A Tribute to Gram...The Lady in Red

"You know what they say about the lady in the red dress... she always has the most fun at the party!" ~ Dot Lowder

This little pearl of wisdom was given to me by my grandmother. She died in 1997 and I still miss her! I consider myself lucky that I had both grandmothers until I was almost 25 years old! Not many people can say that. Gee, my mother's mom, is still alive and well and living happily on her own. My dad's mother, Gram, has been gone for a long time. When I feel like I may be forgetting her voice, I can still close my eyes and if I concentrate, I can hear her say my name. "A-may" is the way she would say it. She was a phenomenal grandmother.
This is my gram in the pool with one of my brothers and me. The three of us were her only grandchildren and she doted on us. My youngest brother would always run to her when she visited and tell her "I smell LifeSavers!" Sure enough, out came three packs of LifeSavers (and we each got our favorite kinds!) When I was a teenager she would lecture me about the importance of wearing a nice tall pair of high heels...not something I was eager to do as I was already taller than all the boys. She is probably rolling her eyes each day she sees me leave the house in sensible shoes! She would bring us to Elm Park and chase us all around the little hills. This was not an easy thing to do in her mules! My grandmother was fun and attentive and loving. She would sing to us "A, you're Adorable. B, you're so Beautiful..." She had to start making up the words at the letter D.
This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandmother. This is her graduation picture from Commerce High School. I am amazed at how young she looked! I guess all kids and grandkids have a hard time realizing that their parents and grandparents had whole lives before they came along. I look at this picture to remind myself of that! She had ideas and a style that was all her own. She even died on her own terms... the doctors told us that there was no way she could last the day, but she waited until 12:30 the next morning to go. Part of me suspects that she wouldn't have wanted to die on her son's (my dad) birthday. The rest of me thinks she was trying to prove the doctor's wrong!

After she passed away, my dad gave me this cookbook. It was a gift my grandmother gave to her sister in 1956. I have had it for a while. I don't use it often (read: at all) because I am not a person who enjoys cooking most of the time. What I do use if for is to open it and see her writing. It is good to see it after all these years. She used to send cards that were addressed to "Amy Sweetie". The copyright date is 1955. The book includes topics such as "table setting" and "When is a Tea a Reception?" It is a hoot! She marked her favorite recipes on the inside cover...Lobster Newburg and Stuffed Peppers. The diagrams of table settings usually include an ashtray (obviously an older book). Kind of ironic since my gram suffered from emphysema due to years and years of smoking! Instead of hiding it away in a cabinet, I decided to display it to remind me of her and the happiness she brought into my life. I was fortunate to have two perfect grandmothers. I was the first grandchild on both sides. I will admit I was a LITTLE spoiled! Thankfully, Gee is still with us and is as healthy as ever.

I think the hardest part of missing my gram is when I think of everything that has happened in my life since she died. I carried a picture of her in my purse on my wedding day. She would have loved my husband. He is tall and handsome and looks great in a suit, tuxedo, or kilt! She would have adored her great-grandchildren. She would have loved the fact that I earned a Master's Degree. I think she sees this stuff from where she is and smiles. And she is probably wearing red!