For anyone who checks this blog, I'm so sorry for the long delay between posts. Below is a blog that I recently wrote about my grandmother, Clara Putnam.
I had a dream last night about my Grandmother and when I woke this morning, I realized that Monday will mark the 3rd anniversary of her passing. I don’t sit around and cry and miss her on a regular basis, in fact, I sometimes find myself forgetting that she is gone. Like this past summer when I went home, I thought one afternoon that I should walk down the road and visit her and then remembered that she wasn’t there. Or this Christmas when I was sending out cards and came across her name in my address book and wished I could send one to her as well. And whenever I knit or crochet or bake something that she used to make, I remember her. If I close my eyes and think back, I can still remember how her house smelled when she was baking bread or apple pie or baked beans. I can still see her sitting in her chair by the window in the afternoon nodding off. I have so many wonderful memories of the women I once called “Bubby”.
Grammie used to take me fishing and I hated fish. On top of that, I had to sit still for what seemed like forever to wait for a fish to bite. It wasn’t really my idea of a fun time but she sure loved it. And she fished in the most obscure places. There were times that I was sure we were lost and would never see civilization again. To a kid, driving out to a fishing hole 5 miles from anything seems like the end of the earth.
Grammie made the best breakfast in the world. She was always an early riser and she loved to bake. Staying over at her house Friday night, meant a big breakfast Saturday morning with Ramon or Lanny or both (it was more fun with both). She would make muffins, eggs, bacon or ham, cooked strawberries, bread, beans, coffee and orange juice. It was wonderful to wake up to that smell. And no matter what meal you had at Grammie’s, you never left the table hungry. She made sure of that. She was always asking “What can I get you?” or trying to dish more food onto your plate.
She worked harder than anyone I have ever known. She was up before dawn and usually had a whole list of things accomplished by 7 am. She was always helping people and would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. You never wanted to say that you liked something she had because she’d give it to you right then and there was no arguing with her. Grammie had the biggest heart.
She also had one of the biggest Bibles I have ever seen and I can recall many times that I would walk into her house to find her reading her Bible. In fact, I remember times that she would hand me the Bible and ask me to listen as she recited some verses that she had been working on memorizing. I thought that was so neat that she was memorizing verses at her age. That will always stand out in my mind.
Spending time at Grammie’s house was like running away from home (though she only lived 3 houses down from mine). If I was ever hungry in the middle of the afternoon and knew that Mom wouldn’t let me eat until dinner, I’d walk down to Grammie’s. If I ever just needed to get out of the house, I’d go sit with her in her living room, usually in silence, and watch the birds.
Sometimes I miss her a lot, but I am so thankful for the memories that I have and the lessons that she taught me. She was a wonderful women and I was proud and honored to call her my Grandmother.
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