{remembering} grandma

today would be her 84th birthday.  she has been gone for 12 years, leaving me with a heap of unexpressed gratitude.

salt air, sunburns, egg white cookies, her potatoes, the chime of the grandfather clock, lemon drops, the paper bark trees, the feel of her bedspread, the pond, staghorn ferns, windchimes, the feel of the cool entryway tile against tired feet that had spent the day playing in the waves, fresh tomatoes, grandma bowls of ice cream, grandpa's shoes always neatly placed next to the clock, ham, giggling at the table until we cried, the red stool, slides, and the smell of pipe - every one of these things brings a spontaneous smile to my face and transports me directly back to summers spent at their house.

she taught me the healing powers of homemade mashed potatoes, the bliss of good meringue, and that her oatmeal raisin cookies weren't just for dessert.

she proved that socks, nightgowns, and hand-knitted slippers (complete with waaay un-cool pom-poms), when i had none, were indeed very exciting gifts.

she encouraged me to be fair and accepting, especially when it's hard. 

unfortunately, she would pass before i fully understood her simple life lessons.

she would never hear how utterly lost I would have been, without her example. 

{happy birthday grandma - i miss you!}