These are in no particular order:
- Sleepovers at 18 High Ridge Rd. hold the most memories. Breakfast consisted of the cereal Clusters or Grampy's homemade waffles with peanut butter (which I only recently learned were from a box.) Grammy often lit candlesticks at the dinner table and I couldn't wait to get to snuff them out. Birdwatching (and squirrel watching) from the big picture window. Cardinals and
chickadees were my favorites to see. Watching the Velveteen Rabbit. Walking the trail to 4 Mile Pond and collecting acorns. Walking thru their backyard to visit with the neighbor's horses. - Grampy's infamous Swedish Pepparkaker pig cookies, as well as, all of his other staple Christmas Cookies. I also remember some years going to their house to build gingerbread houses and other to decorate sugar
cookies with all of the fun toppings.
- Our family's Christmas Eve Smorgasbord at Four Mile Village which always included Swedish Meatballs.
- Grammy's love and expertise in gardening. I guess that is where I get my green thumb from. Some of my favorites from her yard were the Johnny Jumps-ups growing in the walkway and the pink lady slippers.
- I loved going through Grammy's small closet in the guest room and exploring items from her childhood.
- Grampy's amazing wood carving skills. I cherish the dog and dolphin that he carved for me and the many more carvings we have in our house now. I even have one that he helped me try to carve myself.
- The puzzle table in their family room.
- As a kid, they would take me out to a special birthday dinner at a fancy restaurant. We would sometimes even go to a movie where Grampy would rest his eyes for most of it...I guess I got that from him.
- Every Easter, we would have an egg hunt inside the house with little chocolate eggs. They would be hidden in the most inconspicuous places, inevitably leaving us to find some several months later.
- I remember them taking me on trips to New Hampshire and Vermont. A tour of Ben and Jerry's, riding up the mountainside in a gondola, visiting my great aunt Jean at the camp she worked at one summer, and even falling into the Cold River while walking across some rocks top that list of memorable moments. Old Sturbridge Village was another fun trip.
- Grammy loved to take me to the Northshore Music Theater for to see plays.
- Beginning in college and all the way up until I got married, I remember Grampy would always slip me some money when no one was looking and give me a little wink.
- Grammy was a great cook and always put together the perfect spread for family get togethers, starting with the cheese and crackers and finishing with a delicious dessert.
- Grampy always had Mentos to share.
- They never missed an event. Graduations, softball games, swim meets, track meets, awards ceremonies, plays, dance recitals.....they were always there cheering me on.
- They drove the long route to North Carolina for my wedding and again a few years later to meet their great grandson, Luke. They loved exploring New Bern and learned that they saved everything from their trips here.
- The surprise and excitement in Grampy's voice when I told him
that we gave Luke the middle name Walter, after him. - The unconditional love that they had for one another. Married for 67 years, they are who I look up to and strive to be in my marriage.
No comments:
Post a Comment