Todays thought...Dedications to my Grandma.

We start this story with one of my favorite memories of my grandma. I couldn't have been 5 years old when we were in my grandma's back yard. And for the life of me, I can't remember just what we were doing, but a hot air balloon went over head. And it was the neatest thing I'd ever seen. I asked her what it was and she told me that there were people up there in the little basket under the thing. She told me to yell up to them "Hello up there!" Of course I did, to which the people replied "Hello down there!" She then told me to yell up to them "How's the weather up there?" Their reply was "Fair to midland" one of my grandma's favorite phrases then they yelled "How's the weather down there?" I yelled back that it was the same and soon, they were too far away to carry on the conversation.

My next fondest memory was a farm where my grandma used to get veggies. I think it was called Knickerbocker Farms, or somewhere along the lines. There was one lonely horse that I just HAD to pet every time I was there. She used to sing to me every time we went there and I don't know the name of the song but it went along the lines of "Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day..." and honestly that's all I remember of the song. I remember standing in the kitchen of that house, I think it was in Grand Blanc, and I had this yellow stool that I would stand on and help make cookies. And by help I mean eat the cookie dough while she was putting it on the sheets. My first Christmas I remember really well was the one when I was I think 4. I walked in and my Christmas presents were on the couch. A quilt that she had hand stitched for me, which I proudly still own, my blankie that my aunt knitted for me, which I proudly still own and admittedly use as a pillow, and my Tinki Bear. I'm not sure how the name Tinki Bear came about, but it's there none the less. And yes, my poor dilapidated Tinki Bear is still in tact, a little worse for wear but none the less still my favorite stuffed animal.

Grandma told me all the time that I was her favorite granddaughter, and my mom was her favorite daughter-in-law. Of course, it kinda helped that respectively, we were the only granddaughter and daughter-in-law. I remember when she and my grandpa would take me for the night sometimes, we would go ... somewhere, I can't remember where exactly ... but every time on the way back we would drive around downtown Flint and I remember this ball on the top of the building that told the weather. And being as young as I was, it was a magic ball. It wasn't until later that I realized that doppler kinda helped the balls magic power, but whatever color the ball was, was what the weather was going to be the next day.

As I got older, and honestly it's just been in the last few years here, I started calling her G-ma. My daddy hated it. She laughed and told me to call her that if I wanted to, that it didn't bother her. She loved my husband to death, and while my little girl may not remember her when she's older, she will definitely know who she was. My grandma had this love for dolls. How on earth she ever did that is beyond me. She has this curio in her bedroom just full of dolls and every time I walk in there I feel like there's a million eye balls all on me. Gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.

Four and a half years ago, almost to the day, we lost my grandpa. I'd like to think that after that amount of time, he just decided he was going to be selfish and send for her. I know I couldn't blame him for wanting someone as special as her, to enjoy heaven with him. I love you G-ma. I'll miss you. See you at the gates when I get there.