RIP Maw Maw

It seems I've written a lot of these posts over the past few years I've been blogging.
It's sad
Very sad.
I know it's part of life and people get old and die but it seems to be happening at a rapid pace in my family.
3 uncles, 2 aunts, and now a grandmother --in the past three years.
Too much friends.
TOO MUCH.
The only biological grandmother that I EVER knew passed away today. She was 95-years old. While I knew her time was limited it was one of those things I never thought about. Maw Maw was always AROUND.
She's been there my whole life.
That's why it was terribly hard to see her lying there not responding on Saturday.

This post is not to dwell on what wasn't, because I truly feel I spent a lot of quality time with Maw Maw.

As I always do,here are a few highlights:
* She always came for every Thanksgiving growing up. She cooked and forced me at small age to get in the kitchen to learn how she was doing it all.
* She brought chocolate/vanilla pinwheel cookies every time she came to visit.
* One year she came to stay with us for a week while our parents went on vacation and I'll never forget how strict she was! YIKES
* I remember the first time we ever ate boiled crawfish at our house in Baton Rouge she was there. She had to be taught how to peel and eat.
* She made a mean biscuit and gravy. That was my favorite meal she ever made.

In Germany in 1977.
* Her favorite sayings? 'Well, that's just the way it goes.', and 'Well, I can't be worried.' It's almost a funny saying in our family now but one I will pass on to my kids. My brother's kids know it like the back of their hand.

* I spent a ton of nights at her house and would sleep in the bed with her. She used to study her BIBLE class book and snore like there was no tomorrow.
* Those weeks I would spend with her are some my fondest memories. I would spend my time catching lightning bugs, eating ice cream cones out of her freezer, and filling up empty egg cartons with dirt...AND best of all? Climbing the tree in her front yard.
In more recent years I remember:
* Traveling from Charlotte to Seattle with her. We rode in first class on the way home and she was so excited she saved the salt and pepper shaker.
* Walking from my Aunt's house to hers one morning with Buddy and startling her. She had no idea who I was with my baseball cap on. She took Buddy in and fed him bread and scraps! HA!

Geez..

Maw Maw could be a strict, hard Grandma too but that came with a lot with what she had been through in her life. Rightly so. That's for another post.

For now --I'm here to celebrate her life!! WOWZERS!95 years friends!! LOVE you Maw Maw.
It will be hard to drive by your house in Hot Springs and not get sad.
For now...
More old pictures of Maw Maw when she came to visit us when we lived in Germany in the 1970's. My cousin Katie gave these to us tonight.

My brother and Mom with Maw Maw

Thanks for all you kind words.