Flickr: Twilight Time

The best job I've ever had is being a Gramma! I had a very special Gramma and I've always known that I want to be a special Gramma to my own grandchildren.

I'm one of the famous Baby Boomers, in that I was born shortly after WWII. I was raised by my maternal grandparents, of Scandinavian descent. However, my paternal grandparents were French-Canadian Indian. The Indian band, of which I recently became an enrolled member, is the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. The Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation is in North Dakota. I visited my maternal great-grandmother in ND when I was a child, but have never been to the Turtle Mountain Reserve. I'm now trying to learn all I can about this part of my life. It was never a secret, but I was involved only in my mother's family. It was a large family, which included my mother's parents, brothers, and sisters. Another cousin was also raised in this household for a few years after she was born, and has always felt like my little sister, rather than a cousin.

The last time I saw my father was when I was 4 yrs old. I spoke to him on the phone occasionally when I became an adult. First when I turned 21, than again when I was in my 30's. He always found me, but moved around so much that I was never able to locate him. He also avoided his own brother and sisters. I never heard from him again, and he died all alone in a nursing home in ND, denying he ever had any children. That was his loss, because I had 2 great kids of my own, and now 2 wonderful granddaughters, too.

My mother died on my 14th birthday, after being remarried to a very nice man from SD. It was his first marriage and he was a very good step-father to me. They had been married for just 5 years when she died.

I lived with my grandparents until I got married myself. I did spend several months in Germany. living most of the time with my uncle and his family. He was in the Army and stationed there. My fiance (and high school sweetheart) was also stationed there while he was in the Army and we saw each other as often as we could. However, he was in the northern part of West Germany, and I was in Bavaria, the southern part, so we didn't get to be together as often as we would have liked.

We got married in 1968 and we were together 34 years. We separated 5 years ago, but still live in the same area. He doesn't see much of his kids or grandkids, though, although he has always been invited to family get-togethers.

I became a Registered Nurse in 1973 and worked at a small hospital in a very small town in Montana, until I had to quit work in 1998, due to disability. I also worked at other places for short intervals. It was not the career I had dreamed of, but it helped pay the bills. It had rewarding moments, but overall, it took its toll on me, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I got Social Security Disability in 2001, 3 years after my first application.

We moved from Montana to Iowa in 1998. Adjustments were difficult for all of us, and I am just beginning to feel content and happy again.

I've been living on a very limited income and also helped my daughter go back to college. She and I shared an apartment, next door to my son's apartment. I'm very fortunate to be so close to my grandkids, and they are the joy of my life. When my daughter was finnished with her schooling, and got a job, I told her she needed to pay me back. However not much of that happened. I'm hoping she will grow up enough to see that she needs repay her mother. In Aug, 2007, I moved in with my son and his family. They bought a house with a great apartment in the lower level, and gave me the whole lower level. It's great. I see my granddaughters every day.