Good-bye Grandma...still hasn't hit me.

Tomorrow we say our good-byes to Grandma, even though it really feels like one of our last holiday trips, Easter, and we've just landed, met with the family and tomorrow we'll head over to Grandma's for a family party. They'll be Easter eggs hidden all around the back yard filled with jelly beans and money:) The smell of the Kraft factory will linger into the backyard, as the Illini train passes by slowly. Ah, but the beautiful purple lilacs in full bloom, filling the air with its sweet scent. We'd be filling our tummies with Tang, pop corn or chocolate oatmeal cookies. Grandpa would be handing out his fancy strawberry shortcake bottles. His old insulin bottles. There would be kids running around, lots of laughter and love. Grandma wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Life was meant to be shared, to be fun and to be full song and dance. Boy was Grandma the best mascot! She loved others with all her heart and she had no problem in telling you that. "I don't know why, I love you like I do, I don't know why, but I do." She made sure you were having fun, playing cards, like UNO, snacking on orange sherbet or sneaking in an Orange smoothie cocktail) Boy did Grandma love to dance and sing. Beware...she had no problem in telling you if you had rhythm or not. She'd stand there on the dance floor waiving her hands back and forth, reaching her pouty nose face at you with this big ole smile and sing along to the song. In fact, she closed out the bar on a cruise ship with Straty and I.

I expect to see Grandma in one of her fancy outfits with her beads and flashy ear rings. Oh I'll never for get her walking off the plane and she was covered in purple from head to toe!!!! Purple rain coat, hat, shirt, pants, even shoes had purple on them!!!! Grandma was a classy lady! Her smile was contagious. Her soft cream skin with those little purple veins. I loved holding her hand! I loved to snuggle up to her. Gosh so many memories are gushing through my head as I sit here typing. Grandma's heart is soooo big. She always loved others, even when her greatest love passed on. One of my fondest memories of her recently, which was years ago, was sitting in her new home with hubby Paul. We all sat on the couch, holding hands and singing away. Straty and I got the LOVE lecture every grandparent gives. I also saw that glow in Grandma. She was so happy and full of love. She kept her spirits high after loosing yet another love. She was always positive about life to me. It's hard to think that tomorrow I won't be going to a holiday gathering, but I'll be going with so many other family members and friends to bury one of the greatest ladies in my life. Yes, there will be tears. Tears of sadness and tears of Joy. You can't help but smile when you think of Grandma Inez. You can't help but start to hummm "Let me Call you Sweetheart" or "You are My Sunshine" or "I don't know Why." and you can't help but realize how much you're going to miss her, and how much she impacted your life. I know there's big one happy party in heaven since she got, and believe me she's there. She sparkled through a window Saturday night, as if fireworks were going off in heaven. I knew it was her. Miss you already Grandma.