The Woman I Didn't Yet Know
When I was young, my mom would sometimes take us to visit Grandma Mickey. We'd walk a couple of miles to her house, and those visits became part of my childhood memories.
I don't remember having long conversations with her. Honestly, I don't remember talking with her much at all. I was a kid. I was far more interested in the things around me than asking questions about someone's life.
There are certain places from childhood that never really leave us. Places we can still picture decades later, right down to the smallest details.
For me, one of those places is my great-grandmother's house. Her name was Margaret, but we called her Grandma Mickey.
She lived in a lovely little house in a quiet neighborhood, and to this day, I can still picture so much of it. In fact, I occasionally dream about that house. Isn't it funny how some places stay with us like that?
As a little girl, I didn't know much about Grandma Mickey's life. I just knew that visiting her was special.
But as an adult? I've come to realize what a fascinating woman she must have been.
Vintage family photograph of an elderly woman with softly curled white hair, glasses, and a patterned blue blouse, smiling gently for the camera.
A Little House Full of Personality
I remember a huge climbing rose bush growing over her front porch, the exercise bike sitting in front of the living room window, and the refrigerator covered in magnets from all the places she'd traveled.
There was a matchbox-sized kitchen, a family room filled with plants, and a little backyard with a fruit tree and a clothesline.
And then there was her sewing and craft room.
Oh, that room!
It was overflowing with creative supplies and projects. I couldn't tell you exactly what she was working on all those years ago, but I remember that room being full of possibilities.
She also crocheted or knitted blankets for each of us that we called nanas.
While the rest of her home was neat and tidy, that creative space had a personality all its own.
And of course, I can't possibly talk about Grandma Mickey's house without mentioning the life-size Tom Selleck poster on her bedroom door.
Yep. Tom Selleck.
Apparently, Grandma had excellent taste in mustaches!
It's those quirky little details that make me smile when I think about her.
Looking back, I realize there was so much more to Grandma Mickey than the little house I loved visiting.
She was an independent woman with a successful career. She traveled the world. She had creative interests, a home of her own, and a life that, from what I know, she seemed to have made very much her own.
And the older I get, the more I admire that.
Discovering More About Grandma Mickey
As I started writing about Grandma Mickey, I asked my twin sister, who loves researching our family history, whether she could tell me a little more about her. And goodness, did I discover some things!
Grandma Mickey was born in Chico, California, in 1909. Just think about that for a minute. 1909!
She lived through the Great Depression, two world wars, and an entire century of incredible changes. From the early days of automobiles and telephones to computers, the internet, and cell phones. Can you imagine watching the world transform that much during your lifetime?
But what fascinates me even more is everything she did with those years.
After working in retail for 16 years, Grandma Mickey began a new career with the California Highway Division in 1959, when she was around 50 years old. She worked her way through several positions and became a specialist in blueprinting. She even attended Chico State College at night!
And apparently, Grandma was quite the community-minded woman, too. She belonged to several organizations for decades, held leadership positions, and maintained connections that lasted much of her lifetime.
Then there's her love of adventure!
When her husband, Martin, passed away in 1977, Grandma Mickey continued their shared dream of traveling throughout the United States and Europe.
As a little girl, I saw colorful souvenirs from places I'd never been. Now I see reminders of a woman who kept exploring, even after losing the person she'd planned those adventures with.
And suddenly, that little house I remember so fondly feels like it held a much bigger world than I ever realized.
Looking Back with Grown-Up Eyes
I wish I could go back and visit her now. Not just to wander through that wonderful little house again, although I'd certainly love to do that!
Funny enough, I actually did get to live in that house for a little while. When Grandma Mickey moved to Chula Vista in 1996, she gave her home to my father, and we lived there for a year or two. But it was never quite the same. It was still the house I remembered, just without all the little things that had made it so wonderfully hers.
I'd want to sit down with her and ask questions.
Where did she travel? What was her favorite place? What did she love about her work? What was she creating in that overflowing craft room? And, naturally, I'd have to ask about Tom Selleck.
I'd love to know what inspired her, what adventures she had, what living through the Depression was like, and what it was like to be such an independent woman during her lifetime.
I think about the things I love today: traveling, exploring new places, making art, filling my home with plants and flowers, and having a creative space of my own.
I can't help wondering how much Grandma Mickey and her little house influenced me without my ever realizing it.
Maybe some of those similarities are simply coincidence. Maybe not.
I just know that the woman I remember from childhood is someone I would dearly love to get to know today.
Vintage sepia photograph of a young woman wearing round glasses, a long dark dress with a white collar, and heeled shoes, seated on outdoor steps.
Hi, I’m Misty
Mixed media artist, creative guide, and passionate believer in the power of fearless self-expression. After years of playing small and settling for a life that didn’t feel like mine, I chose to rewrite my story through art — and I’ve never looked back.
Now, I help women just like you break free from perfectionism and self-doubt so you can reconnect with your creative voice and boldly explore what lights you up. Whether you’re picking up a paintbrush for the first time or returning to art after years away, my mission is to help you step bravely into your own magic — one joyful, messy layer at a time.
Let’s create a life (and art) you absolutely adore. 💙
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