Grandma Stella

February 14, 2010

This post is dedicated to my Grandma Stella, a wonderful lady and expert bargain hunter.

I just returned last night from a trip I had planned, my plan was to see my Grandma and spend time talking with her. She had been very sick, but for much of her 95 years she has been hard for me to keep up with!

I have so many good memories that I will cherish in my heart always...picking "huckleberries" with her...we ate more than ended up in the buckets; sneaking her chocolates with my cousins...the ones she used for baking treats; teaching me to crochet...and seeing how proud she was of me when I made something; my crocheted Barbie doll clothes she made me...I just passed those to my daughter a few months ago; watching her at yard sales and flea markets negotiate the best deal; shopping with her in stores...she loved to find a great sale; baking and cooking with her...no exact measurements of course; seeing her smile and how much she enjoyed the beautiful flowers in Epcot and the dolls in It's A Small World; going to the fruit and vegetable "stand"...her record last year was eight bags full; simply talking to her, hearing the way she said my name. That is what I miss the most, talking to her...listening to her stories, no matter how many times I heard them before.

The past few years she spent the month of February or March with us. I tried to pack as much in that month that I could with her every year, and I am thankful for that. God's plans are not always the same as our plans, but he has mercy to bless us with opportunities in His timing and as part of His plan if we just listen and trust in Him. My Grandmother passed just before I arrived at her home for my visit. But I trust God, always, and I know His timing is perfect. My Grandmother is with Jesus now and is surrounded by beauty and joyful praising that far surpasses my Grandma's favorite things she enjoyed here...in Him I find peace and comfort.

I am thankful Grandma Stella was my Grandmother. She taught me so many things...to love and forgive, to have a thankful heart, to appreciate the beauty of nature, to love and honor the Lord, to find the best deal, to enjoy cooking and baking, to laugh...I love you Grandma and I miss you dearly!