Snowy Saturday

We have enjoyed yet another snowy day.  Sam has been out in it a little.  Kayla and I went for a walk but other than that, we've been keeping warm indoors.  I baked some homemade gingerbread and watched a little "Frozen" with the girls.

What I'm really thinking about this afternoons is what to say tomorrow at Grandma's funeral.  I'd really like to honor her with a few words but nothing seems to work in my head.  My thoughts usually wander to when my cousins and I were little or even to times I know little about, like when Grandma was young herself.  I've heard stories, of course, but I can never really know what she was like then.  

There are things I always smile about when I think of Grandma- like a time when she was with her sisters and I saw a sassy side of her that shocked me!  They joked and picked at each other like sisters do- it just surprised me.  When I think of Christmas I think of her at her kitchen window working on our Christmas lunch/dinner.  The smell of bacon and coffee together makes me think of breakfasts with her and Papa.  Which is kind of funny because that's not the only place where we ever  had bacon and coffee but for whatever reason, there you go.  I don't know if there was a certain kind of wood Papa burned in their woodstove but whenever I catch that scent on the air, it's Christmas in my mind.  There's a different woodsy smell I associate with Papa and Grandma Rutherford's.  Strange, huh?

I guess one of my favorite things about her that I am only now really coming to appreciate is that you always knew where Grandma was coming from and what she thought about things.  As I've seen comments and remembrances from others, it's clear that everyone knew of her faith- she was outspoken and made no bones about it.  Sounds like many were encouraged by her prayers.

I think we all knew she was so proud of her grandkids and later great-grandkids.  We always knew she loved us.

There are a few kitchen items I have secured over the past few years that I like using because they belonged to grandparents.  One is a tin measuring cup that Papa Whitey always got a cold drink from.  Another is this square baking dish from Grandma Pearl's kitchen.  

Perfect for that gingerbread today- warming my heart and our home.