Barbara Elisabeth Orman Bird was my grandmother’s name.  When mom had her first child, Grandma suggested she name her Barbara.  Mom was not thrilled about the idea because the name sounded like an old woman name to her, but mom thought that grandma would be unhappy if she didn’t take her suggestion and so my oldest sister was named Barbara.  I knew my grandmother favored my older sister, but I honestly didn’t mind.  I’m always sad to admit it, but I never felt really close to my grandma Bird.  I remember sometimes my parents would leave Barbara to stay with my grandma while the rest of us went home.  I think Barb and I both stayed once.

Grandma often gave us little gifts when we came to visit.  I remember that she gave Barb and I several leather purses.  One time she gave me an army green jewelry box that I kept at her house.  It had a little lock on the front.  Barbara got a white multi-tiered jewelry box, but I liked mine and wasn’t jealous (that I can remember).

Pittsburgh Grandma always made big elaborate meals when we came to visit. I wish I could remember them well enough to describe them. I just remember that she made big delicious meals and breakfast was no exception. I often think of my grandmother when I eat particularly delicious breakfast sausage links. As a young child, I really liked her chicken and dumplings so she always made them for me. I remember not liking them so much when I was a little older, but I didn’t dare tell grandma because she’d always comment on how she’d made my favorite dish when she served them.

We also ate out often when we went to grandma’s house. I think I can remember going  to a place called “Eat N Park” regularly with her. I would always order waffles and Barbara would always order grilled cheese. When we had fries with our meal grandma loved to distract us and then steal a few fries. I can’t remember what she said, but it seems like she had a phrase that she’d say when we realized we’d been duped. She had lots of little songs and phrases, mostly to teach us manners. She’d say things like “hold your horses” and she had some phrase about pearly white horses that she’d say if we tried to open something with our teeth. She had some little rhyme for playing jokes on someone after April Fools day too.

Grandma was very involved in the Lithuanian Citizens’ Society of Western Pennsylvania.  When we visited her, we would attend Lithuanian picnics, dinners, and meetings. I think they also held Lithuanian language classes, but I can’t be sure. I remember sitting in a room with wooden desks. I also remember grandma taking us to a beautifully decorated ballroom with huge mirrors on the wall where you could see the room extend endlessly through the mirrors. There was one place where we went that was set up like a bar and it had a big Lithuanian crest hanging on the wall behind the bar. At the picnics I remember water balloon fights and egg tosses. I remember some Lithuanian nuns who grandma knew that gave my sister Barbara a very expensive violin. When I was in 4^th grade, I did a report on Lithuania and they made me an authentic looking Lithuanian outfit. Grandma liked to teach us Lithuanian words and tell us about Lithuania. I regret that she died before we were old enough to more fully appreciate her lessons. Barb and I both remember fondly the Richard Scary Lithuanian Word book she had entitled “Mano Zodynas.”

We spent every holiday where we got enough time off of school visiting grandma. At  Christmas time we visited both of my grandmothers, but Easter we always spent with Pittsburgh Grandma. She taught us how to decorate Easter eggs the Lithuanian way, with wax. The next morning we would find that all of our eggs had been hidden and as we searched the yard, grandma would stand up on her porch and yell “there’s the Easter Bunny” but as soon as we would look she’d tell us that we missed him.

I remember grandma had a good friend named Sophie who we would sometimes visit.  I remember Sophie as an older lady close to grandma’s age who lived alone and was a little on the heavy side.  I also remember that she had the same birthday as me.

Posted on January 23rd, 2009 by Kathleen
Filed under: General