Anywho, we recently travelled out to Utah for Grandma Mary Jane(melissa's mom's mom)'s funeral. This post is dedicated to grandma.
When Melissa and I got married our first home was Grandma and Grandpa's basement. We paid an exorbitant $250.00 a month. Grandma threatened to raise the rent, but I don't think she ever did. We were newlyweds, and there was no lock on the door to the upstairs. Take a second to ponder that fact. Enough said.
We used to go upstairs with G&G and play dice or cards. Sometimes we'd watch VHS movies. Sometimes we'd play piano. My pet iguana, Devo (RIP 2001) escaped upstairs and into (that's right, INTO) grandma's couch. I eventually had to turn the couch over and cut a hole in the bottom to free him. Sorry, Grandma. Now you know!
On birthdays grandma would always have us sing the dutch birthday song which sounded like "Long sal-silavia, Long sal-silavia, Long sal-silavia in the gloria...in the gloria! In the glo-Ree-Ya!" I was a smart-ass and would sing "lost in transylvania." Meliss did not approve. Grandma would roll her eyes.
Grandma and grandpa let us stay in their condo in St. George for our honeymoon. They gave my brother cheap rent in the back room. (did you just have one room? did we share the bathroom? NUTS!) Once the basement flooded and I nearly electrocuted myself wading through the kitchen.
We both went to East High and we both have red hair. It was an accomplishment to get grandma to laugh at my jokes. Sometimes I could even get her to laugh a big hearty laugh. She used to joke about having certain people erased from the giant family photo above the stairs. That was funny.
It always amazed me to see how many people fit into that picture and what an ordeal it must have been to get that photo taken. Melissa will laugh at this part, as she has recently seen how tolerant I am of our friend Olan Mills.
Her family is of course even larger now. It was great to see everyone celebrate her life last week at the viewing and funeral. If I may wax even a bit more cheesy, I have to say that I am jealous of grandma now that she knows the last great secret of what happens next. Thank you grandma for your generosity, your laugh, and your wit. Our family will always sing lost in transylvania at birthdays, and I will teach Lucie and Jane about their wiley, red-haired great-grandmother.
