When I was about two, my grandmother came to live with my family at our home in Montana. My youngest brother Garrett had just been born, rounding out the kid count to an even four. She helped raise me into the woman I am today. She was a brilliant writer, each story full of subtle charm and moments of small, close beauty.
My grandmother passed away last year. For Christmas, I compiled some of her short stories into a special album for my mother. I asked my three brothers to contribute to the scrapbook by writing down their favorite memory of Grandma. Only one brother came through and here is his dedication to our Grandmother, Betty Anne Norlock.
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One thing I remember most about grandma was the way she watched television. Sometimes it was what she watched, like Walker, Texas Ranger. I don’t know if it was his Texas brand of justice that made Chuck Norris appeal to her, or his indomitable beard, but you could expect to be shooshed if you were talking when Chuck was talking.
Another favorite show of hers was Highway to Heaven. The show featured Michael Landon as an angel and his unkempt sidekick traveling the country doing good deeds. You may remember Landon from Bonanza, or Little House on the Prairie. I could watch a head of hair like that, and so could grandma. Unfortunately, Landon’s sidekick became so grizzled that he was mistaken for a bear and killed in a hunting accident, so the series came to an abrupt halt. Still, grandma always enjoyed a story with a good moral, and this show fit that bill perfectly.
Aside from watching her shows, grandma would watch us watch our shows, often interjecting her approval or disapproval. Some foul language would lead to her saying, “I better not catch you talking like that.” Sometimes we would watch the infomercials and grandma would disagree with the product and say, “that wouldn’t work. Carbs are bad for you.”Set it and forget it? Grandma says no!
One vivid memory I have is watching The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. It was a Saturday night and mom and dad were on a date, so Grandma was watching us kids. I think grandma had a little wine that night, because she kept saying that Sinbad turned her on. I’ll never forget it because she must have said it about 5 times in the funniest way.
Wait, isn’t Sinbad black?
What also stuck out about that movie is that grandma made us turn it off about halfway through. She thought the monsters were too scary for us, and we should play a game instead.
It’s just clay grandma!
Whether it was watching TV, playing with legos, or fighting with each other, grandma was always there. She watched us and taught us, and I will always remember it.
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Thank you, Evan.
