Happy Birthday, Doeie

Today is my grandmother's birthday. She would be 87. We celebrated her last birthday on this earth 8 years ago. I miss her often, but mostly on her birthday. She did birthdays really well. I don't remember a childhood birthday that she wasn't there with a bakery-bought cake, beautifully decorated, half chocolate, half vanilla, on this very cool musical cake pedestal that played, "Happy Birthday." Sometimes there would be trick candles on the cake--you know--the kind you blow out and then they re-ignite.

Doeie--most of her grandchildren called her that--long story--lived near our family while I was growing up. This was fortunate for me as she was my only living grandparent as far back as I can remember. My mom's dad and dad's mom both died before I was born, and my dad's dad when I was quite small. She was the kind of grandmother who was at all of the important events in my life. We were at her house or with her for almost every single Thanksgiving and Christmas. She talked on the phone to my mom almost every day. She would come over and babysit and bring ice cream. I remember her taking me to see The Sound of Music in the movie theatre and taking me to see the Sesame Street characters on ice. She came up to college to visit me for weekends. I, along with my mother and aunt, wore her dress at our weddings. She was right outside the labor room door with my mom when my oldest was born.

I can hardly ever remember a time when she got grouchy or annoyed with us. She was an amazing woman, and I learned so many wonderful things from her.

Things I Learned from my Grandmother

• The value of a corner fruit stand--specifically for finding fabulous tomatoes.
• The phrase, "Hot Ziggedy!"
• People are more important than things
• Stauffer's creamed, chipped beef is actually pretty good on Eggo waffles (I couldn't get into the scrapple, though,--sorry, Doeie)
• Springtime means red geraniums somewhere
• If a cat comes into your yard, you can make it leave pretty quickly with the garden hose
• You can fall in love with someone and stay in love with them for your entire life
• How to navigate all over the greater Kansas City area without ever taking an interstate highway
• You should make your grandchildren look cool by taking them to school in your Mustang convertible
• M*A*S*H is seriously one of the best TV shows out there. Ditto for Golden Girls
• Sleep aids aren't necessary. Just turn on the TV and get comfortable
• Unconditional love
• How great my mom, aunt, and uncles are, and how proud she was of all of them
• Greeting cards are to be sent to all family members for ALL holidays, including Valentine's Day, Easter, and others
• Christmas is more fun if everyone takes turns opening presents so you get to see what everyone gets
• There are many variations on the above theme, but the "correct" way is to go from the oldest person present, down to the youngest
• How wonderful grandparents can be

I hope, that someday--far into the future; my oldest is only twelve--I get the privilege of being someone's grandmother and I hope I can do it a fraction of how well my grandmother did.