Thank you so much for sharing this Tatyana. it means much more when it it comes from a genuine person rather than a journalist or government.
It is the same here. Some people talked a lot about the war and some said very little. My own family did not talk about it a great deal. Both of my parents were born during the war in 1942. My mother said she could remember fires being lit to celebrate the end of the war.
My English grandad was an ordinary soldier, but promoted a few times. He was commended for bravery (though I never knew what for) and there was a framed certificate in their house. He was very proud of that. I know he was involved with bridge building over the Rhine.
I also have a great distaste for food wastage. The only food wastage I have is tea bags! It might in part be my own grandmother’s influence – I don’t really know. I know that your grandmother was someone you were very close to from other postings. She seems to come from another age, and I imagine her to be a wise and kindly soul. I am sure she was a wonderful lady. A lot of the wisdom and philosophy of people like her is being lost today, which I think is a great shame.
My English grandmother also worked hard. Their house was always spotlessly clean and she loved cooking. She was married to my grandfather for over 60 years, but lived for less than a year after he died in 2001.