A tribute to Gramma

Forgive both the time since I last posted and the content of this post. It is off my normal range of topics and I will try to keep it short.

Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of my dear grandmother's death. I was close to her and she was the matriarch of our family, so her passing was a great blow to all of us. It was sudden and unexpected despite her venerable age at the time and we hardly got to say goodbye before she was gone. In honor of this great lady, I wanted to write a brief tribute to her.

She had a strength that many admired. She must have gotten it from her father because he too possessed an inner strength that none could shake. She was well known for her cooking, her candy, and her obsession with hummingbirds. Her entire house was filled with knickknacks displaying hummingbirds--if the little creatures were anywhere on an item (no matter how much in poor taste), she had to have it. She always called the little hummingbirds with the red throats "Ruby."

She loved all of her family dearly. To her, there was nothing more important. Her grandkids and great-grandkids were especially special to her. She never forgot a birthday or holiday for any one of us. And she always spent every holiday with the family, even when she lived a few hours away. When she moved closer, Christmas was always at Gramma's and we would cram two long tables in her living room so the whole family could sit down and eat together.

She loved being in her garden. It didn't matter where she lived, her garden was always beautiful. She showed me how to grow zucchini and that the blossoms are delicious when fried up. She railed against the deer because they ate her plants and the squirrels because they chased her birds away. She brefriended a Scrub Jay and named him Scrubby; she had him eating peanuts out of her hand.

She went clamming on the coast in the summer, even when she was in her 70s. She loved dancing, especially the polka, and she had quite the millenium party on December 31st of 1999--she even danced the polka then too. She grew up during the Depression and Prohibition and had tales to tell about both that were like stepping into history as she told them (and they were quite unique because of the role her father played during both eras).

She always spoke her mind and was never afraid of what others thought of her. She raised three girls, for awhile by herself which at that time was probably considered a bit of a scandel and just "not done" (especially since she divorced her first husband when that was also "not done"). She loved, laughed, and lived with a vengence and she was an amazing lady through and through. Even five years later, it's hard for me to believe that she is truly gone. She is and always will be loved and missed dearly.

We love you Gramma! 1919-2007