Grandpa has built us. Some of my personal favorites are: my oak hope chest he made me in 8th grade, a shell-shaped jewelry box, a gorgeous china cabinet, miniature roadsters, and of course, the awesome rocking horse he made when Mazy was born.
- His relationship with my grandma is inspiring. They have been married for almost 70 years. They have only spent a few nights apart during their entire marriage when one of them was in the hospital for something. Grandpa would do anything for Grandma, including learning how to cook, do laundry and clean the house at the age of 88.
- He's a perfectionist and would never, ever cut corners or do something the easy way.
- He is kind. He is sweet. He is ornery. He loves to read. He is always interested in us, and our careers, and our children, and our lives.
And now some photos from his birthday party:
Grandpa's wife, Grandma Maxine and her brother Jerry
My sweet Violet, who Grandpa is quite smitten with.
Grandpa opening his presents with grandson Kael and granddaughter Theron (his namesake!)
One of the group gifts we got him was a print of his WWII ship, the USS Rocky Mount. The frame was made by my brother-in-law Steve
My sister and me with gramps
My cousins Jenny and Luke with gramps
My mom with her dad
Grandpa and his little sister Glenna
Grandpa's older brother Gay was at his party as well, but their oldest brother Melvin, who lives in Delaware, was not able to attend
I hope I'm laughing and teasing my brothers when I'm 90!
My brother Bandy and his daughters
Mazy and his great-grandpa Pud
Theron and Theron
My sister and her son Hudson
Little Red and Big Red, both in stripes!
That's a little bit about a great man who deserves all the love and affection we can give him. Grandpas are the best. I have two excellent ones and I'm very thankful for it. Go hug your Grandpas, people!
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