There is a time for everything...
Grandma Jean and Poppa Jim's house was nearly as much a part of my childhood as my own house. We were there almost every single day. My Grandma has been gone for over 5 years now and I still sometimes think about calling her to tell her something that has happened with the kids or ask her for a recipe. I miss her like crazy and think of her almost every day. Poppa Jim sold his house and is moving to Mustang soon. While I know that this is the right decision and what will make him happy, it is definitely bittersweet. Going through the process of getting rid of all of my Grandma's things was very hard, especially on my mom. After we got the special things that we wanted, Poppa had an estate sale to get rid of the rest. While it is just "stuff" and we know we won't take it with us when we leave this earth, it is still so hard to let go of it. Especially when it is so much of who you are...your roots. I grew up in this house. More than that, my mom grew up in this house. So many memories and very good times. The last time I was there, I walked outside from the playroom to the garage and I remember thinking, "I wonder how many times I have done this." I remember...Grandma Jean's wonderful cooking, roasting wienies and cheese in the fireplace, playing Nintendo when we were kids, spending the night with Grandma and Poppa when my dad was out of town, riding the bus to their house after school when I was in the 5th grade and Grandma had her first bout with breast cancer, Halloween parties out in the garage, having frozen pizza and going to the bowling alley with Grandma and Poppa, the way Grandma always cut up chunks of cheddar cheese and put garlic salt on our salads, (random, I know...but I remember it!) having garage sales, and many many more wonderful things. I guess the thing that I think of the most is BEING LOVED. I always felt special and loved at Grandma and Poppa's house. The day that Poppa closed on his house, I asked Brian if we could just drive by so I could see it one last time, before it wasn't "ours" anymore. This chapter of life is closing, but I am so very thankful that we still have Poppa Jim with us. That is the most important thing, for sure. As I reminded my mom, while the "stuff" is gone, no one can ever take away the memories. For that reason, we smile!
Grandma jean loved that white picket fence. One of the things that Poppa gave me was the family of chickens that always sat out in the yard. I think I was about 7 when I sat on one of them and broke its neck off! I don't know how he did it, but he must have found some mighty powerful super glue to put that thing back together, because it's still going strong!
