Memories of Grandma...

I stumbled across an old family video while cleaning out one of the closets. On it were old family moments from between 1979 & 1980. (I think) I'd forgotten the gems captured on it.

One gem in particular was my grandmother, my dads mother. I remember being with my father on the day we filmed. It was a Sunday and we were visiting her after church. He'd brought his video camera with him  and we'd spent the day filming random family moments.

My grandmother was the coolest woman. Ellen was her name. If I remember correctly from my 7th grade essay I wrote about her, she was born somewhere around 1896? (give or take a couple of years)  Spunky, sassy, and independent. I enjoyed spending time with her because she always made me laugh. She was also one of the hardest working women. She was up in age and still working her gardens. Anything and everything could be found in her backyard. A lot of her personality showed up in my character Aunt Abbey in my book GRAPE BUBBLEGUM

On a few occasions she'd have me out in her yard helping. That was some hard work! We're not talking this modern day gardening with the powered equipment. I'm talking loosening up dirt with a garden hoe. People still use those things? I'd stop halfway through a row crazy tired and she'd still be going. You'd think it would've been the other way around, a young kid should have more energy than their grandma, nope, not the case. She could work circles around me.

I've learned so much from her. Watching her pray before bed and she could pray for what seemed like hours!  She didn't pray those microwave prayers, she called out everyone's name during prayer, Lord, bless them, keep them, protect them! Then she would read her bible out loud, slowwwllly.

She taught me how to sew. I'd help her cut out pieces for her quilts. And we didn't take trips to JoAnne's fabrics for the fabric either. Whatever pieces of old clothing, bedding, etc ended up in the quilts. She taught me how to pin the pieces together before sewing. It was tedious work, but oh how I wish I would've kept one of them. She also taught me how to knit and crochet. I have a blanket that I named the 'never ending project' because it's been in progress for years, and I mean YEARS.

What great & precious memories I have of this talkative, loving, funny, joke cracking, tall, thin, proud, praying grandmother!

Blessings!