Hiram and I became grandparents in October. (Uh-huh, that explains the shout of joy you heard on that warm and lovely autumn day.) SInce then, I’ve become increasingly aware of my growing behavioral, if not physical, resemblance to my grandmother, Josephine Hess. Therefore, I compiled this list of ten indicators for people who suspect they’re in the process of becoming their grandparents. Of course, the list comes without any advice about how to stop the trend. It’s only purpose is to make what’s happening painfully clear to those of us who can actually remember what’s happening to us.

10.  Your toenails are getting too hard to cut with toenail scissors. Your solution is not to make an appointment with a podiatrist, but to move closer to your children so they can cut your toenails.

9.   You have an irrational urge to save plastic bread sacks…inside a plastic bread sack.

8.   You have matching Grandpa and Grandma chairs in the living room. Facing the television set. Along with a strong desire to watch Lawrence Welk on Saturday night.

7.   You believe any recipe for anything can be improved by adding a cup of sugar and a cup of cream.

6.   You hang clothes on the line to save money…and because the smell reminds you of your grandparents’ house.

5.   You store a variety of sizes of kids’ pajamas and new toothbrushes in the bottom drawer of a dresser…so the grandkids can stay overnight even if they weren’t planning on it.

4.   You believe the cookie jar should always be full…just in case the pajama drawer isn’t enough to lure the grandkids to stay overnight.

3.   You consider hot oatmeal a delicacy.

2.   Ditto for grapefruit.

1.   Your favorite Saturday morning of the whole year is when you prune the geraniums you wintered over and put the cuttings in water to root.

What indicators would you add to the list? How are you starting to resemble your grandparents?