The above picture is of my grandma and her front yard....my mom's mom...Elizabeth VanTreuren. She is a big inspriation to me and is someone I think that I identify the most with out of all my family members. She was a bit crazy....and graduated from college at age 75. She loved her garden and had many exotic flowers in it. She died when she was 91 years old ......about 3 years ago. She was still teaching piano in her 90's.
She loved books and had thousands and thousands of them.
In the 1950's she even went to jail for selling a banned book!!! ( the book was called Tropic of Cancer)...big deal back then.
Her colorful writings inspired me to create this blog. I only saw her in person about a dozen times....but communicated with her through writing......she wrote the most colorful letters and musings to a list of people.
She used all different colored pens and the topics were very wild....she was interested in everything....especially anything bizarre.
She once went on a trip around the world with only two outfits and two pairs of underwear....she alternated washing her dirty outfit in the sink each night.
She lived in California....Eureka, California.
I will include her obituary and some of her writings on this blog sometime.
Anyway....please read the poem below......it reminds me so much of her.
by Jenny Joseph
"The nations favourite post war poem"
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only eat bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers
But maybe I ought to practise a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.
Jenny Joseph has written several poetry volumes, including Rose in the Afternoon
and has written several childrens books.
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