Captain Cavedweller’s Grandma Nell passed away this week and we both are going to miss her so, so much.
She just turned 95 at the end of August and his aunt hosted a wonderful birthday party for her. I’m so glad we made the time to go. A few weeks after the party, she had a stroke, followed by a few more that were very debilitating.
There are so many things I loved about my husband’s fiesty Grandma.
She and I shared a love of cooking and cookbooks. When we’d go to visit her, I’d almost always come home with a cookbook or two (or a box full) that she shared out of her collection of hundreds. They weren’t just random cookbooks – they were ones she knew I’d enjoy.
She was a mover and a shaker. The grass did not grow under Nell’s feet. She was constantly planning or doing something and if she decided something needed done, she made it happen sooner rather than later.
She always had a warm smile and warm hug to share. I can’t think of a single time we visited Grandma that she didn’t greet us with a big smile and bigger hug then repeat the process when we left.
Her door was always open to anyone who wanted a meal, a place to rest, or just a good chat.
She was optimistic and fun. I never heard her say anything negative about anyone. Ever.
She had a sharp mind – right up until the very end. It frustrated her, I’m sure, that her body was slowly giving out on her when her thoughts were still clear and focused.
She had a huge heart. From the very first time I met Nell, she welcomed me into her home and her family. I never felt like the wife of her grandson. I always felt like her granddaughter.
I am really, really going to miss this sweet little woman and every time I make her chocolate cake, I’ll think of Grandma and remember all the wonderful visits we had and all the great recipes she shared. And I’ll remember how much we were loved.
