Thinking of my Grandfather

Do people ever ask how you learned to sew?  So many answers swirl around my head, ranging from  "I still don't really know what I'm doing" to "uh, the internet" and "my grandma and my mom sewed, and I just grew up with it", but all that comes out is something mostly inarticulate that just hints at the edge of it.
Today I realized that after all this time, my grandpa was a big influence, too. 

Why is it only the left knees that wear out?

Growing up, my grandmother was an amazing seamstress.  Seamstress, I am not.  But SHE was.  Jackets, blouses, slacks, she made it all, and beautifully.  My grandfather, on the other hand, was known for his jeans.  They owned a shoe repair shop, and my grandfather had these enormous patching machines for sewing new soles onto leather shoes.  After retiring and selling the shop, he continued to work repairing and reselling machinery, and in my memory, always had at least one patching machine in the house.
He always worked in overalls, and when the knees wore through, he'd patch with pieces from other worn out pairs, sometimes replacing the entire front section of the legs.  Not because he couldn't afford new ones, but just because he liked to do it and could.  As we got older, the Franken-jeans became a family joke, and they still bring smiles when we get together.
I'm not at Franken-jeans yet, but THAT is what had me smiling today when I patched Ev's jeans.