Dad and 'Crabby'

Mom and Dad met in their early teens. Dad was a friend of my mom’s brother Gerry and the rest as they say, is history! Dad would hang out at his friend Gerry’s house but we know the real reason he was there…Mom! They married when Mom was just 17 and Dad was 19. Young by today’s standards but it was perfect for them!

Before getting married, Dad was at Mom’s place all the time! He’d rush through homework (if he hadn’t already done it in class), eat supper then head over to Mom’s to visit and feast on supper #2.

He and Grandma got along famously as they still do now over 50 years later! I don’t know when it started but for as long as I can remember Dad’s nickname for Grandma has been ‘Crabby.’ In all my days I have never heard him call her by her real name, Nettie, it’s always Crabby. It’s a love term and crabby she’s not, but it’s Dad’s name and ‘Crabby’ she will remain.

Another story the 2 of them share is about Grandma’s old corn broom. It stands faithfully beside the front door regardless of season, weather or storm. Whenever we go to visit, as Grandma answers the door, Dad hops on the broom and gallops across the porch! He’ll often tease that he saw her flying by recently and wondered why she didn’t fly in for a visit. It’s a 4 ½ hour drive between our houses but she tells him flying is faster and that she often flies by to check on him.

The bantering between them continues and usually ends with her trying to swat him with her faithful broom! Go Crabby!