#6 Summers with Grandparents

I know so far I have tried to do these in chronological order but that is ending with this post.  I had said before my top five posts would be my most favorite experiences of my top 30 (except of course for the Being Born a Ricks post, that also would be in my most favorite experiences, but it seemed better to start out my blog with that post.)   I had been contemplating what I wanted to do for my #6 post because I had one spot left and I was debating between a few different things until the other day when I realized that I forgot to include a VERY important childhood memory, the summers I spent with my grandparents.  When I realized that I had forgot that, I knew I would have to venture out of order a little early and go back to my childhood so that I could include these 2 wonderful summers in my top 30.  Quick disclaimer, all the pictures, except one, featured in this post are unfortunately not from either of those summers. All the old family albums are at my parents house, but I don't think there were a lot of pictures taken during those summers anyways.  So I used what I had to show off my wonderful grandparents. 

I've always lived far away from my grandparents.  My dad got transferred several times for work which took our family to Texas and then Ohio.  My dad's parents lived in Florida and my mom's parents lived in Alabama.  I loved my grandparents very much but I usually only got to see them two or three times a year so my time with them was always very special.  They both lived in pretty cool locations, my mom's parents lived in a house that was right on the Alabama River.  It was a beautiful house in a very picturesque setting. Their yard was always immaculate, filled with all kind of flowers and trees.  Plus there was the amazing view of the river.  In fact that's what we called it when we talked about going to see my grandparents, we'd say we're going to "the river."   My dad's parents lived about 30-40 minutes from the beach in Florida so it was always fun to get to go to the beach when we were visiting them. 

The summer after my third and fourth grade years I got to go spend a month visiting my grandparents.  The first summer I went I remember mom had asked me a few months before if I would like to go stay with my grandparents for awhile this summer.  She was organizing a mission trip to New Orleans for the youth group at our church  and she knew she'd be busy getting ready for that plus she would be gone for a week. So she asked me if I'd like to go stay with my grandparents for a few weeks.  I was a little nervous about being gone that long but I loved my grandparents and knew I would have fun.  Plus my brothers had both spent a summer visiting grandparents when they were 15 so I thought it was pretty cool that I would get to do it at 10!  We worked out the plans, my parents would take me down to Florida and I would stay with my dad's parents for about 3 weeks and my mom's parents for a week. (My mom's parents were a little older so that was why I didn't spend as long there, it would have been pretty tiring for them to have me there that long.) Then my mom would pick me up in Florida on her way back from Louisiana. The next summer I went back because I had so much the previous summer and my mom was helping with another mission trip, this time to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Grandma Ricks and I at my college graduation.

I had so much fun those two summers!  My Grandma Ricks and I were buddies and we had a blast together.  We would go shopping and have lunch out at Pizza Hut. (She always let me pick and I picked Pizza Hut a lot.)  I remember I introduced Grandma to the personal pan pizza, she had never had one before and she thought they were the best thing! I loved to read and my grandma would take me to bookstores and buy me all kind of books.   I really built up my collection of The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins and Friends during those summers.  I remember when I finished my last one she would say, "You read all those books already??!! Guess we better go get you some more!"  I still remember how much fun it was for me to sit on the floor at the bookstore getting to go through all the books and see which ones I wanted.

My grandma was recently retired but still volunteered out at the Navy base, so I would go out there with her and "help". I remember us playing a lot of tic tac toe while we were doing that, I guess the volunteer job wasn't very demanding.  She'd also take me to the movies, we went to see several I think, but the one that stands out to me was "Straight Talk" with Dolly Parton.  We also spent quite a bit of time with my Great Aunt Althea and her granddaughters, Alex and Kris, were close to my age.  Aunt Althea had a swimming pool at her house so we went swimming a lot but I also remember going roller skating, well I don't think my Grandma roller skated but my cousins and I did.

Grandma Ricks also taught me how to make fried ocra.  She always made the best fried okra, we would slice it pretty thin and toss it in cornmeal, then fry it. It was so delicious and crispy! My Grandad Ricks really liked to have ice cream so we got to have that a lot for dessert.  My Grandad wasn't doing well during that time, I think it was the beginning of his Alzheimers, so he didn't go places with us, but we always had dinner together and it was fun getting to spend that time with him and my grandma.  They were always teasing each other about something, well he was teasing her, and she was usually scolding him because he forgot to put his teeth in.   He seemed to do just fine eating without them!  At the end of every day we would always stay up late and watch Crook and Chase on the Country Music Network, eat popcorn and drink coke.  Thinking about all this yummy food I ate makes me wonder if I didn't come home a few pounds heavier! Good thing I was young and had good metabolism.

