Cheers to my Gram!

This is a picture of my grandmother...taken yesterday at her 90th birthday luncheon... She did not want a big party, but did want to have lunch with her kids. My dad sent me this picture today. I am so glad he did. She is an amazing woman... was married to my grandfather for ... well I don't know exactly how long but I think it was over 60 years... together they had four children...2 boys, 2 girls. They raised the kids in a very small house, which was designed to ba a camp, not a year round home... but they made it work. My gram still resides in that house. I love going there to visit. I remember as a kid going to visit and having beans and franks for dinner. I remember my mom threatening my sister and I to be on our best behavior and to not break anything that was at Gramie's house. I remember Sis and I playing cards while everyone else visited. I remember Gramie's garden and especialy her rhubarb. My mom, sister, and I loved eating the rhubard, raw, with salt... Gramie would watch us, shaking her head because she could not imagine how we could tolerate the tartness of the rhubarb. Gramie always has fresh flowers in her house... most of which were from her flower gardens.... at least in the warmer months. We always sat, listening to Grampie's stories...and though I am sure Gramie had heard every one, she alwaus chuckled at the right places. It was so hard returning to that house after my grandfather died. I am sure Gramie still misses him so much it hurts... I still do. Gramie has given so much to her family and I so admire that. She has kept us all warm... for years, with her gifts of quilts... I still have the one she made for me as a kid... with puppies and the alphabet... it is very tattered and worn, but I hope one day to somehow restore it, or to use what I can from it to make a new one. Gram has given so much of her time volunteering as well... for her church and other noble organizations. She is the matriarch...at Thanksgiving she waits until every other person has gone through the line before she even thinks about eating. One of my fondest memories... was one summer... I was working as a nanny, near Bar Harbor... and my mom brought both of my grandmothers to visit me and we all went to the ocean. I don't remember her age at the time, but I remember my mother having brought some sturdy chairs for my grandmothers to sit in. My other grandmother sat in her chair, as my mom had hoped and enjoyed the ocean and I think our picnic. This grandmother began combing the shore for treasures. She walked on rocks, bent down to pick up sea glass or shells. My mom tried to corale her, knowing that if she fell and broke something dad would be less than pleased. But Gramie told mom she was fine.... and I joined her in her beach combing. It was nice. I am in awe of her... in many ways.

She is very proud of her family... of who we are and all of what we have done...and worries about us all... especially when she knew we were on the road.

She is amazing... I hope that by the time I am 90... I have a fraction of the goodness in my life that she has had.

On another note. I finished my paper that is due tomorrow... my 500 word paper is 563 words... and I am hoping the extra 63 words go unnoticed. I feel good that it is done...but of course am a bit unsure of how I will do... grade wise. Next I will begin my readings for the class. I ordered one of the books online and it should get here this week. I probably could have found someone from whom I could borrow it, but really want to be able to write in the book, highlight it as needed.

It's snowing again. In the words of Forest Gump... 'that's all I have to say about that.'