Memories of Grandma

My memories of Grandma Thomas aren’t from recent times like Suz and Eric. You both lived with her and after I got married, I was never really around much. The things I remember are from when we were growing up. I remember going to the park across the street where they had a huge jungle gym. That thing was so great until they figured out that somebody might get hurt and sue the town and so they took it down. Remember the honeysuckle bush on the side of her house? We used to go out there and drink the nectar from the flowers. Whenever we went to her house, she would always have cookies or some sort of treat for us and we would also have birch beer or root beer in one of her many glasses from her travels around the country. I loved looking at all of her photo albums and she had many. I remember one set of photos she loved: the ones of Eric as a little boy stretched out on her couch and then one of him as an older teenager, hanging over the edges! Looking back now, I see her as being very patient with us. She enjoyed allowing us to look through her things and I really don’t ever remember her losing her temper with us. I enjoyed going upstairs and looking at her photos and memorabilia. She was always willing to take the time to talk about them. I remember her extensive collection of National Geographics! She had many old things down in the basement room also. I loved her curio cabinet and her bell collection. We’d look at those things every time we were there. I remember taking a road trip with her and Angelo to the Skyline Drive. Funny but I remember getting car sick then too. J We went to some restaurant at the top of the mountain there. She and Angelo loved to plant things and their yard was always so pretty with beautiful flowers. She really loved her alma mater and I don’t remember her saying so but I think she was thrilled that Sue and I went there also. I remember going to a reunion with her and Sue. I have some pictures of the three of us, all dressed up and ready to go out in front of the house. She told us how she used to help out in the kitchen at Woodward, and how they would make many sandwiches from one can of tuna! They really spread it on thin!
I am so happy that Sue and Eric got to spend time with her as adults. I think when we are young we are focused a lot on ourselves and are only starting to understand the importance of having a more personal relationship with grandparents. Once I became an adult I was always far away enough and then really far away (Belize) so as to not be able to spend much time with her. All of my memories of her are happy ones and I remember always loving her so much. I’m glad that she was able to know her great grandchildren, but regret that I didn’t bring Sam to see her last year. Our time up there is so short and it gets filled so easily.