Ms. No-Frills Finds Fast Friends with Diamonds

My grandma is 81 years old. To put it simply, she is a no-frills type of woman. Ms. No-Frills. Always has been.

I think the last time I saw her wear a dress and any makeup was 15 years ago at my wedding. She wore a beautiful, blue dress and my mom applied her makeup (but I'm guessing, it was also my mom's own makeup that she actually applied).

In that way, we are alike—don't need fancy clothes and makeup—we just are comfortable in our own skin. Perhaps needless to say, my mom's the same way.

My grandma has been married to my grandpa since 1950. I'm terrible at math, but I think that's about 61 years. A long time. Also, not unlike my mom or me, my grandma doesn't wear a wedding ring. In fact, I've never seen my grandma wear any jewelry ever. They live in a  small brick house in North St. Louis City, very near Crown Candy Kitchen. My grandma doesn't drive either—like, she never drove—not even prior to this mature age. Again, Ms. No-Frills.

To support a cause (the Delta Gamma Center in Maplewood) and her great grandson (Go Team Santi!), my grandma purchased a raffle ticket (or several) for diamond earrings that are valued at $3,000.

She won the diamond earrings! They are stunning!

Now, when I heard the news, I immediately called her to say, "You have to get your ears pierced and wear the earrings." She replied with "Oh, I will."

I was really thinking, "Gosh, those earrings are so beautiful and they are not going to be worn—they're lost on her."

Knowing my grandma, Ms. No-Frills, imagine my huge surprise, when this weekend at my cousin (and her grandson's) college graduation party, SHE WAS WEARING THE EARRINGS!

I. could. not. even. believe it! No one could. She and those earrings were the topic of much conversation.

She 'fessed up that she had had her ears pierced a long time ago, so she was able to get the earrings in. She looked so pretty in them! She talked about them. She joked about them. She touched them. She asked my sister how she should care for them. Can she shower in them? 

I can't put my finger on it, but oddly, her demeanor was a bit different. I don't know, she just acted differently. Even my grandpa seemed so proud of her in those diamonds, you would have thought he bought them for her. Perhaps he should have about 61 years ago. I'm guessing Ms. No-Frills would have made these her friends a long time ago.