Granny and Paw-Paw

So there I was...having lunch with the pastor of my church the other day and we were sharing how we found one of the greatest treasures in this life, our wives.  I was telling him that I was set up on my first and last blind date by a well meaning coworker.  Having very little money at the time and basically subsisting on macaroni & cheese,  we began our courtship with conversation over nothing more than coffee and tea.  By our next date my financial situation had not improved in the least so going hiking seemed a good idea.  She suggested hiking her families land of many acres down near the Arkansas border in southern Missouri.  When we arrived at our destination she wanted to stop by her grandparents place who owned a farm close by to introduce me.  Coming from Connecticut, I had become acclimated to the very different mid-western way of life while living in Springfield, MO but had not had much exposure to the rural farming communities.  As we approached the farm house a large man with even larger hands got up from his chair on the front porch and shook my hand with a smile and one of the heaviest southern accents I had heard.  This was Kim's Paw-Paw and she was quite proud of him.  Then it happened.  Granny walked around the corner of the house.  She was a small woman dressed in cowboy boots, cotton dress and a bonnet on her head.  She was the epitome of what I had thought a southern farmers wife would look like in story books or on TV.  As I was taking this all in, my eyes were drawn to the holster strapped around her waist holding a revolver neatly by her side.  At first I thought she must be messing with this Yankee who was so far from home, but she went on to explain how she had been shooting the snakes that were eating the eggs in the chicken coop.  Over the next several months I got quite an education from Granny and Paw-Paw as we got to know each other and they found a very special place in my heart.  Kim reminds me of Granny with her giving and upbeat spirit, playful nature and a giggle that brightens a room.  How can you not fall in love with that?