Grandma Betty

[molested_cow]

This is my college buddy's grandma. I first met her when I was in college visiting my friend during the summer in 2004. She's a character. She remarried at 72 and was still active, having a blast in her life. She made the best sunny side up eggs.

7 years later I had to chance to visit my friend again and had to pay her a visit. Her then husband, Charlie, had already passed away and Betty moved into a senior's apartment home in town. Still active and energetic, but of course reality catches on. So we were in her kitchen because I wanted to see her amazing toaster in action again. This is a Sunbeam toaster from the 40~50s. She received it as a gift from her first husband, also my friend's grandpa. The toaster is polished steel, not chrome plated, and Betty kept it like new. The amazing part is, this toaster is automatic. You just need to drop a slice of bread in, the bread is lowered into the toaster slowly and smoothly. There is a knob at the bottom of the toaster where you can adjust how long the toast stays in there. Then when the toaster is done, the bread rises up, smoothly and slowly.

By contrast to today's toaster that "pops", this 60yr old toaster seems to be from the future.

Anyways, while standing in the kitchen, I wanted to take a photo of Betty. I thought this context speaks very much for her lifestyle. The old toaster that she's kept like new, just like all of her other belonging. The dark, small but somewhat cosy of the kitchen layout of a retirement home, and the neatly laid out bottles of medications on the counter top. It was also fortunate for me that since we were just ready to head out for brunch, she's all dressed up, like as if she did it for the shot.

Technically I definitely won't say this is perfectly executed. It was hand held using a 50mm. A spontaneous shot at best. I think the story is worth more attention than the photo.

The toaster.

Also interestingly, she was telling us that the apartment management won't let them do any maintenance on their own for safety reasons, including putting photos on the wall. So her neighbor has a pile of photos in frames waiting to be put on the wall, but the maintenance guys haven't had to chance to get to it. I will be sending her some photos with frames and my friend better do his job as a good grandson!

 

[KBM1016]

You're right, sometimes the story behind the photo is more important than the photo itself. Great story. I think I would like to see Grandma Betty's reflection in the toaster and not the dude