I Remember You

The grandmother of one my best friends passed away last week and I've been thinking about my friend and her family a lot in the days that have elapsed since then.  I never had the pleasure of meeting her grandmother, but I'm sure she was a fabulous lady.  Since I don't have any memories to share about H's grandmother, I decided to share some memories of my own grandmother, but really I think everyone should take a moment to remember your own grandparents or other family members who are no longer with us. 

The following is really more for me than anyone else.  In thinking about H's grandmother, I realized that this spring will mark 17 years since my own grandmother died.  My sister and I always called her Muffy.  I have no idea how that name came about, but it was perfect for her.  Muffy with the puffy hair, because of course she had puffy, Southern hair.  She lived in Shreveport until I was 8, and at that time she decided to move to Dallas and into a nursing home that was down the street from the house my family lived in at that time.  The unfortunate part about this is that it gets harder each year to remember her in her home and what she was like then.  She was still fully functional and healthy when she moved to Dallas, but she didn't want to maintain a large home and she wanted to be close to my mom and our family, so the home she moved to was a good choice for her.  What I do remember about her is the way she would call me and my sister her little doodlebugs; that she loved roses; that she loved sweets, especially Poppycock; she got her hair done every week and always dressed so nicely; she was a little quiet and reserved and very much a Southern Lady; she wore Chanel No. 5; and she was funny.  Even as a child I picked up on her wit and humor.  She always wore long sleeves and pants, although Mom tells me that when she was a little girl, Muffy always wore nice dresses.  She loved hats, but I only know that because that's what my mom has told me.  She never wore hats in my lifetime.  I remember that when we would hold hands, her hands were always a little cold, but they were always very smooth and soft.  I remember that her left pointer-finger had a weird little kink in the top joint, something I just noticed this past Christmas that my mom now has, too.  She always wore on her right ring finger a diamond dinner ring that my grandfather designed for her years and years ago.  I remember the smell of the "cold cream" that she used on her face at night, and the smell of pink Dove Soap always reminds me of her, too.  I remember her black polyester robe with yellowy-white roses all over it.  She would come and stay with us every Christmas and I loved it.  She always had honey and Ovaltine chocolate milk mix in her pantry, and she didn't have a toaster or microwave.  Instead she made toast in the oven and cooked bacon on the stove.  Any time I smell bacon that's been cooked in a skillet, I always think of her. 

I wish so much I'd had the opportunity to know her as an adult.  She was a wonderful grandmother to me as a child so I like to imagine that she would have been fun to know now.  I would love to know her stories about what her life was like as a newlywed.  I know she would have had lots to say and many stories to tell.  I would have loved to have her at my wedding and my sister's. 

There are other people I've lost in my life and I think about them often, too.  Maybe I'll share memories of them another time, but today it's about remembering grandmothers.  If your grandparents are still living, call them tonight and say hello and tell them that you love them on behalf of those of us who can't. 


And with that, I'm off to go cook dinner, which will NOT include mashed potatoes tonight.