My wonderful Nanny stepped into heaven this past Tuesday. I won't lie about my feelings on this............ I truly wish I could selfishly keep her here with me forever. I have spent some sweet moments with her over the years, but none are more special than the ones I've spent over the past 2 weeks. I will always cherish those hugs, kisses, and sweet "I love you" moments that she showered on me and the others who surrounded her throughout her last days on this earth. I really believe that God was merciful not only to her, but to me too. He knew we needed this time. I tend to be a private person with my grief, but I can tell you that this is one of the hardest losses I've ever experienced and am still experiencing. She was more than just my grandmother; she was like my second mom, a mentor, a source of laughter, a source of tremendous love, and someone I knew would tell me exactly what she thought. It seemed to me that the days with Nanny would never end.... She would always be an ever present part of my life. Even though she is gone on to heaven, I will always carry her with me for she bestowed on me a wealth of wisdom and always made me feel loved past the moon and stars.
Some of this wisdom includes........
How to plant and grow just about every plant known to man...... I can show you the proper way to divide daylilies, the right way to cut a rose back in February, and an easy way to plant bulbs in the winter months. And, I also know the name of just about any plant..... She was a walking encyclopedia of gardening.
How to make homemade buttermilk biscuits. I walked across the street to her house when I was a teenager and told her I wanted to know how to make her biscuits. I can tell you that it takes about 2 cups of (unmeasured) sifted self-rising flour, Crisco shortening about the size of a egg, and enough buttermilk to make a dough, not too much though. She never measured anything when cooking these biscuits. It took me awhile to get my dough to the right consistency because of this. I still have not mastered cooking these biscuits to look just like hers. And, she tried and tried to help me understand how to make the best cornbread, but I never mastered that either.
How to trust a man.........I try not to stick to this completely, but I have to share because it makes me laugh.... She told me one time to never trust a man any further than you could see him.
What she thought about various things from crazy family members to what was going on in the world..... She didn't mince words..... If she knew you had done something stupid, she let you know what she thought. Honestly was definitely the best policy to her. She left this world with those opinions, too. And, it didn't make her happy that certain people had not been to see her in months or years. But, if you made time for her, she was overjoyed and would tell everyone that you had been to see her.
What she thought about the babies............. she absolutely loved children, especially babies. She so wanted to see my brother's child and in her last days, she talked about Christian and how pretty he is and how she longed to just hold him at least once. I want to believe that as she took her flight to heaven, she stopped by Scott's house and kissed sweet Christian. Butterfly kisses............
She loved my husband, Brookie. She admired him for being a hard worker, and for the longest time after we married, if we were eating a meal together, she chastised me for not fixing his plate. I always thought he had enough sense to do this! ha ha!
She could make anything.......... clothes, dolls, quilts, crocheted blankets, etc. She always fussed at me because I didn't know how to crochet, quilt, or sew anything. She tried to teach me to crochet once, but I swear I still don't get it. Thankfully, my cousin Angela took up the slack and can crochet, sew, and to me, will make Nanny proud for years to come. Our little Martha Stewart.......I will cherish my quilts, blankets, and especially my one of a kind Crown Royal bag blanket forever. She finished the Crown Royal blanket and told me she'd never make one again because it was a pain since the bags were various sizes and had to be split down the middle to make blocks. Over and over, she never said no............ She would try to do anything for me. Spoiled a little............ yes, I think so!
Sing a song.......... Nanny used to sing as she was cleaning her house. It wasn't a surprise to go in her house as I was growing up to find music playing or hear her singing Trust and Obey as she cooked lunch or mopped the kitchen floor. I love to sing, too. In fact, I sang many hymns to her during her last hours on this earth. I only pray that she heard me........
Some things I haven't mastered, but wish I could............ making homemade fried apple pies, making homemade jelly, canning vegetables, caramel cakes, duck and dressing, homemade bread.......... Maybe one day, I can get out her recipes and try to make these, but I seriously doubt they'll be as tasty as hers. And, I one day hope that I can master the skill of telling people just what I think. I tend to shy away from this......
Some of this wisdom includes........
How to plant and grow just about every plant known to man...... I can show you the proper way to divide daylilies, the right way to cut a rose back in February, and an easy way to plant bulbs in the winter months. And, I also know the name of just about any plant..... She was a walking encyclopedia of gardening.
How to make homemade buttermilk biscuits. I walked across the street to her house when I was a teenager and told her I wanted to know how to make her biscuits. I can tell you that it takes about 2 cups of (unmeasured) sifted self-rising flour, Crisco shortening about the size of a egg, and enough buttermilk to make a dough, not too much though. She never measured anything when cooking these biscuits. It took me awhile to get my dough to the right consistency because of this. I still have not mastered cooking these biscuits to look just like hers. And, she tried and tried to help me understand how to make the best cornbread, but I never mastered that either.
How to trust a man.........I try not to stick to this completely, but I have to share because it makes me laugh.... She told me one time to never trust a man any further than you could see him.
What she thought about various things from crazy family members to what was going on in the world..... She didn't mince words..... If she knew you had done something stupid, she let you know what she thought. Honestly was definitely the best policy to her. She left this world with those opinions, too. And, it didn't make her happy that certain people had not been to see her in months or years. But, if you made time for her, she was overjoyed and would tell everyone that you had been to see her.
What she thought about the babies............. she absolutely loved children, especially babies. She so wanted to see my brother's child and in her last days, she talked about Christian and how pretty he is and how she longed to just hold him at least once. I want to believe that as she took her flight to heaven, she stopped by Scott's house and kissed sweet Christian. Butterfly kisses............
She loved my husband, Brookie. She admired him for being a hard worker, and for the longest time after we married, if we were eating a meal together, she chastised me for not fixing his plate. I always thought he had enough sense to do this! ha ha!
She could make anything.......... clothes, dolls, quilts, crocheted blankets, etc. She always fussed at me because I didn't know how to crochet, quilt, or sew anything. She tried to teach me to crochet once, but I swear I still don't get it. Thankfully, my cousin Angela took up the slack and can crochet, sew, and to me, will make Nanny proud for years to come. Our little Martha Stewart.......I will cherish my quilts, blankets, and especially my one of a kind Crown Royal bag blanket forever. She finished the Crown Royal blanket and told me she'd never make one again because it was a pain since the bags were various sizes and had to be split down the middle to make blocks. Over and over, she never said no............ She would try to do anything for me. Spoiled a little............ yes, I think so!
Sing a song.......... Nanny used to sing as she was cleaning her house. It wasn't a surprise to go in her house as I was growing up to find music playing or hear her singing Trust and Obey as she cooked lunch or mopped the kitchen floor. I love to sing, too. In fact, I sang many hymns to her during her last hours on this earth. I only pray that she heard me........
Some things I haven't mastered, but wish I could............ making homemade fried apple pies, making homemade jelly, canning vegetables, caramel cakes, duck and dressing, homemade bread.......... Maybe one day, I can get out her recipes and try to make these, but I seriously doubt they'll be as tasty as hers. And, I one day hope that I can master the skill of telling people just what I think. I tend to shy away from this......
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