the birdhouse

It was so good to see the Martin birdhouse up at Chemin-a-Haut this weekend.  The plaque looks great too.  I think Granny would love knowing that there will always be martins gathering there.  She so loved having the reunion there each year.

the plaque

For those of you who haven’t seen the plaque on Granny’s birdhouse.

Paula’s Recipe of the Month: November 2009
Granny’s Pecan Pie

When I think of the holidays, it’s hard not to remember all the pecan pies that Granny and mom would make every year.  I laugh a little thinking of all those pies.  They would have 4 baking in the oven at one time, while whipping up 4 more to go in as soon as the first batch was ready.  There’s not many people that quadruple a recipe and still have to make multiple batches!  Granny sure did love to give those pies away as gifts.

When thinking on a recipe for November, I just had to go with Granny’s pecan pie recipe.

Granny’s Pecan Pie

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light karo
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 stick butter
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, rolled in flour
• 2 pie crusts

Beat eggs lightly; add sugar.  Stir lightly, adding karo and vanilla.  Add pecans.  Add butter, and stir until well blended.  pour into unbaked pie crusts.  Bake at 300 for about 1 hour.

Any way you count it!

1 year

12 months

52 weeks

365 days

8,766 hours

525,600 minutes

31,536,000 seconds

What ever way that you count it – this past year has been a time that we all haved missed Granny. Rather it is when we drive by her apartment building (yes it will always be “HER” apartment) or seeing a cookbook, hearing a song, seeing a hand made item,  finding a card that she sent you – with her hand drawn smiling face with curling hair, or it be the love of family. We have all missed Granny.

I miss our talks – never once did she fail to ask about Pete and Whitney. I visited her gravesite yesterday – as I do so many many times. It was sad to drive up and see the beautiful headstone – with no flowers. I had taken some to put there. To me it is disrepectable to not have flowers there for Granny, maybe that is just my thoughts.

Last night was difficult, home alone, late, dark, Pete was on graveyard – just like he was exact same time last year. I was thinking that just a short year ago Granny was with us. What does this next year hold for each of us.

Granny I know that you know this , but you are one loved little Granny. Hugs to you.

Granny

What was you doing this time last year? I had spent the weekend with Aunt Faye to give Martha Sue a break. I received a call that Granny had fell and being taken to hospital.  We all were at the hospital with Granny – since I already had my bags packed to stay with Aunt Faye – I told “the girls” that I would stay with Granny rather she went home or stayed at the hospital. So they finally went home- once it was determined that they would keep Granny. You know Granny – things changed – she had to be admitted to ICU – I called “the girls” back up there. That was the start of the end. Each one of us has that special thing or time with Granny that  means the world to us. Mine was being able to stay with Granny in the hospital as much as possible and knowing that I was with Granny on her last three ambulance rides. Each ambulance that I see I think of Granny. Granny always wanted family with her.  We all know that it has been a year – someone said that it would get better with time – where is that person? I have a few choice words to say to them. I am not sure it has gotten any easier.  I realize that 11 kids lost their Mother  and 11 in-laws lost their Mother-in-law and over 70 kids lost their Granny. Is anyone else like me in the way that they feel like it was just yesterday that Granny left us? I thought that I was handling things pretty good until today – I had been to the cemetry since Granny’s headstone was put in – but Pete was with me today. Sunday’s have been hard on me for months, but today Pete told me that he knew I was not happy and that I had not been happy in a while. Pete says that he knows me better than I know myself, I really think he does. He said that I had gone down hill since losing Granny. Duh! Wasn’t I suppose to? But I got to thinking – what would Granny think? Would Granny like what she sees in me right now?

Granny – I love you!

Granny

Granny, I am having a bad day today, but I am sure that you already know. A Granny hug would do wonders rIght now.

I miss you so!

8 months

Granny, you have been physically gone from our lives for 8 months now. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you. The Holidays are here and you enjoyed them so. You loved that your children and grandchildren called or stopped by for a visit. You always talked about how lucky you were with your family, it was us that was lucky. We had Granny. No one could fill your shoes.
You know we teach the little ones that when a loved one leaves us that they are in heaven. So I hope that your first Christmas in Heaven is all that it should be for you. Are the streets really lined in gold, do the angels wear wings and halos, I bet your wings and halo is the prettiest. How is the singing? A chorus of God’s Angels. Do you see us down here struggling, some days worse than others?

