Thinking of grandmothers

Today I was sitting having lunch at a coffee shop (cleaning lady day -- vacating the house) and a young woman (perhaps 30 years old -- that's young to me these days!) was sitting with an older lady. It turned out it was her grandmother. They were right next to me so I couldn't help but overhear some of their conversation -- it made me miss my grandmothers. My dad's mom was less of a "play-with-the-grandchildren" grandmother, but she was quite a fun person to be with. During summers when we'd visit in New Hampshire we'd play cards at night and she would lick her dessert plate. But one of my most favorite memories was when I was in Tampa one summer for an event with my former in-laws. I was able to spend the afternoon with my grandmother -- we went out to lunch, shared a dessert, and just talked. I don't remember what we talked about, but I remember feeling quite close to her at that point. She died a few years later and I still look fondly back on that day when I had her all to myself. My mom's mom we saw more often -- mostly because we all lived in Cleveland at the same time. She was the one who'd bake with us, make chocolate candy, and make us breaded chicken. After my parents moved away from Ohio and I was still in college, I'd go spend weekends with her. She'd make the various comforting foods of my childhood and I'd help her do grocery shopping. When we moved to New Orleans I was happy to be closer to her again, as she was living with my aunt at that time. The last time I saw her was at my house, right before she left for my mom's where she fell and later died. She sat on my couch, next to me, and I gave her chocolate candy (always a favorite).

Anyways, the young lady sitting next to me just reminded me of being with my grandmothers. From their conversation, they had a fairly close relationship and had enjoyed a bit of shopping prior to coming for lunch. And it made me again appreciate my grandmothers and miss them all the more.

In other news, we're heading to Texas tomorrow to meet a bunch of Tom's extended family he's connected with via his genealogy research. I'm thrilled to be getting away from home for a while! Happy 4th of July to all!