Granddaughter Angelyne/friend

She's ten years old, kind of hard to believe. Sole grandchild. Does that make sense? We've got three children; two male, one female. We have a grandchild from our daughter, not likely to have any additional grandchildren, more's the pity. Nothing like adoring a child you don't have to actually care for on a full-time basis.

Although we did give her full-time care from the time she was six months old to 9-1/2 years of age. And it was tough, we're no spring chickens. I found it really hard to give up the spontanaeity of life that had been granted us finally, when all of our children left home to pursue their own paths and dreams.

But the baby grew into an infant, then a young child, and finally became what she is now. When she was born she was severely underweight; about 5.2 pounds, and then she lost almost .3 pounds, so she was a skinny, tiny thing. Look at her now; fully as tall as I am, and weighing more than I do.

She's cheerful and fair-minded, a bit of a Tom-boy, lots more of an inquisitive, albeit girly child. Acquisitive as well. First thing she does (not her fault since whenever we come to visit we've something or other to unveil) is hug-hug when she sees us, then asks what we've brought. Invariably, it's not the new tee-shirts I'll have brought, but the possibility (a likely one at that) that we've brought along some edible goody.

She has a sweet tooth, like her mother, like her grandmother. I love to bake and her mother also bakes often. Angelyne loved to "help" when I kneaded bread dough, rolled out pie crusts, scraped chocolate cake out of the mixing bowl into the baking pan.

Now that we no longer look after her, because her mother bought a heritage log house about 60 miles from where we live, her interests and opportunities have, if anything, widened, as has her circle of friends.

Hard to believe that scrawny little baby has grown into such a vital, entertaining and beautiful human being.