Life in the Snow Lane: A Long Lived Life

I have been informed by more than one person that I am behind in blogging and yes I know.

While it is long overdue, I have to go back to the beginning of December. I should have posted it when it all happened but it just didn't seem as easy then so here it is now. On Monday, December 5th, heaven was graced with another angel. At the ripe age of 90 years and 334 days, my Grandma passed away. While it is a sad thing, I highly consider it a blessing. Her passing happened within a 5 day period. She was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia, released back to her nursing home, to turn around and go back to the ER. At this point a doctor said they were not equipped to handle this degree of a stroke. She was transported to Mercy Hospital in OKC where she lived out her last days.

I took off of school for 2 days (Thursday and Friday) to go be with her. She was medicated for comfort and was unaware we were there. I am glad I got to spend time with her but made the personal decision that I did not need to be with her when it happened. I had a 1.5 hour drive home and spent at least half of it weeping on the way home knowing I had said my final goodbye to her.

This might sound silly but I didn’t know it would be so difficult. Yes, my mother passed away, but I was so young then, I didn’t really understand it all. While it was confusing, frustrating and sad to have lost her at 12 years old, I see it as a blessing to have been so young.

Anyways, back to Grandma… She was always spunky. She would always have something sassy to say about anything. As a kid, I always remember her dressed to a tea. I remember celebrating Christmas Eve Eve with her and then her coming to see what Santa brought us on Christmas day. I remember receiving a few unforgettable gifts too. One in particular was a watch on a black leather band. It wasn’t just any old watch… it was a gold padlock that dangled off of the band. Needless to say, I have no idea what happened to that watch but it makes me giggle thinking about it. I remember feeling like I was her favorite (maybe it’s all in my head…). I remember earning a quarter for the straight pins I would find around the house from her sewing projects.

She (it was even there when Grandpa was around too) had this naked lady oil lamp that sat in her front entry at her little patio home. That lamp traveled to Burgundy Place too. It was prominently placed so you would see it when you came in. In the dining room, there was big wallpaper mural. I loved the built in desk in her room and the random drawer of paper and crayons for the grandkids. In the kitchen, the kids always sat at the ‘bar’ that folded down when not in use. Boy did that lady love her some Elvis too. She was also fond of Bob Hope and Bill Clinton. Couldn't say anything bad about Bill, even when we was receiving from other ladies... :)

Her ‘backyard’ was the Magic Garden to my friend Holly and I. She lived a mile or two away from us but I remember riding our bicycles to her house. Mom and Dad would either ride with us or follow us in the car. Any late nights spent there, you were sure to find me passed out in the car by the time we traveled the 10 minutes home. These late nights are usually when Brother would loan me his blankie when I left mine at her house (or at Nandy and Pa’s). I remember giving Grandma permission to sew new ‘sappin binding’ (also known as satin binding) to my blue blankie but later not truly loving it. All it really needed was some good loving to be broken it.I can also vividly remember a picture of me passed out in a chair asleep (which isn’t really uncommon for me, I can sleep anywhere) but my body wasn’t exactly in the chair. It was more like my upper torso and head. The rest of my body was draped off, thumb in my mouth backpack dangling off of my arm.

She was the first person to meet Hubby. {But, who knew then that I would marry the boy?!} You see, we had been to Edmond for Thanksgiving and I was driving her Oldsmobile down Waterloo Road, back to Highway 74, when a deer came out of the trees. I saw it was able to slow down but we still hit it. She didn’t freak out like I anticipated and we continued on our way home. (I am pretty sure my Dad and maybe brother were with us too.) The next week, Grandma and I head off to some body shops to get estimates on the very minor repair. At Merlin’s Body Shop is where she met him.

Grandma will be missed but I know she is happy to be with Grandpa again. She never was the same without him. I am sure those two are traveling all over heaven together.