Today's question is in tribute to my grandma, who passed away on Friday.
I have so many wonderful memories of her (and my grandpa) from growing up. We spent so much time with them, doing everything from playing baseball in their backyard to helping in the kitchen. They were completely and totally everything you think of when you think of "grandparents." I'm sure many of you have special memories of your own that bring a smile to your face when you think about them.
What is your fondest memory of your grandparents?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
I can smile at the old days
Posted by Tara at 6:01 PM
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6 comments:
My grandmother on my mom's side died when I was pregnant with my daughter (who's 3 1/2 now.) Grandma was a typcial old fashioned farmer's wife: her job and her life was to take care of her family--mostly feeding them! She loved to cook and any event revolved around the menu for her. I remember a few times her saying things like--Aunt Ruth is going to stop by; we'll have roast beef with a salad. It always went around the meal for her.
My fondest memories of her are of being in the kitchen with her while she was baking. It always smelled so good! She was so confident at baking these big meals, and she always had just the thing. She made the best best cookies. And homemade doughnuts. Oooh, and pie. And of course (family joke) the best ham. We always had ham.
When I first got married, I remember she asked my mom "how was Cindy doing with her meals?" It didn't occur to her that I had been living on my own for 3 years at college; now that I was a married woman I would have to cook! It's so funny how even though times change most people stay in their own world, so to speak.
I miss my grandma, and I was sorry she never got to meet my daughter. And sorry that Abby never got to taste her cookies!!!
I have tons of great memories of my grandparents, but my all-time favorite is New Year's Eve. We used to spend just about every New Year's Eve at their house. We spent all night cutting up newspaper into tiny little pieces of confetti (and turning our hands black in the process) to throw at midnight. This was back in the day when only NYC celebrated on TV. So, we'd watch the ball drop and throw confetti at 11:00, then gather it all up and wait until midnight. Since no one did a countdown on TV, we would just watch the clock and have our own little countdown and toss the confetti again.
We'd also spend all night eating and trying in vain to build really big card houses like on the Brady Bunch.
My grandma used to love finding tiny little pieces of confetti in hidden places as the year went on, sometimes all the way into the summer!
My fondest memory of my mom's mom is every year for Christmas, we had a huge family Christmas party. She bought presents for all her grandkids (like 40) and great-grandkids (like 50). Then, in the middle of the party, Santa would come and give presents to the kids individually by calling them up to sit on his lap. She didn't care if the kids knew the present was from her, she just wanted to see the smile on their face. What a wonderful woman!
My dad's dad passed away when I was young, around 6. I remember him but don't remember anything specific. Fortunately for me and my brother and sister, he wrote us all "welcome to the world" letters as well as letters for each birthday. I treasure each one of these letters and am so grateful that I have them. It's amazing how, through letters written 25-30 years ago, you can grow so attached to a man you hardly remember.
I'm very sorry for the loss of your Grandmother. My condolensces.
My mom's mom is still alive, but my grandpa passed away when I was in college. And although I have "step-grandparents" who are great, I have always been the closest to my mom's parents. When I was little, I would spend a week or so at their house every summer. We would pick fresh vegetables from their garden and go fishing at the campground. We'd keep the fish we caught and had a great catfish fish fry. My grandpa and I would walk "up-town" to the "dime store" and he would by me one of those "old-fashion" suckers on a platic hallow stick, and the candy was very "powderey."
There are so many memories, and I will forever be thankful that I have had the chance to make them.
I am truly very blessed in that I have yet to lose any of my grandparents, except my Grandpa who died before I could remember him really. My Great-Grandma just turned 101 this past July and is still kickin'.
That being said, my Grams is the best. She can't cook (creamed tuna fish anyone?) and she is totally scatterbrained - but she was a gym teacher on Chicago's Southwest side for years and then a librarian. She taught me how to read and how to play basketball.
She and I drove from Colorado to Illinois when I was 16. Just the two of us in a Ford Festiva. She told me so much about her life, about the Depression, about her parents, how she and her girlfriends used to take the train to the city and get into trouble, how she used to carry a butterfly knife when she worked in Chicago (can you imagine your Grandma carrying a butterfly knife??).
It was the coolest trip ever. My Grams rocks.
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