My Grandmommy.

My lapse in posting this week is mostly due to the fact that my grandmother, Virginia Carter, or "Grandmommy" as we called her, passed away on Monday. I've had so many memories going around in my head this week and finally decided it was time sit down and sort them out and write a few down. She was and is one of the most influential women in my life and was such a good grandmother to me and my sisters when we were growing up. 

Wasn't she beautiful?

She lived 88 years and was happily married to my Grandaddy for 67 of those years! What a legacy. She grew up on a farm near here and used to tell us so many stories about her childhood and all the crazy things they would do before we would fall asleep at night. It's a bit bizarre and sad that my own little family moved to North Texas just a few years too late to be near her as they had recently moved her down to Longview to be near my Aunt. We only live 30 minutes away from Sherman, which is where she lived most of her life and contributed so much to her community and church. She taught bible class, led the PTA, was a member of multiple community, church, and choir groups, helped run my Grandaddy's insurance agencies, and even owned her own little store on the square in downtown Sherman when I was really little. 

She is someone who I always, always, think of when someone mentions the word "hospitality"--their big old historic home (that I'm still convinced is haunted, ha!) was always open to guests. I remember being a little kid and going to and from my grandparents church and constantly seeing their friends, both in and out of their home. They were both the life of the party--my Grandaddy with his big laugh and magic tricks for any kid willing to sit still, and my Grandmommy, always talking to everyone and always looking so elegant. Bryan commented several times this weekend that so many random people kept coming up to him and telling him that my grandparents were "the best people they ever knew"--looking back, I can see why! Grandmommy was a career-minded woman back in a time when that wasn't very common and always wanted to learn new things---she took lessons in speaking, singing, piano, and painting, and even attend college after getting married. She was a naturally talented artist, a great cook, and had a beautiful singing voice that she passed on to both my Dad and my Aunt. 

She supported my Grandaddy in all that he did with his life, in fact (and I didn't know this until today), when my Grandaddy's health began to fail and he decided to resign from his eldership at their church, he didn't talk about himself while standing in front of the congregation; instead he praised his wife for her constant support and love for him that had allowed him to live his life the way he did. I want to be that kind of wife! They were constantly finding new things to do together and traveled SO many places together--I find this so admirable as an adult looking back--as a kid I didn't think anything of it--but it was big deal and a great example of a strong marriage and I am so appreciative of it.

I will never forget watching my Grandmommy put on her makeup and allllll her jewelry while I sat on the window seat in her bathroom (usually with the window open which made me feel like a princess in a castle but was probably kind of dangerous, ha!), and then walking down into the stairwell to hear the AM radio playing in the bathroom under the stairs where my Grandaddy would shave his face every morning. I will always remember her old white Christmas tree and pink ornaments, her messy art room filled with paints, papers, and canvases, the breakfast room where she would let us drink Dr. Pepper, and  how she bought us grandkids those super cool ride-in electronic cars and would let us drive around the courtyard and pull up to her "drive-thru" where she would then give us a glass of sweet tea. She introduced me to the wonders of orange pimento cheese (don't judge, it's delicious), oven-baked nachos, Klondike Bars (our late night treat), and my favorite Christmas movie, "The Muppets Christmas Carol". She let me stay up late during the 1996 Olympics to watch Kerri Strug nail her landing for the gynmastics gold (which was BIG deal to me!), and more than once took me and my sisters to explore Grapevine Mills Mall and Six Flags for days that were so fun we slept the whole ride home while she listened to her favorite show tunes and classical radio. (I remember a lot of "The Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack, ha!)

One of the things I know I will never forget is how important church was to her. Even though my family lived several hours away--if we were in Sherman, we were going to be at their church and at every event that had to do with their church. I have so many sweet memories of afternoons spent at potlucks, running around barefoot with the "local" kids and sliding down the stair banisters that led to the gym. (I dared Julie to slide down a banister after service today, and she just laughed....I like to think she halfway considered it!) She helped me to realize the importance of bringing children to church no matter where you are or how hard it is and I am so thankful for that. 

She suffered from dementia for the better part of the last decade and had been unable to walk for a lot of that and unable to remember much around her. As sad as I am to see her life end, I am also so, so happy that she is healthy once more and has been reunited with my Grandaddy and all of her loved ones that have gone on before her. 

I wish I could tell her this now. I wish I had made the trip down to see her after she moved.  

But I know I will eventually get the chance to talk with her all I want when I see her again someday, and for that I am grateful!

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 I thought I would end the post with some of Grandmommy's own words (in her pretty handwriting). I took these photos (and about 50 others) from her "Memory Book" but thought I would share a couple of favorites. Some good wisdom in here. I am so happy she took the time to do this.

I love you, Grandmommy! Thank you for showing me a life well-lived.