Ode to Grandpa

(at a family getaway in Idyllwild)

My grandfather passed away last week. He was 97, been married to the same woman (that would be Grandma). It was scandalous, he was 28 she was 16. They said it would never last. They would have celebrated 70 years this year. He loved my grandma. He LOVED her cooking, and was never quite satisfied with anyone elses. She gave me her big mixer when she couldn't do that kind of stuff anymore, with the strict instruction of making HER oatmeal cookies for him whenever I was coming over, using HER recipe. She gave it to me, she showed me how....I still could not make them the same. (Shut up Marcie, I didn't add flax seed to them!)

(that's him and my dad pouring some cement)

He drove a cement truck in his glory days. Later became the handsomest handyman you could ever hire. His cars were legendary for looking like he just drove them off the car lot. I was always SO paranoid to ride in one, being the mess maker that I am, I was sure to leave my mark in one. You could eat off his concrete porch. Had grass that was like carpet. He was a good gardener. His garden looked like Martha Stewart's garden, all perfect. He always wanted to hear about the garden that I was planting, but I never wanted him to come over and see it. Too embarassing. My gardens grew great weeds. And after the first attempt at getting them all pulled, I would just embrace the weediness. Grandpa would be disappointed.
His hair was ALWAYS meticulous, except on that windy day, when it would all lift and start waving at you. He always smelled clean (what was that stuff he used as after shave?) and NEVER had a stubble anywhere on his face.

(yep, that's me, aren't I cute?)

He was a sweet Grandpa, quiet, but loved to tell stories. He was a sweetie. I remember still the time I was watching TV at their house and he had to come in and reprimand me for putting my feet on the wall....I guess Grandma had just scrubbed my last foot marks off of it....he even reprimanded me quietly. (I'm thinking it wasn't exactly like that for Mama when she was growing up, Grandpas become sweet when they become Grandpas, except for my Dad, he was sweet to begin with)

(that would be Grandpa pushing and Calvin in the wheelbarrow, just in case you were confused)

Grandpa loved to push my first born son around the wheel barrow. This was fun for both of them, I'm thinking. Calvin's first big belly laugh was at 5 months old and it was sitting on Grandpa's lap laughing at their dog, Buster. Grandpa loved that we named our second son "David" as that was the name of his brother that had died. I didn't have the heart to ever tell him the truth that he was actually named after 'David' in the Bible. My greatest joy was watching Grandpa watch my boys. From the time they were worms laying on their baby blankets to just a couple months ago at 9 and 11, building big lego sets on the floor at his feet. He just LOVED watching them, he couldn't hear, but he could see and he always had such a huge smile on his face at all their antics.

(Christmas 2007)

I saw him last at Christmas time when my family was all there for the holidays. My sweetie, being the perceptive one, knew that it would be the last time I saw him. Sweetie took lots of pictures, was okay with staying a long time, and even took a nap with Grandpa. Upon leaving I reached down to give my grandpa another big hug and he just held my hands and told me he loved me. I will miss him, but I feel so very thankful that I had him this long. That he loved the Lord. That he lived such a legacy. That he's waiting for us to join him with Jesus. I'm so very thankful.