My Grandma C

One of my first memories of life is sitting in the upstairs at my grandma and grandpa C's house, the house they owned since my mother was a toddler, going to the toy cupboard. The toy cupboards were in the alcove at the top of the stairs and were 4 doors set in the eaves of the house. My grandma had filled them with all kinds of delightful things for us kids to play with. When I went to grad school with J, we got to go back to grandma's house for holidays and over the summer, and grandma still had toys stocked away. They were relegated to a couple drawers set next to the original cupboards, but never failed to keep J entertained. I remember sitting in grandma's kitchen, looking out at the bird feeder she always kept stocked. I remember walking next door to a relative (Aunt Ruth?) and further down the street to Aunt Ginny's and, really early on, to Great Grandma Strong's house. My grandparents were the first to build a house on that street and family followed. Family was very, very important to them. When my family moved out west I was 4 years old. I remember sitting in the car with grandma and grandpa and talking on the CB radio to my parents, feeling very cool using trucker talk - 10-4 good buddy! And of course they would always come out to visit us and inevitably painted or wallpapered or did some sort of project around the house. My grandma was a very comforting presence to have around. And she was hilarious. She had that dry humor that gets me going. I'm so glad we had 4 years living nearby (well, a 9 hour drive away, but still near enough to visit several times a year) so that we could visit. I always knew we had a place to stay and feel welcomed anytime. And of course there would be a bag packed full of goodies to take with us when it was time to go home. I haven't had a chance to go back and visit my grandma since I left grad school. Things are much different now, though. Although I could still recite the address for you, my grandma's house has been sold to someone new. And if we went to visit her, she probably would not recognize J or I, the dementia that took hold of her mother has taken hold of her as well. The grandma that I remember is no longer there, and I miss that. So I just needed to say, I love you grandma. Thank you for all the love you've given to J and I, and I look forward to visiting your new home in heaven someday.