Thanksgiving

Whenever Thanksgiving comes around I miss the chaos that was always around Mom's house...when we used to have all the siblings and their children there, or when we had our family, friends who were away from their families join in dinner and my Granma and Gramps.  I miss them, MOST ESPECIALLY, at Thanksgiving and Christmas more than any other time of year.  Oh how Granma and Gramps loved those holidays.  Everyone at Mom's...on Christmas Granma and Gramps over around 6a or earlier, waiting for us to get up so they could be there when the festivities began.  Talk about love that was total, no matter what...they were (and are where they are now) the best a girl could have hoped for.  Riding in the driver's seat on Gramps' lap, thinking I was driving the car.  Going with him to the beach, fishing pole in the sand, never catching anything there but just enjoying his company, listening to his stories.  Grandma, who gave me my love for reading...going with her to the library, getting books for the week.  Going with her to her job and "helping" (probably not as well as she could have done it, but she'd instruct me when there were streaks on the massive mahogany dining table I was to polish and dust).  Going with her to A&W after to have a burger in the car from the carhop.  She'd always plan picnics for us kids with our Mom, and it would ALWAYS rain, but the car picnics were just fine with us.  Running errands with her, even going to the laundromat with her were among the most joyous times of my life.  Sitting next to her on the sofa, while she may have been talking to someone else, her hand reaching over every so often and pat my knee or the back of my hand.  Sometimes when I'm having a particularly difficult time with something I will waken in the night, and I swear, feeling her patting my hand.  I could go on and on about Eula, my sweet, dear Grandma...oh how I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her and my Gramps, Smitty.  Oh and the great love of board games that she passed on to me, and I've played with my nieces and nephews....loved it, especially how we'd laugh playing "Uncle Wiggley" or another board game or card game....I'll definitely include more about them sometime in this blog...when my Grandma died I didn't know as much as I believe I do now about death, but I KNEW ONE THING, when I go she'll be there, RIGHT IN FRONT, arms open and heart full of love to welcome me....Love you Granma and Gramps, now and forever...oh that everyone could have Grandparents as they were to me! (Oh and Easter....the hunts in their back yard! lol)