This weekend was a little rough for me since I got a call from my mom that my grandmother, whom I was very close to growing up, was going to be placed in a nursing home after her current stay in the hospital is done. She wanted to know if there was any specific item I wanted from her house as a keepsake. Immediately two things came to mind. Grandma had a trivet that hung over her toaster with a picture of a barn and a plump woman. It read "A plump wife and a big barn never did any man harm."...but my sister Kristin already had asked for, and received that at some point last year. The second item being my grandma's cutting board. Every day, we would stop in to my grandmothers to pick up our mail, and visit. The after school stops usually involved a bit of home made bread cut on the very cutting board I wanted. Mom and my aunt Carol looked through the kitchen and couldn't find it. Aunt Carol also mentioned that if it did turn up, she kind of wanted the cutting board, so it looked like I wasn't going to get it after all. Putting it lightly, I was disappointed not to be receiving it. I sometimes think that half the reason I make my own bread is to feel closer to my beloved grandmother who I've been loosing to Alzheimer's/dementia.
I decided to take the kids over to Mom's yesterday and see if there was anything in my grandma's house that i would like as a small memento. We got an early start on our day and were even able to drop Bug, Bear, and DH off at school. We had a beautiful Sunny drive over to my Mom's and made pretty good time as well. The dog was the first one out of the car, shortly followed by the Boy and Bean who catapulted themselves up the steps and at Grammy. We exchanged greetings and my mother commented that it was going to be a good day. I agreed as the sun was shining and I'd just finished a visit with a friend. We checked the chickens for eggs, and went in side. There laying on the kitchen table was the cutting board I wanted so badly. It turns out that when she was cleaning earlier that morning, my aunt found it and took it to my moms. To make things even better, she and I wanted completely different cutting boards and we were both able to have the one that we wanted. I am extremely greatful for the physical reminder of the many many happy memories I have of just every day chats with my grandma. For her listening ear when I was navigating the turbulent teen years and needed someone to confide my frustrations in. For all the things she taught me...how to play cards, the importance of family, the love of the printed word. Dh still laughs at me because I can't read our local paper online. It's just wrong. I would always read the paper at my grandparents and need to physically hold it to feel like I'm reading it the proper way. I'm greatful for the memories I have of playing around the farm with my cousins. But my favorite memories are of the Christmas Eve feasts that we would come together for and share the fellowship and the togetherness that the family had at that time. It is also the one thing I miss the most as my wedding day was the last year we did that. It's been 7 years this Christmas and boy I'd give almost anything for one last Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa and everyone else. But I'm so greatful to my husband for adjusting our plans so that I could be there the last time.
I'd like to invite you to check out the other Gratituesday posts at Heavenly Homemakers. And I'd also like to invite my siblings,cousins and other family, to come back and leave a comment of their favorite memories of our Grandparents. Feel free to e-mail anyone else who would like to leave a memory too.
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