Remembering Grandma

Today we say goodbye to the most strong and tender Grandma we've ever known. Her hard working hands have now been embraced by the nail-scarred hands of Jesus. 

She has been welcomed home by her Savior. 

As we walk through this day with many friends and family, filled with tears of sadness and joy, we want to begin the journey of remembering Grandma. 

 

We have a tremendous amount of memories of Grandma to fill our hearts. So I thought I'd share one today right here on the blog.

[What follows is an edited re-post from Suzanne from June of 2010.]

Saturday was one of those days where I was transported back in time. I love the way certain smells and scents can immediately take me to a favorite place in my childhood.

Such was the case for me when I found myself chopping up fresh dill for some roasted red potatoes.  

I was taken back to my grandmother's farm house where I spent most of my childhood.  Yes- I lived at home- but I was fortunate that my Grandma watched me and a few of my cousins while our parents were at work. So I spent summer days there and after school---my memories of those times are wonderful. 


The old farmhouse was bought and moved from it’s location when my Grandpa had saved up enough money to build a home for them- long after they had raised 9 children in a two room farmhouse.  

I loved that old house- maybe that's where my love of old houses comes from- I have vivid memories of so many details in that house.

I also love the smell of chopped dill.  I grew up learning to make pickles and can vegetables and jams with my Grandma.  I wouldn’t trade any of those times for all the money in the world.   

 

I love that Grandma was a Farmer’s wife, could drive grain trucks, balance cooking for a hungry group of guys coming in from the fields for lunch, keep us kids in line, have clean clothes drying on the line, let us make as many mud pies as we wanted, keep a very big and nice garden tended to- and all the while I was learning valuable lessons every day spent there. 


I used to wonder why she would sweep- or ask one of us kids to sweep the kitchen every day after lunch. Now with only two kids in my house for lunch every day I know the reason why!  A group of guys coming in from the fields could track in some dirt- not to mention us dirty kids too! 


I love my Grandma more than she will ever know and I’m more than thankful that she was able to take care of me while growing up- and I’m thankful my Mom and Dad wanted her to! 


This past Sunday, Grandma (89 at that time) tickled me when she arrived at our house with my parents for a Sunday dinner.  She sat and snapped beans (now from my garden) with her beautifully aged hands as she can’t sit idle for even a minute.  Here they are, right on top of mine, my mother's, and my daughter's.

She loved to sit and watch me cook and bake in my kitchen.  I’m so thankful for all the skills I learned watching her cook when I was at her house.  

And you can be sure that this year, just like the ones in the past, my garden will be overflowing with dill-scented memories of my precious Grandma.


Suzanne

 [edited re-post from the archives.]

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