Wednesday, June 18, 2014
I knew my grandpa was not doing well and was planning a visit to see him soon. I didn't think he wouldn't live long enough for me to get there. Grandpa was always there. Although I knew he wasn't doing well and was ready to go as he told me years ago, you can never prepare yourself enough to hear the words that the one we love is no longer on this earth. We take for granted that people are there and just figure they'll always be there. I know he loved me and that I loved him.
I have so many memories and random stories of him to share. He was a funny man with a thick accent. He was always mispronoucing words and making us giggle as children all the way through adulthood. He was also a little deaf so that didn't help the situation much. He took my parents, my sister Ramona and myself on a driving tour of Tumbling Shoals, AK. He had a big ole diesel oldsmobile, i think. He had on his sunglasses, could barely see over the dash and put the pedal to the metal. We all looked at eachother like, Oh no. He continued on and blurted out all the sights and stories about people he knew. He spoke about the lake near his home. My mother asked him if they had very many visitors at the lake. My grandfather responed in a yell, "Yes, we have lizards by the lake!". We all looked at each other and laughed. We still crack up when we tell that story.
As a child I visited him in IL several times. He always showed me his garden and I was amazed that he actually pulled a real carrot out of the ground. I never really realized that carrots had tops until I saw it with my own eyes. He was a great gardener.
As a teenager I got to spend a few weeks with him in AK with my sister Ramona. We were home sick but had so many great memories of that trip. We did so much in the time we spent there. We took a dam tour, saw a woman play the spoons at the visitors center, went fishing on the little red river, swam at the lake every day and went to the Ozark mountains to name a few. We took a road trip to IL and on the way stopped at the St. Louis arch, visited Lincoln's home and prayed at every meal on the way.
My sisters and I are his first set of grandchildren. He aquired many more from my Uncle Louie and Uncle Danny as we became adults. I always wondered if they saw him like we did. He was a snazzy guy with a wicked green thumb. He would tell me stories that would crack me up.
I'm going to miss not being able to talk to my grandpa. I know he is here in spirit and he lives on every day in his children. I stare at my mom and see him in her more and more every day. :) She gets that Ed smile and stares off. It cracks me up.
I love you grandpa and know that you are here with all of your children and grandchildren. Come visit me in my dreams. We can walk through gardens and you can show me what you know.
