Life Lessons

The older I get, the more I appreciate the lessons my grandmother taught me. As I recently updated the biography section of my website, I realized my grandmother helped set me on the path to writing historical romance long ago. (http://annebarton.com/aboutme.html)

She was a great believer in tradition. She made kidney stew for holiday dinners, decorated her mantel with angels each Christmas, and picked violets for me every year on my birthday. She usually wore skirts and always had tissues and a plastic rain bonnet in her purse.

And yet, she was quite forward-thinking for her generation. She graduated from a women's college and taught me I could succeed at any occupation I chose. She pushed me to try things, to experience life outside of my comfort zone.

She taught me many amazing life lessons. Here are a few:

• You can gauge a hostess' esteem for her guests by the number of candles she sets out.


• Every teenager should work at a department store and a gas station because most people use both throughout their lives.


• Don't save the good china for Easter dinner. Use it up.


• All the money in the world can't buy good taste.


• If you want a purple dining room, go ahead and paint it purple.


• Books are meant to be read, shared, and cherished.


• There's nothing like the feel of silver in your hands. And if you fall on hard times, you can always melt it down.


• Never throw away letters or recipes from loved ones. They're a little piece of history in and of themselves.

Happy birthday, Grammy.