A Fine Lady

The day before Mother's Day my aunt organized a "day of labor" in Salina at my grandparents house. I was eager to go since I hadn't seen my grandparents for a few months.

We ventured out early in the morning. Took the bikes for the boys and our work gloves and spent several hours weeding, cleaning windows, clearing gunk from rain gutters, washing patio furniture and throwing away trinkets and knick knacks that my grandparents have been famous for collecting.

We ended our work session with a tasty lunch and then we headed home. It was worth the 3 hour round trip drive because I was able to take this picture with my grandma.

It is the last picture of the two of us.

My grandma Taylor passed away peacefully in her sleep last night. Not a complete surprise since her health has been deteriorating the past few years but still a complete loss to us all.

She was a fine lady who loved her family. Going to the small town of Salina {no stop lights, only a 4-way stop} was never really "fun" to a young girl. However, I always loved it once I got there. My grandma would allow my cousins and I to bake. We baked a cake every time we visited. She'd always give us $1 and send us to the corner store where we would use every last cent to buy nothing but sugar.

She was an amazing seamstress and always had a pile of things she was working on for herself or her friends.

She never forgot a birthday, Christmas, or special event like graduation, wedding or the birth of a new baby.

She gave the best hugs and her "potty mouth" always kept us smiling.

I "called" the name Ella before I was married. If I was to ever have a girl, I would name her Ella after this fine lady.

It is such a sad day. I miss her already. However, it's so hard not rejoicing in the knowledge that we have that we will see her again. That she is being reunited with her parents and her small daughter whom she lost when she was only 4 years old.

Next week will be a joyous week as we celebrate her life. She was loved. She will be missed.