The Past Two Weeks

If you follow my blog, allow me to thank you for following me and to apologize for not writing one the last two weeks.

The last couple of weeks have been difficult. We were supposed to run errands one day, but I had some sort of stomach bug. I honestly felt at one point like I might run a fever, which is really unusual for me. I got over that pretty quickly as I actually stayed home in bed. Something I hate to do. My wonderful kitty, Rusty, spent the day in bed with me, so that made things more pleasant. Thankfully, I love to read and have plenty of good books to help pass the time.

After a couple of days, I knew I was better, so we decided to run our errands. That morning, I got online for something before we left, I don’t normally do that, but I did this time. While I was on the internet, I checked my e-mail.  

I received an e-mail with news that I knew was coming, but caused me grief, nonetheless. My grandmother, in this case, my maternal grandmother had died. She was 95 years old so it wasn’t totally unexpected, but it was still hard. She was a wonderful lady.

I know that when I was young, she allowed me and my then pregnant mother to live with her when she found it necessary to leave my father. We lived with her till mother married her second husband.

After we moved to another state, we would sometimes drive down to see her for a few days. I always enjoyed those times. She lived on a farm with her second husband, Carl. The food was always fresh (as far as I know) and there was a whole farm to explore.

But what made those visits really special was Grandma herself. The home cooked food she prepared and going into town with her for shopping. Not mention that back then her mother was still alive, so we always got to see her too.

My strongest memory of her involves mincemeat pie. If you’ve never heard of mincemeat pie, let me assure you that it is made with meat. Beef that’s been finely chopped to be exact. It also has raisins, apples, fruit juice, and spices.

I mentioned in passing that I’d like some mincemeat pie. The next day after dinner, Grandma brought a mincemeat pie to the table for dessert. I was thrilled. Then my youngest brother, Wayne, said, “I don’t like mincemeat pie.”

I said, “How you do you know? We’ve never tried it.”

Grandmother looked at me, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. “You’ve what?!”

I don’t remember what I said in return, but as I look back on this story, I think if I’d said, “You’ve never tried it . . .” I might have been safe. I enjoyed the pie, thankfully. I’ve had some since then, but none measure up to hers.

Also, I learned later that she’d stayed up half the night making it, which is why she was shocked at our reaction.

I feel blessed to have had her in my life for so long. Age wise, she outlived her own mother. I’m also thankful I got to be with her on her 95^th birthday. I had a feeling that trip would be the last time I would ever see her, but I hoped I was wrong.

I attended her funeral in Idaho, where she’d lived most if not all of her life and learned some interesting things about her. For instance, she was born prematurely and only weighed two (2) lbs. That kind of birth weight is a concern even today, so back then it was a literal miracle that she survived. She was a fighter from the beginning.

Even as she got older, she maintained her independence and fight till her body wouldn’t let her anymore. A former neighbor told us how after she quit driving, she would try to walk everywhere. In their little town, it’s possible to do that. One day, my grandmother started to go somewhere and she walked through the neighbor’s yard. The neighbor saw her going and offered her a ride. Grandma refused, saying she’d walk. A while later, the neighbor looked out to see Grandma sitting down. She went out and Grandma admitted that she needed the ride.

Another thing I learned about her was that if she liked you, you became family, regardless of blood. I’d kind of seen that in action with one of her caregivers when I visited her for her 95^th birthday, but I hadn’t realized just how many people she considered family till I met a couple of them on this trip.

There was a lovely couple, husband and wife, who’d bought Grandma’s duplex, then allowed her to live there rent free. While they were working on the other side of the duplex, as it needed some serious work done due to prior tenants, Grandma would come over and visit. They quickly became family.

There were other stories, but I don’t remember them all. I’m just grateful that she had such wonderful people around her during her last days on earth.

I think the hardest part of her death, for me, was the realization that she was literally my last living grandparent. I wouldn’t have wanted to die before her as she’d already suffered the loss of one grandchild, my brother, Wayne, but it’s still hard to know that never again will I call someone “Grandma” or “Grandpa.”