Memories of Grandpa

I had some thoughts of Grandpa today as I was cooking up some chili...I used my last 2 jars of his canned tomatoes that he was always so faithful in giving. At the time whenever we saw him he gave us 2 or 3 cases of stewed tomatoes...I thought to myself, we are going to have tomatoes for ever!! Today I was glad that he gave us so many cases because when someone is gone from our presence we only have the memories to hold in our heart & today I felt so glad for that. Maybe as the Holiday's approach it causes me to miss the loved ones that made an impact on my life so I chose to take some quiet time & reflect on the goodness that Grandpa brought into my life. I loved going to visit him in Trenton. His place was always so tidy & had a certain smell that when you left & came to unpack your bags at home the scent lingered. It was great to watch him show us all the things he cared about & he taught me patients to just sit & listen because that is what he wanted...just someone to talk to. He made me laugh when he would always say; well, we better get to bed now it is getting late...just go ahead & sleep in...we will have breakfast when we all wake up! I think he meant when he woke up because the aroma of bacon was always around 7:00 a.m. :) I learned how to cook real eggs from Grandpa...cook the bacon first & then the eggs. Mmm, what a great flavor. We will never forget that M & M bowl that was always full...Micah would always just stand by it & wait for Grandpa to tell him to help himself! When Grandpa moved to York that bowl was a conversation piece...remember mom how he told you to make sure you bought M & M's to put in it before Micah would visit?! :) I loved listening to him tell about the ranch. He sure had a love & passion for that place...which he should have, I am proud of what he accomplished naturally. He left his grandchildren a great example of: don't be afraid to work hard & always keep your name good. I feel so privileged to have been to the ranch & to see the writing..."I'm not moving" carved in the barn!! There are many other things I could share but I know I will lose the attention of the audience so one more thought to close. Grandpa's last days were priceless to me to see him working out his own salvation. I will never forget the last few days with him & seeing the struggle but also feeling the peace. We can be thankful for the time God gives us to work our own experiences out for good.

Happy Holiday's to all of you & thanks for being family.

~Andrea