This morning, I am writing about someone dear to me. I have been inspired to blog about this for many reasons. July 31st was the 10 year anniversary of my Grandmothers, whom I lovingly call Nannie Red, death. Jewels posted about people who were dear to her from childhood and then posed the question, Who inspired you…, also a very dear friend of mine lost her Grandmother and she was buried on the anniversary of my Nannies death.
My Nannie Red… what can I say about this woman to give you a glimpse into how wonderful she was while she was here on this earth?
She LOVED to laugh… I am often told of how I am likened to her because of my silly sense of humor and love of laughter. She and I would laugh at the same things, the same movies and so much more… My Uncle Simon also has this crazy sense of humor, and when we are together we are usually talking and giggling throughout the visit.
She LOVED her family… nothing suited her better than for us all to gather together for a family day. I remember those days like they were just yesterday… We would go over rather early and we would start preparing for lunch. Which was usually a large lunch and it usually wasn’t until 2:00. So there was many “MOM… when are we going to eat???” questions, and many taste testers running in and out of the kitchen grabbing a bite of this and that. We were all so close that I felt as close to my cousins as my immediate family and to this day we are, well some of us, are still very close. I remember that one of my jobs was the slaw. When I got to help in the kitchen I made the slaw… I made it on one of these…
She LOVED to laugh… I am often told of how I am likened to her because of my silly sense of humor and love of laughter. She and I would laugh at the same things, the same movies and so much more… My Uncle Simon also has this crazy sense of humor, and when we are together we are usually talking and giggling throughout the visit.
She LOVED her family… nothing suited her better than for us all to gather together for a family day. I remember those days like they were just yesterday… We would go over rather early and we would start preparing for lunch. Which was usually a large lunch and it usually wasn’t until 2:00. So there was many “MOM… when are we going to eat???” questions, and many taste testers running in and out of the kitchen grabbing a bite of this and that. We were all so close that I felt as close to my cousins as my immediate family and to this day we are, well some of us, are still very close. I remember that one of my jobs was the slaw. When I got to help in the kitchen I made the slaw… I made it on one of these…
I wish so bad I had my Nannies, I have been looking for one at yard sales forever it seems like, and I still haven’t found one. So I ended up buying one on ebay.
There was lots of horse-shoe pitching, story telling, walking through Nannies garden… something I didn’t treasure as much then as I would now. We would sometimes have to take naps when we were younger and it was a time getting so many to lay down in a pallet… while we laid there we knew that the grown-ups had to be having so much fun, and we ACHED to be out there.
Another thing my Nannie loved dearly was homemaking. Cleaning, gardening, canning, sewing, quilting, crocheting… on and on was her list of abilities.
It seemed every time we went for a visit the house was re-arranged and always clean. She could take a room and even if it seemed that there was NO way you could fit something else in there, she could rearrange it to make it fit and look fabulous! My Mom now possesses this gift and I hope to have it one day as well!
One of my favorite memories is when we would go over to Nannies to pick and break and can beans. I remember such lively conversations while breaking the beans and I remember her pressure cooker with that little jiggle knob going off, and I remember the tongs to remove the hot jars, and I remember the BEAUTIFUL jars of bright green lovely beans sitting along the counter cooling.
My Nannie taught me my first bit of crochet, I am still NO expert, but I have crocheted blankets, pot holders and scarves! I also remember her sewing room. Tons of scraps of fabric, her sewing machine and her serger humming away…. tables for cutting and piecing and just an allurement for me, that I believe gave me such desires that I now have for sewing and crafting. I have a few of the things Nannie made me, that I use in my home NOW!!! I received this little doll more than 16 years ago…
Even then I knew what I wanted my kitchen to look like and how I sooooo desired my own home! I wanted to be many things throughout my life, but one constant was a wife and mother. Another item that still graces my home is on my bed. Nannie made me several sets of embroidered pillow cases. I have a set on my bed and my youngest daughter is sooooo fond of them, she HAS to have one on her pillow so she can rub the handiwork as she sleeps….
This particular set was given to me on my 18th birthday… many moons ago eh?? I will be 32 this November.
I have such fond memories of my Nannie, and many times I think of how much I wish that she had met her great-grandchildren and how much she would have loved to see them and how I wish they knew the wonderful woman whom I miss so much. But I know that she is with our Lord… and that makes everything so much easier. ***So Georja…. remember, relish and reflect on the beauty that was Mrs. Grant and know that you will ALWAYS keep a special place in your heart for her, and know there is a glad reunion day a’coming.
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