2314. Granny Hoppy

Granny Hoppy was called Granny Hoppy by her seventeen grandchildren because she had a cat with only three legs. It identified her from the other grannies who were known as Granny Mary or Granny Thelma or whatever because those were their names.

Of course every Christmas Granny Hoppy would get a little gift from each grandchild. Usually it was something small or something homemade. For example, granddaughter Heather had knitted her a little woollen thing that went over the back of an armchair when you rested your head. Grandson Miles had given her a little ceramic deer from a second hand shop.

Each Christmas Granny Hoppy would make a list as to who gave what. If she didn’t make a list she would get confused because the minute a family of grandchildren arrived she would get out the gifts that had been specifically given by those grandchildren. There were far too many gifts to have them all out at once. So the ones in use were the ones from whoever was visiting her. Quite often a grandchild would say, “Granny Hoppy you’re using the present I gave you!”

The system worked well enough, and it kept Granny Hoppy “on her toes” as she liked to say.

Next week it’s Granny Hoppy’s seventieth birthday. They’ll all be there…