When I gave the eulogy for my grandmother, more years ago than I care to think about, I almost made it through without crying. Until I got to the part about running into her in heaven. In my version of heaven, my grandmother had a house. And she’d come to the door to meet you and be thrilled to see you and invite you in for a snicky-snack and there’d be a beverage she had just for you.
One of my earliest memories of my grandmother’s house is of a Christmas tree she had that shot snow out the top so it cascaded down over the tree before landing in the catch basin under the tree to be shot up again. When I was a kid, her place seemed enormous. And to this day, her tossed salads are the best I’ve ever had.
She had cable television when we didn’t, and there was a bar in her basement. And the fridge she had down there–which seemed like it came from the TV show Happy Days, kept everything amazingly cold without ever freezing it.
In talking to people, I’ve found that I’m not alone in remembering my grandmother’s house. It’s a special place, apparently.
In today’s exercise, your character will remember his or her grandmother’s house, fondly or not. Or, if your character wouldn’t have known grandma, have him or her react to another character remembering grandma’s house.
Time limit: 40 minutes (and three Kleenex, if you’re so inclined)
