Memories

My Grandma Adams passed away this past Wednesday. She was 90 years old,Mother to 8, Grandmother to 26 and Great Grandmother to 18!!!! I had heard the night before that she wasn't doing well, but I thought she would make it to the next week (when we'll be out there for my other Grandma's 90th bday party). I haven't lost many people close to me, the last was my Great Grandma when I was 13 and before that my Grandpa when I was 8. There has been a lot of tears, a lot of "I should haves" and mostly a lot of remembering. I thought I'd share a few memories I have of her, in a totally rambling way..........

Memories of Grandma Adams

Grandma came out every winter to watch me and my brothers while my parents went away for a week or two for my dad’s business. They’d usually stay for a few months, to wait out the super cold weather in Iowa. We’d visit them every summer, and stay in their house. I loved the old farmhouse.
Grandma would fry chicken whenever she’d come visit, and bake bread for my dad cause he loved it. She’d always serve dessert, usually little cookies, on a plate that she'd bring out just as the first person was starting to finish up "Supper" ("Dinner" was lunch time).
When my parents left, they would leave the movie list from Midtown Videos. We’d pick out movies on the list, and Grandpa would go pick them up. Grandma would make us take our bathes and showers, then we could come downstairs to watch the movies. We’d eat gummy oranges that grandpa always had, and I would lay on grandma’s lap and she’d rub my head, play with my ears and pinch me. I loved to cuddled up on her lap, and did it up until recently (I remember doing it when I was pregnant with Jessica).
She was very opinioned. I remember her telling me to not have my baby at my house like her crazy neighbor who had one in a hot tub (never told Grandma this was a dream of mine)
She gave us all ‘names”- I was Kathryn Anne, my brother Chris was Christopher Clear, and Greg was Gregory Peck. I never understood where Grandma got Anne for me.
She’s always say “Deetto Deeto Deetto” and I say that to this day, actually daily with my preschool (Where’s your belly button? Deeker deeker deeker!)
She kept asking me when she was going to see her share of the money since I used Shuckleberries, a word she made us, as the name of my preschool.
We went to the same hairdresser in Palo Alto, Mona, and she always told me that I had Grandma’s hair
Grandma loved our family friend Arleen. I remember her coming over, and Grandma rubbing her head, too!
Grandma would hang out with my best friend Jessica Reichert’s grandma, Mrs. Bader. I’m not sure what they would do, but Grandma would always get out her nicest scarves!

She was very proud to be Irish (I totally inherited that, along with the thick hair)
We would go to church every Saturday night, and wait in the parking lot for 30 minutes before we went into the church.
She thought my brother Chris was hilarious
She was a huge flirt, and jokester

She was a devot Catholic

I still remember parts of the poem that some of my girl cousins and i recieted at Grandma and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary. She had been married over 60 years to my Grandpa
She tried to “blackmail” me once when she saw my belly piercing before I told my parents. She’d always tease me and ask to borrow my purses in front of my parents.
She once told my cousin Abby and I that she had a tattoo of Elvison her hip!

She drank 7up and Peach schnaps or vodka.
She had a very strong presence, a strong personality; she loved her family, had a great sense of humor and was a loving wife and wonderful mother, grandmother and great grandmother

I love her so much, and miss her tons already.