Grandad

Grandad died this morning at the hospital. Two weeks ago, he broke his leg and needed surgery to fix the leg and replace his 20-year old fake hip. He's been in the hospital since and has had different complications over the last week. This morning, he died after coughing a bit, when his heart stopped.

Grandad was a soft spoken, gentle man who was the wisest guy I know. He'd take it upon himself to learn about how things worked and how they went together. If anything was broken, Grandad could fix it. Consumer Reports was his magazine and he'd know what products were recommended and why. Grandad was funny, religous, and a strong father to 6 kids. He kept a journal for the last 30+ years -- I think he started in 1965 and continued ever since. He'd right down the facts --not really emotion, but things that happened that day and a few messages to his kids, knowing they were reading them. All his journals are there in his room.

All of my life, Granny and Grandad would have lunch at their house on Wednesdays for her family that could be there. On a regular basis, my aunt Karen and my Mom would be there, with their kids. Sometimes, there would be others in the family that would stop in on Wednesdays, knowing it was "granny's for lunch". While I was in school, summer and holidays meant we got to join the group for Wednesday lunch. When I went to college, I got to go more regularly, since ULV had no classes on Wednesday. Since having children, I have been able to take my kids there every week to hang out with Granny and Grandad. Bill, working close, would also join us for lunch. I would plan my week around that lunch. Nothing could be scheduled Wednesdays at noon. I remember disctinct time periods where the lunch changed... first it was tacos, then hamburgers, then chile rellenos and zucchini, then a diet chicken fajita with rice, and then back to hamburgers, where it has stayed for a long time. For the last year, my mom started picking up El Pollo Loco soft tacos for those on diets and Grandad would always say to us, "I don't see you guys losing a lot of weight eating those tacos". That's because we would then use the tacos as an excuse to eat all the candy Granny would put on the table after lunch! Grandad would always give Bill his finished copies of Consumer Reports and Popular Science. My husband, the researcher, and Grandad got along well. ;)

I am SO thankful for Wednesdays. My kids knew my Grandad and he knew them. I knew my Grandad. And I'll always remember him. I Love you Grandad.