to having a really bad day,
I seem to be trying to gather as many memories and stories as I can.
I definitely am thinking of funny stories she has told to share with her
on her not so good days.
I can only agree with her that this sucks so much!
I am asking any family members to email me @ kristyball@sbcglobal.net
any picture, stories and memories that you have of Grandma.
I am trying to figure out how to get photos onto a dvd for you all,
as well as post as many as I have over the next few days.
(I want to apologise if there are any repeated stories in this blog.
Memory loss must run in the family.
And I figured, that I have had to hear all these stories over and over again
from Mema, so you may as well too!)
These are a few memories I have to share today.
Random, as they come to me.
One day, when I was taking Mema to School,
she was having a hard day.
She always was a happy lady,
and never let anyone else know she was down.
It is her motto to always have a smile, no matter what.
She told me that this life was getting old.
She was feeling old, and just wished she would go to sleep and not wake up again.
She has had a good life so there isn't anything else she needs to hang around for.
(This was two years ago!)
I asked her what I should tell folks about her after she passed.
She thought a moment and answered:
"Tell them...There she goes! She had a great time while she was here!"
Then she giggled at how that sounded,"but that's what I want you to say!"
She seemed in a much better mood at that, as she went in to school.
When I was a preteen, I remember staying with Grandma and Grandpa during the holiday.
My sister and I made pallets on the familyroom floor
in front of the roomsized brick fireplace.
The television was on the brick ledge to the right.
It was very late, and I was watching the original Helen Keller.
The one with Patty Duke.
One of the reason's I remember this, I'm sure, is that I was entering puberty,
and my beginning breasts hurt like crazy laying on that hard floor.
I just couldn't get comfortable.
I remember Grandma coming in,
it must have been two in the morning,
bringing all the pillows from her bed,
fluffing them up under me,
and rearranging them until I was comfortable.
I don't know how she slept, but I was on a cloud.
Grandma....my miracle worker!
one cookie we always MUST make is Mary's Sugar Cookies.
Grandma's dad showed her how to make these,
and she ALWAYS had a batch in the chest freezer in the laundry room,
frosted and waiting for little grandchildren hands
to sneak in and grab a frozen bit of heaven!
I remember when she taught me to make them.
Grandpa had made a wooden ruler to measure exactly 1/4"
The exact thickness the cookies were to be rolled out to,
for the perfect cookie.
And in the frosting, she always added a bit of left over coffee
from that morning as flavoring.
When I make them today, it is not right until I have tasted the frosting
and had a flash of childhood.
Grandma always had some kind of cookie ready in the freezer.
When she lived in her last house in Strasberg,
most of her nieces and nephews would come by Aunt Dot's on Saturday mornings.
She would have coffee made, and a plate of cookies.
When the cookies were gone, the relatives would go home.
There was no refilling of the plate.
If she wanted company, the plate would be over flowing.
If she had things to do, everyone may get only one cookie.
I wish I had been there on those Saturday mornings.
Oh, when we visited from Pittsburgh, or Texas,
everyone gathered, but I don't believe it was the same
as the routine 7am time around the table.
Grandma was a hard worker all her life.
She likes to say she has big strong hands.
Not dainty little things.
I take after her.
It was funny watching us try to replace a tiny screw in her glasses one day,
both of us with our big fingers.
She had her nails painted yesterday.
Since she has been forgetting things,
her hands are always moving.
Mostly by flicking the buttons on her shirt.
Needless to say, her nails are usually chipped.
But, when I saw her bright red nails yesterday!
She seemed very proud of them.
I told her she was a hot mama ready for the town!
She smiled at that.
I don't know if this lady has ever been a hot mama painting the town red.
The rest of that day was pretty bad.
She had a hard time talking,
and most of the time she just stared out into the room.
She didn't want to eat anything.
When I spoke to her, it took a minute for her to focus on me.
It shook me up a little.
The next day when I went to visit,
it was like Mema was back!
She was laughing and joking and her eyes were bright!
We sat at a table in the dining room
and drank coffee.
At one point she looked at her hands and said
"Don't they look tiny?"
What do you mean by tiny Grandma?
"They look very petite. My hands look very small and pretty!
Well, lady, you will never go a day without red nail polish on!
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