We went to Oregon in the middle of the week and over the first weekend of March. My grandmother who just had her 90th birthday on January 11 had passed away. Over the last several years she has been battling a fairly rapid decline with Alzheimer's. Though, so hard to see her fade over these years I have such strong everlasting memories of her though ALL of the years I was able to share with her. She was a lady of Grace and peace. My grandfather passed away when I was 9, so my memories of being apart of her life is mostly with just her. He home was always in kept tidy. It was always very peaceful to me, even when she had a full house. She had a little back bedroom that was converted to a TV room and in it was a closet where she kept a few toys when we came to visit. They were always nicely stacked and put together. Some color books and crayons, a view master, tinker toys and a few other little things. When ever I was being watched over by her, I always felt like she was prepared to just be with me. We would walk to the nearby mall and just window shop or get to pick out a little something for ourselves from the drug store. Most of the time we only went to her home when there were gatherings or holidays. She had the perfect backyard for summer parties a great covered patio and fairly nicely sized and manicured yard. Usually some croquet or yard darts were being played. I remember while my grandpa was still alive he would take us into the garage where we would get to hand crank the home made ice cream being made. Holidays were incredible, the second you walked through the door there was the aroma of home made foods billowing through the home. She would always be in her apron and moving about her kitchen as if she were floating. By the time we would get there she already had her home made pies cooling on the side counter. I know that my love of baking and cooking came from her and my desire to make things look and taste as wonderful as she could. It was like an art to me and I loved to see it. I tell most of my friends that she seemed like the woman you would read about i the 50's. That would have her home and laundry done and meal made for the family in the evening and yet looked like she never broke a sweat in doing it. I also tell them that my grandparents seemed to me as the quintessential cocktail and cards people. Everything you would read about in history or see in the movies. I remember seeing her sitting in her little TV room, crocheting anything from blankets to the tiniest of strings that made up little ornaments to hang on trees. Doilies galore! She has an amazing skill and craft with her hands. Still to this day one of my favorite lap blankets is an afghan she made when I graduated from high school. She was beautiful and genuine inside and out and truly a woman you take pride in trying to be like her. I am sure I could go on for pages about the wonders and awesomeness of this fine woman. I am so blessed and thankful that I am able to claim her as my grandmother.
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