I'm sorry for kicking that plate of BBQ in your lap 28 years ago. I hear you were wearing a nice white suit. It is safe to say you forgave me though, similar to how you pretended not to notice when we would sample all of your Clinique cosmetics and white shoulders perfume. Coming to visit you was always the biggest treat. Our first stop was usually Piggy Wiggly. You would let us all get whatever cereal we wanted. Elizabeth liked her Lucky Charms, and Benjamin says he did too. I always remember him getting Fruity Pebbles, but maybe he switched after Paul and Chris continued to pick the marshmallows out of his lucky charms. I think I got something different each time - most likely whatever Mom had said "no" to on our most recent trip to the grocery store.
I'm not quite sure how we did not get you kicked out of your apartment. We pretty much took over not only your apartment but the entire complex when we would come visit. No more than 2 guests per apartment in the pool at one time? Oh, I'm sure 8 is okay. Football? Soccer? Sure, sounds great! We had the perfect place to play outside your front door, and many times enough people for two complete teams. Gosh, I hope no one ever wanted to take a nap during the day when we were there. I doubt we were remotely quiet.
We gathered around your dining table more times than any of us can count, to a warm home-cooked meal. I took those for granted then - I didn't know how special that was. You also cooked the only vegetable I would eat: fried okra. I know you must be so proud. You patiently taught most of us Canasta around that table. I think I stuck with "go fish" for the most part, but the others caught on to Canasta and played for hours. You weren't as successful at teaching the girls how to knit, but we won't blame you for that one. You also taught us all how to play dominos. Benjamin said that was great until he started beating you. He thinks he knows where his competitiveness came from. Speaking of Benjamin, one of my other favorite memories of coming to visit was when you'd give us your dime collection to take to Eckards to buy what we could with 25 dimes (or less, depending on how much laundry you'd done recently). Getting to walk to Eckard's without adult supervision, dimes in hand was always such an adventure. You somehow convinced us that walking to the trash dump, unsupervised, was also an adventure too.
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| Greg, Benjamin, Amy, Chris, Grandmother, Paul, Elizabeth, Me, Keith |
You were one strong woman. I never knew you when granddaddy was alive and if anything you did the job of two grandparents for me instead of one. Thirty years a widow and my how you held your own. You traveled all over the country, either with us or with your Dan Dipert friends. You wanted me to go to Branson on a Dan Dipert tour but I never went. I was afraid the age differential between me and the next youngest person would have been at least 60 years. I hope you understand. You passed your love of travel on to each of us, giving us a trip after our high school graduation. Greg and Paul managed to ski into the wrong country in Europe. Keith and Chris somehow arranged for half of Paris to have its power turned off, but just temporarily. Elizabeth and Amy enjoyed a week on a cruise ship and Benjamin enjoyed a beautiful scuba trip with a good friend. You enjoyed a summer trip to Winter Park Colorado with most of the gang in the mid-80s. You know, the one where I woke up the entire house screaming "oh no!" at 6am. It had snowed the night before and I'd never seen snow before. I think that was also the trip with the bear growling incident. You also enjoyed a snow skiing trip to Ruidoso and several trips to Hot Springs, Arkansas in the summers.
More recently, you spent Christmas’s at Elizabeth’s house with our family. You would sit, quiet and content in your chair, and your face lit up with joy in the presence of Molly, Kate, and Bennett. You said you were so happy, just being there and watching the kids at Christmas.
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| Christmas 2007 |
I was always in awe of the fact that you swam 30 laps of sidestroke a day. You never got your hair wet thanks to your trusty stylish swim caps, and per Benjamin's recollection, your swimming was even more amazing because it appeared you never moved your legs! When it was too cold to swim you took to the streets for a daily walk. There was that one time your hands were in your pockets and you fell and didn't catch yourself and got a black eye, but safe to say mom has taken after you because she decided to one up that fall and shattered her arm while out walking a few days before Benjamin's wedding. Speaking of weddings, those were another place we got to see you and spend time together. As for my wedding, well I'm sorry you won't be here to see me walk down the aisle. I don't blame you for not sticking around for that though - I need to go on a date first so it may be a while.
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| Grandmother, far right, with her family |
I can only hope the kids I have one day will get to have as many good times with my parents as I got to have with you. I know your kids are loving life as grandparents now too. It’s safe to say they learned a fair bit from your grandparenting role because I sure don't hear anyone telling them "no" that often. By Greg's best estimate, you and Aunt Linda are living it up on the front row of an Elvis concert right now. I imagine you've also been reunited with Granddaddy and your brothers and sisters, and have gotten to meet your grandson that we never knew. You are no longer in pain and are eating the best food there is. You, granddaddy, Aunt Linda and Aunt Linda's son can all sit together and watch over us here on earth. We love you and miss you.
Sincerely,
Kathleen
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