Happy Birthday Grandma!! 1/13/14 - 7/8/05

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

This was one of the last photos we took of Grandma before she passed away, however, I remember her more like this:

Although this picture is at least 30 yrs old, it's what my Grandma liked to do; have people over. My grandparents had several Christmas Open Houses and she would dress up and be the best hostess you could ever ask for. She loved to bake and make candy. So when I think of apple pie, sugar cookies, spaghetti, chicken pot pie, pork chops, I think of Grandma. I try to only remember the 'good' years; not the years she suffered with arthritis and diabetes and other various health problems.

I will share one fond memory of staying with my grandparents. It was a summer day during the mid 70s, and my grandfather had gone to work, leaving the garage empty. I would pull out the skateboard and pretend I was in a 'skateboarding championship' and skate around the driveway doing "figure 8s" and into the garage and out again. My grandma would have left the door to the garage open (since they had no AC back then) and she had a radio on the counter in the kitchen. She would let me listen to whatever I wanted, which was an AM radio station that played the 'hits' of the day. Out of all the songs I could have remembered hearing, the one that comes to mind is the theme to "Welcome Back Kotter".

Anytime she made a piecrust, she would take the leftover dough scraps, roll them out, brush with butter and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on it then roll it up and bake it. Man, those were the good old days. I also thought it was funny that she called bologna 'minced ham'. I think I miss her the most on Sundays; for years until she was no longer able to live at home, our family would go over there for lunch after church. I think that's why I now do the same for my daughter and family; someday hopefully her kids will talk about "going to grandma's house" for Sunday dinner.


I miss you grandma, but know you are in a better place with no pain.