~Thinking of Grandma~

It was 10 years ago today, that we said "GoodBye for Now" to her. We will meet again on the Other Side someday.. I did not get to be there, but most of her Children were there, except Uncle Leonard (he was in the hospital in LR). I was at my brothers, helping take care of his children so that my mom could be with her mother. I was leaving Tony's to go sit with my mother for a little while, when I got the call that she was gone, so I just turned around and went back to my brothers. That way were we not alone, we had each other. It was a very sad time in our lives, so much sorrow and pain, yet so much joy with a perfectly healthy premature baby girl just 6 weeks old, boy did she out grow that premmie stage quickly.. I believe within 3 months we lost 6 family members including the mother of my brothers baby girl.

The preacher conducting her funeral had asked that the grand kids write something that stood out to them about her. Well, there were several of us that did that. I got them all and printed them out on paper that would sorta match something they said about her in their letter. I had talked about her quilting so I did a backdrop of a quilt on mine, I think I also did some kind of quilt thing on Sheri's, she talked about what did she say about a woman she barely knew(Grandma), but raised the strongest woman (her mother) she knew and about the quilt that Grandma had made and literally fell out of the closet when one of the kids opened the door at the moment she was writing her letter (coincidence, I think not). Then, one of Rosie's boys (Not sure which one) wrote about the Legacy she had left us. Grandpa had died at an early age (about 42 I think) and left her to raise 8 children the oldest of which was about 16 or so, not only did she never re-marry, but she never gave up Grandpa's name, on all her bills and accounts she listed her name as Mrs. Lloyd Brown, not Maggie or Lou, but Mrs. Lloyd. She was very proud of that name. I can't recall any of the others right now, but I still have them ALL saved on my computer. I printed 2 copies, one for the preacher and one to put in her casket, so she would always have them. One strange thing, NEARLY EVERY ONE of those letters mentioned her Fried Potatoes, how we ALL LOVED them and NONE of us can cook them like she did, they just do not taste the same, my sister had mentioned in her letter, that she had borrowed grandma's skillet, oil and POTATOES, and they just did not taste like hers. Maybe it was her knife she used, who got the paring knife, I want that knife.. She was an awesome COOK, as my mother is (and her sisters). She always had something cooked when we came over or she would get in there and cook something, as if we had not eatten in days, But you have to eat when you go to Grandma's house, my own grand daughters do the same thing, and I catch myself asking, can I fix you something to eat. I can see so much of my grandmother in my own mother (Compliment)... The preacher made the statement if he read about fried potatoes one more time, he was going to have to go eat it was making him hungry. Several talked about Sugar (Her Chihauhau), she loved that dog, but at times hated him too. But she was lost without him.. How we all miss her, but we will see her again.. What a legacy that she left for ALL of us to follow.

Her Birthday was July 2nd and she went to be with the Lord on the 10th, living "8" days after her Birthday, one for each of her Children... I know Aunt Jeanette, you only got half a day, but you were the baby that never grew up (weight wise) much from birth (HAHAHAHA).

Love you much, Grandma....