Granny, I talked to you one of the last nights that you were in the hospital. You listened with your Granny heart, I told you that I would try to do better, I told you that Pete, Whitney, and I would be okay. I said all of these things to ease you. You blinked your eyes in a way telling me you understood everything.  Those words are hard to live up to. Bear with me while I continue to try.

I have heard people say that they are mad at the loved one that died. I can understand that, I am not mad at you, but I am mad that you are not here anymore.

Granny, there is not anything that I would not do to, hold your fragile hand, touch your soft tender skin, hear your “I love you” just one more time.

Going by your apartment is hard, I don’t even know if someone else has moved in there. I don’t want to know. It will always be Granny’s apartment. Wandza’s is another place, I remember it always tired you so to get your hair permed. Each time that I go up to 2Center at the hospital I have to walk by the hospital room that you were in.  Every time I see an ambulance, I think of each time that rode I with you in the back to hold your hand. That is something that only me and you shared.  The hardest place is church. Granny, it is so hard to go back in there. It is the one place that I know that I should be, but after this long, it is just easier to stay away. I wish you were hear to help me. I need my Granny.

God blessed us all the day we became your grandchildren.

Letters were sent out to all the grandchildren telling them that we wanted to do something in Granny’s memory; several sent in donations for this. (I threatened each of the them to keep this a secret from their parents)  This was not only done in Granny’s memory but it was in the honor of her kids, our parents. We want them to know how much we love their Mother, our Granny.

Just as us Martins return to the park for the family reunion every year, the Martin birds return to their nesting place every year. Therefore, Paula had the wonderful idea of the Martin Birdhouse. While again, I am so sorry that we did not have it there and put up in time.

The park employees had agreed to put the birdhouse up when it arrives. It is two stories to allow for several Martins, you know there is never just one Martin anywhere. ( you may wish it was, but it never is)

Paula designed the plaque for the post of the birdhouse. It reads as follows:

In Loving Memory

Marie

“Granny”

Martin

1920 – 2008

God blessed us all the day we became your grandchildren.

You filled our lives with love, beauty, and laughter.

We miss you.

We love you.

- your grandchildren

“Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever.”

– Author Unknown

Also, the grandchildren will have a brick paver placed at the Centennial Park on Main Street in Crossett, in Granny’s Memory.

I will send pictures of each of these items when they are in place. Please take a moment to thank Paula for the plaque design. Paula has worked hard on many projects, not only on her projects but on so many of my projects ideas.  I think after this she is blocking all my phone calls and emails. Thank you Paula, for all that you have done.

So parents be sure to thank your children for assisting with this Memorial for Granny.

Filed under Granny, grandkids, great grandkids, great, great grandkids | Comments (3)

Memories

Granny was definetly the glue that held us all together. I feel things slipping away. It was a good reunion – but Granny was still the main topic. In the past we all would line up to have our picture made with Granny, sort of like how the kids line up to see Santa. Not a single family picture was made this year.

Granny’s things have always been dear to us, but this year everything that she liked, owned, made, or touched was ever so dear to each of us. Donnie came in to the reunion with the idea that he was gonna by up stock on Granny items. He did!

Pete asked me what I wanted of Granny’s, while I would have loved to had it all. I had my eye/heart set on the popcorn string that Granny made. I can remember going by to visit her, and she was sitting there crocheting away on the popcorn while asking about Pete and Whitney. It was something that she learned early and she did not have to repeatedly refer to pattern to make. I just measaured it and it is over 83 feet long, 83 feet of Granny’s love. Pete told me that he better see it on the tree this year. He put the tree up for me this morning, before I got up, so I quess he is serious.

I also have the bathroom scales that Granny used to use daily. Granny had to keep such a close eye on her weight, she had a notebook with an ink pen that she kept in her bathroom on a little wooden stool so she could write down her morning weight. Near the end, when I stayed with Granny at night I would assist her on the scales and then write it down for her. Paula has all the pictures of Granny’s precious hands while I have the scales that Granny’s tired little feet stood on so many times. So I quess you could say that we grandchildren have Granny covered from her hands to her feet. I also have Granny’s ironing board, Granny loved her clothes, she told me several times that growing up she only had a few clothes- just the bare necessities. Granny always wanted her clothes ironed and looking neat.

Each child and grandchild has their own special or different memory of Granny.

What is your Granny memory?

Roll Call

Sister-Edith-Ann-Elsie-Paula-Whitney-Jennifer-Tina

 oh you know who I mean. How many times have we heard Granny call roll when telling us something?

I would love to hear just one more Granny roll call.