Made With Love By Grandma

This being my favorite topic to speak on, it will probably take no time to relay my message thoroughly. Through words, actions, and simple gifts, you could see that Grandma wasn't your ordinary person. Holidays, birthdays, and any day were made special no matter how little their importance. Her family was no exception. Grandma was one that everyone wanted to meet!
    Some of my most fond memories were from my earliest years when we lived in the same neighborhood.. I was allowed spend the nights at Grandma's. It wasn't just allowed, it was a necessity!
    Every visit was the same and each one sweeter than the one before. Welcomes were granted by my Grandpa every time a knock sounded on his wooden front door. But when you asked where Grandma was, his face would smile and he would almost always say, "She's in the kitchen." But before he could barely get the words out of his mouth, her voice was heard with a friendly "Come in!" and it never took long to find her. You could smell her southern cooking for miles around!
    But with visits when it was just me, offered the sweetest quality time ever spent with Grandma. Often late afternoons went by peeling tangerines and sipping grape soda on her back porch while we sang song after song. In the later evenings, we often would go for a night swim in their big pool. Grandma would always say, "Don't splash me!" Of course, she was not heard and the splashing began with a vengeance and we were all very soaked by the time we got out. Baths were ignored, the salt water had taken care of that! She simply threw my pajamas on and began picking through my matted golden hair with her "scary" pink comb.:)
    If it wasn't too late, we would turn on Holiday inn or Yankee doodle Dandy while we lay in her big green bed discussing the world's problems. To end every night like this one, she would say, "You better turn over and go to sleep! Your Mamma's gonna kill me!" Mamma never did, but it was Grandma's fancy tool to get me to turn over and go to sleep. Sleep at this hour was a thing unheard of but what I did hear was the steady crunch crunch of her chewing ice cubes while reading her way through her favorite Beverly Lewis book.
    Every morning we began it the same. But early mornings were spent with Grandpa watching the birds. Grandpa would get up with my squeaky "Rise 'n Shine Poppy!" and fix his coffee. Of course, I wasn't left out of coffee time so I simply poured grape juice and called it "my coffee". While sitting on the back porch, not a word was uttered from either of us while we watched the cardinals and the blue jays gather at his feeders that he prepared the night before.
    After half an hour of watching the cardinals and the squirrels fight over the last bits of corn, I ran back to Grandma's room to see if she was up. I would sit outside of her door and open and shut it. (Which made an awful creaky noise.) This woke her up soon enough and her first words were always the same ones."What do you want for breakfast?" And my answer too was no different than any other. "Scrambled eggs and toast!" My wish was granted.
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    Christmas memories have always been the dearest to me. If Grandma wasn't there, it wasn't Christmas. She was Christmas to us in human form.
    After being welcomed into her cheerful holiday atmosphere, Mama would begin to help Grandma in the kitchen. While everyone went about their business, my nose was pressed against the window pane eagerly searching the roads for signs of my cousins cars. The Christmases when we were all together were the loudest, but being a child, I never noticed anything.
    Once everyone had arrived and hugs given to those we hadn't seen in a month of Sundays, it was time to fetch the fondue pots and get the rolls and potatoes out of the oven. When Grandma's big table had been extended and another table besides, everyone squeezed in as tight as they could and grace was said. The fondue pots were lit, rolls and potatoes distributed onto Grandma's best Christmas dinnerware, and the laughter began. This was truly "The Most Wonderful Time of The Year"!
    Grandpa normally did the dishes, so it took some pretty heavy persuasion to let the older girls do it for once. A spare counter was cleaned off, me and my cousin knew what was next! Grandma brought out the whipped cream, ice cream, and a great, big angel food cake which she then sectioned into three circles. The ice cream was heavily spread onto all three layers and the whipped cream covered the whole thing; and no matter how bad it looked, Grandma always thought it a work of art. Me and Carrington were most pleased!
    I almost forgot! This cake wasn't for us, it was a cake that had just one candle every year. It was Jesus' birthday cake! Hint: the ANGEL food cake.:)
    This cake was eaten with great delight and was admired by all. But still, this was not the child's most enjoyable part of the holiday.
    Christmas eve presents were the most special. Every Christmas eve, we would be given a new pair of soft handmade pajama pants. Some times, much to our delight, Grandma might have placed a soft tag reading "Made with love by Grandma". Mammas used these new pj's as tools to get her child to bathe. Of course, it always worked! I still have some of her handmade pj pants in my drawers and they are by far my favorites!
    If you had grown out of diapers, you were considered old enough to play the Christmas eve games. Apples to Apples, Taboo, and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader were all favorites. I had the pleasure, during the game of Taboo, of going around the table as each person took their turn. If they said the wrong word, I mashed the buzzer over their heads. I believe that I once pushed it next to some one's ear and they jumped clear out of their seat! We all had a good laugh!
   Bedtime orders were not eagerly accepted on Christmas eve, but we were ushered to pallets in numerous locations. Grandma's door overlooked the dining room table. You were considered lucky if you got a pallet in her room so you could open the door and watch the late evening festivities. If you were REALLY lucky, you would go unnoticed. But most often of times, you were discovered. And your door was shut 'til Christmas morning.
    Grandma was up before the sun preparing food for the day and tempting smells always made it under the door to lure you downstairs. Of course, you would have come anyway thinking of that grand pile of neatly wrapped presents with your names on them sitting under her Christmas tree.
    Christmas breakfast was a sight to behold! Piles of eggs, toast , bacon, coffee cake, etc. were all laid out on her counters completely hiding them from sight. It didn't look like your regular buffet, but it was always delicious!
    Breakfast dishes were ignored as all hurried to the living room. Grandma nominated herself and one of us to distribute the gifts. It was the best feeling when a shiny package was placed in your hands. Eagerly tearing off wrapping paper, your would find exactly what you had asked for inside. With a meaningful thank you, you would sit somewhere to examine your gift while everyone else got a turn.
    The Holidays also brought plays directed by the eldest of the cousins and were displayed wherever available. Oftentimes it was my Grandma's den or the pregnancy center where she was director. The last times were held in Freedom Church's old sanctuary. Our plays consisted of Samantha, Anne of Green Gables, Felicity, Elsie Dinsmore,etc. I starred in none but I played in all. Those were the days!
    Thinking back to all of those family Christmases, they were all the same. But each was a tad different than the one before.We grew up. The plays died down. We've moved on to new chapters of life and now we have the pleasure of looking back on those memories fondly.
    Those were yesterday's Christmases. But I would give ANYTHING to have them back again! I never felt more loved until I was surrounded in that atmosphere. Grandma's atmosphere.
    Her house isn't her house anymore. She now abides in Heaven. Her body, close by her own Grandmother's grave. Her grave is a place that I miss seeing every now and then. Dying near the age of 68, May 5,2012 was the saddest time that I had ever endured. Meals meant nothing to having her back again though they were much appreciated.
    Her house is rented out now. Her Christmas tree doesn't stand in the window and voices and laughter of Butler Grandchildren don't seem to be heard there anymore. But I will still remember the Christmases that Grandma sewed together with her love.
    In order to have a positive attitude, I have relayed these memories forth into public. I'm not asking for your approval, I did this all entirely for my benefit.
    I am grateful for Grandma, without her, these memories would not be with me. Now, striving to make new memories, I will always remember Christmas at 102 Willow Bend Way.
                              These are some of my favorites!

Blessings to your Christmas and a very splendid New Year!