Fruit Inspection

When I returned from Honduras I found out that my Grandma had passed away. It was one of those situations where it’s expected, so there’s no shock to it, but it is still sad that someone who has been a part of my life for 36 years, is now gone.

Her memorial is this weekend in her hometown of Streator, Illinois. She lived there her entire life with the exception of when my Grandpa was in the army in Texas, and the last 4 years when she split her time between her daughters’ homes. One in Arizona and the other here in Georgia. When Gram sold everything to move here, my Mom ended up with all her old photo albums. Mom sorted out a box of pictures for me, and I was able to put together a scrapbook to take this weekend to the service.

It was fun to look at the pictures of my Grandma before she was my Grandma. Or even before she was known as “Mom”. The woman apparently loved to wear hats. Big or small. And to my mom’s dismay, Grandma put them on the rest of the family as well.

I saw pictures of her house on Little Penn Street. I can vaguely remember that one. But thinking back to the times I spent there, brought a smile to my face.

Pictures of my Grandpa also made me stop and think. I was only 8 years old when he died and I don’t remember much of him. What I do remember revolves around buying him cigarettes for Christmas, his dark rimmed glasses, and his playing Colorforms with me on the big brown couch.

Gram was one of 13 children and she had 3 kids of her own. She also had 4 grandchildren and 2 of the most adorable little great grandkids you’ve ever seen! If I had to say one thing about my Grandma it would be that she was very proud of her family. And I mean proud to the point of embarassment! Can you imagine being 16 and your Grandma stopping in with you at her local Kmart to brag on you to the cashier that she sees on a weekly basis??? It was awful!

But she loved us all an “awful” lot. :)

And she loved to play golf and see musicals as well. She totally turned me on to The Sound of Music and I can’t watch it without thinking of all the times she’d call our house after reading the TV Guide to let us know when it was coming on that week. And how could I forget Christmas? That woman lived the whole year in anticipation of Christmas. She’d buy gifts and bake goodies from January 1st to December 23rd. And if you were a lucky 9 year old, you would find her hiding spots!

My Grandma remarried in 1988. That was the happiest I ever remember her. Don was a great person and very good to her in the few short years they had together. He, too, loved to play golf and they traveled many places for that very reason. He also like to dance the nights away and I’m sure that’s how he swept her off her feet.

The memories of my Grandma could go on and on. Let’s just say:

Front porch petunias
Tic Tacs
Big bathtubs
Newspaper clippings
M&M’s and 7Up
Homemade buckeyes
Bedtime prayers
And leftover chocolate milk and cookies she’d bring us home from her cafeteria job!

Yes, that about sums it up! We’ll miss you Gram!!!