In remembrance of Grandma

Grandma died yesterday. She had a new birth in heaven with a new, fresh body. She's stepping out in confidence as a pure and spotless bride wearing a royal crown, blond curls framing her face, young and vivacious again. her voice is no longer warbly or off key because she can't hear, but is strong and clear. Most importantly, she's singing praises to You, an eternity of worship.

She dances; her legs no longer giving her problems or her being out of breath. Her lungs are full of Your breath, not fluid.

I remember the times I shared with her. Me and her reading side, reading different books in the same room. Her trying to teach me how to crochet and the countless hours I watched her crochet lap blankets for anyone who needed them.  Us suntanning in the sun, careful to keep our heads in the shade and our legs in the sun and Grandma wearing her floppy sunhat so used it had holes in the top of it.  Her feeding the birds and complaining about how the squirrels or big birds always ate the bird food.  She cared for the birds like God cares for the sparrows and how much more He cares and provides for us.  Her tending the garden and showing me all the plants she had and which ones were weeds.

Her making crepes (which she just called pancakes) and us eating them with fruit, honey, syrup, basically anything she had in the fridge. Her famous broccoli soup that was so cheesy and good and had green beans in it. I didn't even like green beans but I liked them when I ate her soup.  Her love for ice-cream and all things sweet.  All the things she made in that electric skillet, sometimes good and sometimes we would be having so much fun we would forget about the food and it got burnt.

When she got her "Grandmother Clock" and it kept chiming every hour. She loved that clock.

Her numerous calendars. They were all over the house and she would get me to change the months and write in permanent marker the numbers on them.

I remember her singing in the church choir when I was younger. I remember thinking that I want to still be able to sing when I'm old, no matter how warbly and off key my voice might get.

I remember New Years 2000 when Grandma, Mom, Auntie Gladys, and I prepared for Y2K and turned off all the lights and electronics in her house and got candles burning everywhere.  We just kept the microwave on so that we could see the time and step forward with our right foot when the clock said 12:00. We learned how to peel christmas oranges in the dark that night and laughed so much.

I remember going to church with her, talking with her for hours about God and the Bible, her telling me who was friends/sisters/parents etc. with whom. She had such a strong faith and a quiet strength and peace about her that only came from God.

I remember our conversation/debate on dreamt vs. dreamed. I remember staying at her house without my Mom for a week for the first time and bringing my keyboard. I practiced and Grandma listened and helped me with my music theory.  I remember all the letters she wrote to anyone, whether they lived far away or close by. She would write on both side of the paper in small, sometimes illegible writing about her day and the weather, but she put her whole heart into her letters. And she always wanted the stamps back to add to her collection.

I remember when she convinced me to try out her pogo stick. It was so funny. Her laugh was infectious. 

 I remember all of our hug and whispered "I love you's".

Thank You, God for sharing her with me for 23 years. I love you Grandma.