Speaking (writing) of good food, my weeks with my mom's parents, who I call Grandmommy and Granddaddy, were also filled with great food.  My Grandmommy was a great cook.  She taught me how to make chocolate pie, which is still my all time favorite dessert.  When I spent the week each summer with Grandmommy and Granddaddy my cousin April would come as well.  There were 10 grandkids on that side of the family.  April and I were the two youngest and our birthdays were only 6 weeks a part so we always really enjoyed getting to be together.  I remember the four of us would play cards. At first we played rummy, but then they taught us how to play Canasta, which I don't remember how to play at all anymore but I do remember people were impressed that we learned how to play that so young.  I also remember it took a long time to play, but we were having fun so we didn't care. 

Kelly, April & I ( I failed at the cool look!.)

One of the summers must have been the summer of 92 because the Democrat National Convention was on and I remember watching it.   My oldest cousin Kelly was there for a few days with her boyfriend Matt (now husband).   I remember Kelly taught me how to shuffle cards (using the "riffle  shuffle", I use to call it the bridge shuffle, but I just looked it up and its called the riffle).  If you read this Kelly, I just want to thank you for teaching me that skill.  I've used it quite a bit, in fact in high school I was playing cards with a cocky boy who was not shuffling right.  I asked him if he wanted me to shuffle and he said girls can't shuffle, so I promptly grabbed the deck and wowed him with the shuffling skills you taught me! I also remember you told me one night while we were watching the news "Never wear pink eyeshadow, it makes you look dead."  To this day I have never even tried on pink eyeshadow.

Making apple butter with April.

Some of my other favorite memories about those weeks with Grandmommy and Grandaddy was the day that we made apple butter and canned it.  I had no idea how much work it was, but we really enjoyed doing it.  We also had a lot of fun going boating on the river.  They had really nice neighbors who would take us out on the weekends but during the week my grandaddy would attach this old knee board to the back of his boat and he would pull us on that.  It was a lot of fun and I was super proud of myself because I got to where I could stand up on it.   

I treasure those memories of my two summers with my grandparents. I feel so blessed I was able to spend that quality time with them.  I highlighted those two visits in this post, but I truely enjoyed every time I got to see my grandparents.  I mentioned how much they have all meant to me in my very first post but I didn't really get to share any specific memories.  There are so many fun memories I have of all of them. 

 

My Grandaddy M taught me how to shoot a bb gun and drive a boat.   He would let me sit on his lap and "drive" his old yellow truck around. He had the best sense of humor and had this great laugh that was like a silent chuckle, he didn't make any noise but his belly would  shake.  He also gave the best hugs, they were super tight and he wouldn't let you go until he was good and ready.  My Grandmommy M had a terrific smile and she was pretty funny when she wanted to be as well. She was always working hard and serving others. What stands out most to me about them though is that I always saw the love of Jesus in them. 

My Grandma Ricks and I were such good friends. I always have enjoyed being with her.  Whenever I went to visit her we would stay up late into the night talking about what was going on in my life.  She always took me seriously and never made me feel like a child. I think that was why I was so open and honest with her.  My Grandad Ricks was ornery but very funny.  He'd whip out a whitty remark in the most unexpected moments. One time we got cashew chicken from our favorite chinese place and we were reading our fortune cookie messages out loud and when we asked him what his said, he pretended to read it and said "Give all your money to Cathy".  We all cracked up laughing and my mom told him "Oh good, I was hoping you would!"    I remember he also had a special glass he would always drink out of, it was glass mug of sorts.  I don't see ones like it very often, but whenever I do it makes me smile and think of my wonderful grandfather. 

This post was pretty emotional for me to write because I only have one grandparent, my Grandma Ricks, still living.  It makes me really sad that Darin and my kids haven't ever gotten to meet the other three, but I know they would all have loved each other.   I think that's why its good to do things like this, write down your memories of the special people you love while can still remember them well.  That way even though they are gone, those memories can continue to be shared and these people can be more than just a "picture" to my kids.  I am very thankful that my Grandma Ricks is still around and has gotten to know my husband and kids.  She now goes by GG (Great Grandma) and that's great because the kids always learn to say that really fast. In fact both my kids have learned to say that before their other grandparents names.  I cherish the time we get to spend with her and I tell her that she has to live forever because I don't know what I would do without her.  She won't make me any promises but I think she'll be around for a long time.  She turns 88 this year and she still works because she enjoys it.  She's able to travel to see us at the holidays and other special occasions and you would never guess she's in her late 80's. 

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When I was younger and would hear people talk about losing a grandparent I would think oh well, it's probably easier to lose them because they're older.  Well I have learned 3 times that it doesn't matter how old they are, it's not easy to say goodbye to someone who is so precious to you.  I still  miss the ones that have passed away terribly but I'm thankful that I will see them again one day and I'm grateful that I was able to have them in my life for a long time. They have each been a precious gift in my life and I am so blessed to have known them.
 


GG, I know you are a faithful reader, so I hope you enjoyed this post.  I love you so very much.  Thanks for all the great memories, I look forward to making many more together! :)