Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I'll always remember about my grandma.

1. Her love of reading. She always said she learned something from anything she read, including the smutty novels we both share a passion for.

2. Her sweet tooth. She loved brownies and cookies and cake. If we made anything and I didn't take her some, she'd get in a snit.

3. How she'd never let me put clothes through the ringer on the washing machine because she thought I'd get my finger stuck.

4. Her braids. Grandma had very long hair pulled into a intricate braid in the back. Her hair was so beautiful.

5. Her shopping lists. Always terribly spelled, but there was always the same stuff on them, cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, pot pies, chicken tv dinners, rollin oats cereal and pierogies!

6. Her love of bunnies. If you saw her face when a bunny hopped through her yard, you would know pure joy. Her eyes would light up and the 100 + year old face would become a child's.

7. Her stubbornness. You could never win an argument with grandma. She could be wrong but she would still win!

8. Her love of clothes, mine in particular. When we'd do laundry she'd always say when I got tired of something she'd take it. Her closets are full of my cast offs. And though I'm nearly 34 and she was 101 she looked pretty in my things.

9. Her wubby blanket that was always wrapped around her shoulders. She was always cold. Now I'm sure wherever she's at the warm sun is shining on her and keeping her warm.

10. The barrel she had for my mother. She always put money for her in it, for things we sent her.

11. Her beef noodle soup. No one made it like grandma. It is one of my favorite soups.

12. Playing Candy Land at the top of the stairs with her...or building a puzzle from one of the many that were in her house from my other two siblings.

13. How whenever we'd tell her we loved her she'd say, "I love you more."

Grandma, I hope you know how much we love you wherever you are