Grandpa and Grandma

When I was little my grandpa was away a lot because he was a truck driver.  But I remember after he retired in 1981, my brothers and I used to take turns going to my grandparents house to spend the night on Saturday.  Grandpa would take us over to Cincinnati to a bike shop to buy parts.   He had a bike shop of his own in Bellevue and all the kids came to him to get their bikes fixed.  During the summer and after school we went there until my mom got off work and then we would walk home together.  I remember sitting in my grandpa’s recliner eating peanut butter toast and watching Scooby Doo every day after school.  My grandma would read to us sometimes or she would sing a funny song and do a funny little dance.  In the summer, she bought us a little pool and we would play in the water when it was hot.  She had a big “cigar” tree and we would stand on the back wall and jump as high as we could to reach up and pull the cigars off the tree.  Grandma had a dog, a pekinese,  named Lucky.  He was a grouchy old dog but he loved my grandma and she loved him. 

Grandpa died in 1994, not long after my second child was born.  It was a great loss to our family, all those years ago.  And now, at 2:45 this morning, we lost Grandma after many months of battling a terminal lung disease.  So I sit here waiting for a call, my mom is on her way in from out of town, so I can join my family to mourn her loss.  Rest peacefully Grandpa and Grandma.  I love you.