Milk Matters

My parents, Leo and I are driving to visit my grandma in North Carolina in early May. I spoke to her last night and even though I know better, I got caught up in this circular conversation about milk:


Grandma: I’d like to get some stuff for you to eat before you get here.

Me: Don’t worry about that, Grandma. We’ll just go to the store when we get there.

Grandma: I know but I’d like to have a few things on hand. What kind of milk are you drinking?

Me: I drink skim milk.

Grandma: Won’t you drink 1%?

Me: If you normally buy 1%, I can drink 1%.

Grandma: What about 2%?

Me: Yes, if you prefer 2% I can drink 2%.

Grandma: No, I don’t drink it. I get my milk from Grace. (Her sister lives in a retirement community where they give her little cartons of milk after dinner each night. She ends up with a surplus and gives it to my grandma.)

Me: If you’re just buying milk for me then I prefer skim.

Grandma: I’m not gonna put skim milk on my cereal. That stuff is like water. Won’t you even drink 1%?

Me: Yes, but if you’re getting it just for me and not for you then I prefer skim.

Grandma: I thought you liked 1%. Last time you drank 1%.

Me: If you buy 1% I’ll drink it.

Grandma: What about Leo? What will he drink?

Me: Well, by that time he’ll be drinking whole milk.

Grandma: So I need to get whole milk for Leo and skim milk for you?

Me: Or Leo can just drink the milk from Grace!

Grandma: No, he doesn’t want that. It’s whole milk.

Me: But that’s what he’ll be drinking.

Grandma: Well you can just go to the store when you get here.

Me: Good idea.


Leo and my grandma discussing milk last September: