"I just wanted to share with you both a little bit of what I was thinking of today . . .

When you think of Grandma, remember these things:

~ I remember that when you both were born, she came and stayed with me for 2 weeks. She didn't live that far away, so it really wasn't necessary. I believe that she did it to get her "baby fix", just like I do. She sat and held both of you for hours on end...all she wanted me to do was rest, she said.

~ I remember her setting and holding both of you and stroking your hair up into a little curl on top of your heads, saying that was what she used to do with mine when I was a baby.

~ I remember that she was so amazed that at the age of 18 months, I was able to stand up in my crib and totally strip the wallpaper off the wall in her bedroom as far as I could reach.

~ I remember the Vanilla Crisp cookies that she always made when she was younger. They were her "specialty", and she would sometimes add chocolate chips, cherry chips, even raisins to the dough for variety.

~ I remember that she always made the best homemade pancakes in the world! I've never had any others that I tasted that were as good as her's.

~ I remember her feeding the two of you until I thought you would both pop!! That was always your Grandma's way of showing you how much she loved you....food, food, and more food!

~ I remember her teaching me how to sew and embroider when I was a little girl. She helped me make doll clothes, and embroidered beautiful flowers on my pillowcases for me.

~ I remember her baking a white cake with coconut frosting topped with maraschino cherries every year at Christmas so that I could leave Santa a piece of "his favorite cake".

~ I remember walking to church with her when I was a little girl....every Sunday. And what really was wonderful to me was hearing her sing in church. I never heard her sing anywhere else, but she sang there, and had the most beautiful, sweet soprano voice.

~ I remember her fixing me spaghetti when I had the measles at the age of 5, and she let me eat it for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

~ I remember her teaching me how to dance the "hula" when I was in Kindergarten.

~ I remember her "Grandma's Stew" and how much I still love it!

~ I remember the way she could bring a bruise to your underarm SO quickly, because of that hard little pinch that she would give when she wanted to get your attention. She was little, but she was strong!!

~ I remember her packing absolutely huge picnic baskets of sandwiches and fruit so that we could all go to Irvine Park when I was little, feed the ducks and spend the day.

~ I remember watching her dance at her grandaughter's wedding; I'd never seen her dance before and she did it so gracefully.

~ I remember her sneaking little sips of wine and drags off of cigarettes at my house, and then eating coffee grinds or chewing cloves so that Grandpa wouldn't know about it.

~ I remember her coming to my 8th grade graduation only 4 days after having major surgery...she said that nothing would keep her from being there.

~ I remember how blue her eyes would be when she was happy.

Remember these things about your Grandma, and know that she loved you very much."

Later that same evening, while sitting at my daughter's home and crying over the death of Mother, my 8 year old grandson came and put his arms around me.

"Don't cry, Grandma. Your mother isn't hurting anymore; she's not sick. And you know that when she got to Heaven, Uncle Kenny was there. He held out his arms and said 'Come here, Mom . . . let me help you'." And I know that he was.

:: Mother's Gravesite ::
Desert View Cemetery
Apple Valley, CA
(photo courtesy of Vickie Davidson-Charlton)

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Wednesday, 02-Apr-2008 00:16:30 MDT

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