I love this picture of my grandmother for so many reasons.
One is because I don’t remember her very well. She died when I was fairly young and we didn’t have many opportunities to visit. I have barely a handful of memories.
I also love to see the kitchen she was so fond of but never let anyone into. She felt the kitchen was no place for children (or grandchildren). This explains why my own mother never learned to cook. Grandma wouldn’t let her watch or help.
And of course because this silver-haired lady is laughing over Mad magazine. Not because it was funny, but because she didn’t get it. She laughed because she didn’t get the humor at all. Grandma was a German Lutheran minister’s wife (I’m sure the magazine was contraband) and there wasn’t much laughter or humor in that house. She didn’t get it even after the kids tried to explain the jokes to her.
In February 1964 Grandma laughed. I love this picture.
