We went to visit my sweet Grandma the other day. She had a fall last year on Thanksgiving morning and had to be moved from her home to an assisted living shortly after that. She has been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe it is the time of year which makes me remember back to the days when the leaves on her trees would be falling and we would make huge piles of them to jump into. We would spend hours swinging on her old swing set and riding her old tricycle around. Maybe it is that I have been canning and working on my food storage which makes me remember her cold room in her basement stocked full of canned food, and her discussing the importance of food storage. Maybe it is that Halloween is approaching and the last memory I have of her at her house was my sisters and I taking our kids over in their costumes last Halloween for donuts and hot apple cider. Maybe it is that the other night when I got home Nic for some reason had been online looking at genealogy (no, I don't know why), and my Grandma LOVED to do her genealogy, and is always trying to teach me how to continue the work. Or maybe it is just that I miss her so. I am craving to go to her house. I want to go lay on her fold-out bed, with her crisp sheets (maybe find one of those old blue dryer sheets), lay on her feather pillows, and fall asleep to the sound of the CNN news report and her rocking in her chair. My Grandma has taught me so much. She was always either in the kitchen cooking or baking with us, letting us pick some fabric from the beautiful scraps she had in her basement and sewing pillows, or letting us take all of her blankets, chairs, and tables to build the most amazing forts ever. She would take us to the video store and let us rent a video when we were little. My favorite was Anne of Green Gables, and I think I have seen every one ever made numerous times. She would have all of us and our cousins over for big sleepovers in which there would always be a little drama. Somehow she managed to keep us all under control, and we would have such a great time. We would tear all of the cushions off of her couches and make huge beds all over the floor. Such fun times. She is a firm believer in the idea that 'Grandma's should always have cookie's in the cookie jar.' It is difficult for her now, but her favorite thing is to buy everyone treats, usually a baked good of some kind. She loves to pass on recipes, and I agree. Recipes are to be shared. Grandma's favorite places to eat are Maple Gardens, The Greenery, Sandy's, and The Cracker Barrel. Candace and I keep saying we need to get her a Sandy's peach tart before they are out of season. I could go on and on. What an amazing woman she is. She has taught me so much and I am so thankful to have her. I hope I can be as great of a grandmother as she has been to me, and great-grandmother as she has been to my kids. We all love her so much.
9 comments:
Holy moly you have a few posts i need to catch up on! Your Grandma is so cute, she is a special lady! You are lucky to still have her and that your kids are getting to know her! My kids LOVE to bake too, but it is a bit of a project. They want to dump EVERYTHING in and have a hard time taking turns! I love that song too, it is soo fitting for this time in our lives! My favorite is the pizza in the candlelight because 'your late' Not sure if that's the she or he that's late but in my case it's usually 'HE' That's ok, pizza is good! Anyway, i enjoyed reading up on your life, we never talk anymore (i blame it on the blogs) Love ya!!
Sherice,
I love to read your blog! It is always so uplifting. Your grandma seems absolutely amazing and I can see why you are so amazing. I am in awe that you baked with three little boys and Riley and you have a little baby!!! Those will be wonderful memories. It looks like you are following in your Grandma's footsteps. Thanks for your amazing example. You make me want to try harder to be a better mother.
Sherice I am going to print this, it stirs up so many old memories. I loved sleeping on Grandma's foldout couch, my favorite blanket still to this day is the mustard yellow one with the satin trim-do you remember that one? I remember renting Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea from Video Express and watching them over and over with a bowl of Velveta and Salsa melted together...mmmmmm. I can't believe none of us were killed on that old rusty swing set. Grandma really was such an amazing example to us, and to think she did everything alone for all of those years. You remind me a lot of Grandma in the way you have such a strong testimony of the church, and just what a good example you are to everyone around you. Grandma has always been so good at giving and sharing things she loves, and you are the same way. Thanks for the reminder of all the virtues Grandma has given us and for also being such a good big sis and example. I love You. We'll have to make sure the childhood Grandma gave us is passed on to our children. I am going to bring her a peach tart this week for sure. by the way-did Kade take that picture of you, Grandma, and Parker? Just wondering.
She is beautiful.
Who took the picture of your family at the top of you blog? Did I already ask you that? I can't remember. Anyway, I like it.
What a cute Gramy! Isn't it fun the things that stick out in your mind about growing up and the people that influenced you? Anyway, it was such a nice post...she should read it, I'm sure it would mean so much to her.
Your blog totally made me cry. What a great way to remember your grandma. She sounds like such a great person. I am so glad you were able to go visit her. My grandma has been gone for over 15 years but when I think of her I remember all the sweet things she did for us.
Oh, I loved your grandma too. She is such a sweet lady. Its hard to see them get older.
Aren't we lucky to still have our Grandma's in our lives. She is darling! Thanks for reminding me how important it is to visit our Grandma's. We never know how much time we have left with them.!! Love your blog
Alissa Graham
OMG... i don't know if its because im pregnant or what but i couldn't even get through that without bawling my eyes out lol. You just reminded me of so many things that grandma used to do that i had totally forgotten about. She really is the best grandma and other than the whole hating her neighbor thing im surprised she hasn't been translated lol. My favorite thing about her is that no matter what any of us could ever do or have done she treats us all exactly the same and loves us all the same! I have not been to see her much at all maybe 2 or 3 times since she moved there because everytime i do cry all the way home. and i feel guildty for not...im definately going make it up there this week though. but thanks for sharing!
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