Other than those reckless moments of abandon, there were only two slang words she used regularly. Phrases like ’twill be good to see you, or ’tis another beautiful day. When a lighthearted mood struck writing a letter or diary entry, she sometimes succumbed to giddy contractions. She didn’t take many liberties with language. Once I wanted to know why, if “darn” was such a bad word to use, did so many people do it? Without hesitating she replied, “because they can’t think of the correct word to use.” For the record, I never heard her say darn. Naps were also a time for Prime Minister’s questions, we could ask anything. Her voice was a little warbly and a song about a dead goose seemed odd. Sometimes she would sing “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” while my brother and I stifled our giggles.
When we were young we were expected to join her. August afternoon Grandmother would take a break to “pile down.” That was her term for a short nap, her favorite part of the day.
