Grandma Smith

Today I decided to write about my Grandma Smith. I have so many wonderful stories that I could tell, but since I only have so much room, I will try to get my message in a short posting. . My Grandma is 97 years old now, and she is now confined to her bed due to her health. It happened a few years ago when her heart began to fail her, and since that time, her mind has began to slip somewhat. Don't get me wrong, she still knows us all and she still is able to converse, etc., and to me, she is still the same Grandma that she was before her health started to wax and wane, she just can't get up and do all the things she used to enjoy. It is really hard for me to see her in a bed, but I am just so thankful that she is still here with us. Most people never have the opportunity to experience this at my age. I have already lost all of my other grandparents, so she has been the "hero" of my life. She always told me she was going to make it to 100..she was obsessed with getting on Willard Scott's jam jar. I am sure that she will, and maybe even make it past that age.
I guess what got me to this post was today when I was in the grocery store, I can across a coconut cake. This got me to thinking about my upcoming birthday and how I really miss spending the day with my Grandma. When I was a child I loved coconut cake. I actually called it "hair cake". My Grandma made me a "hair cake" every year, complete with red hots that were shaped like hearts. My birthday is the day after Valentine's day, so this was my special treat that only my Grandma could make me. It was the best cake! Three huge fluffy layers of white cake with white icing and loads of coconut, and then the yummy red hots..just thinking of it makes me hungry. Anyway, as I got older and moved up north, she would always make the cake when I came home for me. She also made these yummy tea cakes. She would send me big shoe boxes of these tea cakes and people at work would beg for them. I quickly learned to hide them from my roommates and my co workers. Now when I eat other people's, for some reason, it is not the same! Anyway, my grandmother has always been the backbone of our family. She cared so much for every grandchild and made each one feel special. I am sure of that. I have always enjoyed her company so much. She has always been very strong willed, and has never been one to hold back her thoughts. If you did wrong, she would let you know what you did. Although, always gentle to her grandchildren. I can remember getting advice from her on being married, and child rearing, etc. I remember when my daughter was born, she got a ride to Maryland to be with me. Even though she went home because it took awhile for my daughter to arrive, she came back and was one of the first ones to see T. I am so thankful that my T has had her in her life since birth. She adores her and has been very fortunate to have her . T's favorite story is about Grandma beating her at checkers. You see, my grandma is a champ at checkers. I have not come across anyone who has been able to beat her. She beat T so many times that she cried and said that she would not play with grandma again! My mom told grandma that she should let her win, and grandma said no..she has to learn to win. While that was a hard pill for t to swallow, it was a lesson, and that was a good thing. It is sometimes hard to go to her home in the spring because she always had a garden, or flower garden. She can no longer walk to do that, so each time I go home, I try to take her some pretty flowers. I think that she might just dream about being in her garden. At least that is what I like to think. Growing older is never easy, but my grandma did it with grace. She was determined to live her life the way she wanted too..which is why I admire her so much. Even now when I go to her house, she is glad to see me. I enjoy hearing her tell me things about her life. I also enjoy hearing her disipline my mom..ha! She is still able to tell people what she likes or doesn't like..sometimes it is her condition, but other times, she can still argue with mom and even though it gets to mom, I laugh under my breath because she is still the grandma and the one who has managed to hold everyone together..even bedridden, she is still a very strong presence with us all. I just think God for giving me such a wonderful person in my life and I know that whatever age she lives too, she will leave a mark on everyone that knows or knew her.
Now, about that game last night..it was so GREAT!!!! 35 seconds and the NY Giants came back and won!! I knew they could do it !! Talk about suspense, I don't think I have anymore fingernails left now!! Not that I have any to begin with, but now, I have no cuticles either!!!!!!!!!Amazing is all I can say....that was a great Superbowl!!!