Red Bluff Daily News Special Publications
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/21718
20A Saturday, December 18, 2010 My Grandparents` House My most favorite place growing up was my grandparents` house. I loved their house because it made me feel safe and warm; it was full of fun and laughter, but most of all it filled me up with love. My grandparents` house is where we went for all of the important gatherings. I couldn’t wait to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Holidays and family gathering were the cele- bration they were because we were sur- rounded by my grand- parents` unconditional love. It is so amazing when I think of all the love that was packed into a little thirteen-hundred square foot home. The little tan house had a small front yard filled with beautiful flowers, a garden with the biggest tomatoes I have ever seen, and an old cow in the back yard named "Old Lucky." My grandparent’s house looked like all of the other houses in the area. When I was a kid I really did not think much about my grandparent’s house, the beautiful flowers, huge yummy tomatoes, or Old Lucky. All that really mat- tered to me was how much fun I would have while I was there. We would go to granny and grandpa’s house in the summer for homemade ice cream. All of the grandkids would fight over who would sit on the old wooden ice cream buck- et while my grandpa turned the handle. Then granny would dish up the creamy sweet vanilla ice cream; it always had my mouth watering long before she even handed me my bowl. I would sit next to my grandpa and listen to his stories of when he was a Kid—they always made me laugh. I loved when he would look at me and smile and wink after a story. Even if I did not understand the story I would still laugh because grandpa had a way of making everyone happy, especially me! My grandparents` house is where we would go for Easter egg hunts and it is where my dad always found the prize egg! It is where we went for turkey at Thanksgiv- ing and the best stuffing I have ever eaten. My all time favorite event had to be Christmas. My mom would make me a new pretty red dress every year for Christmas; I could not wait for my cousins to see me in it. As soon as I walked through the door of my grandparents` house my nose was met with the most amazing smells coming from the kitchen; turkey, sage, brown sugar, and the wonderful smell of homemade yeast rolls— pure joy would rise up in me. Then the hugging began. My relatives would pass us all around from one person to the next, sometimes when I was really small I would get passed back around for a second and third round of hugs. We would eat and eat, and then my grandpa would read from his old worn Bible the story of Jesus` birth. We would sing songs and my granny would always talk about how proud she was of all the new additions to the family. Next we would open our presents. For most kids that would be their favorite time in the day, but for me it was when my grandpa read from the Bible. I always sat next to him on the floor and wished the story would never end! My grandpa passed away December 26, 1998; it was a huge loss for my entire family. The following Christmas all of my grandparents` children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren celebrated Christmas in the little tan house. No one spoke the words but we all knew this would be our last family gath- ering in this wonderful old home. I remember walking in with my hus- band and our two little boys thinking this will be my last Christmas here. I closed my eyes and made a conscious effort to remember every detail of the day. I took in a deep breath and smelled turkey, sage, and homemade rolls. I felt the warmth of the old wood stove. I made sure I held onto my aunts and uncles a little longer dur- ing our hugs. I sat by my grandma and talked to her as much as I possibly could that day. I took the time to look at the Christmas tree covered with twinkling lights and grannies unique ornaments, all the while knowing this would be the last time I would see them. I ran my hand over the orange and brown floral fabric that covered my grandpar- ent’s sofa. I had to smile because I had never cared for this sofa, but in that moment I wanted to load it in my truck and take it home. I sat on the floor with my five year old son on my lap as my uncle read from my grandpa’s Bible. I closed my eyes as he began to read. I never realized how much his voice sounded like my grand- pa. For the time it took for my uncle to read the story of Jesus birth I pre- tended I was a little girl sitting on the floor next to my grandpa and everything was just as it should be. For thirty-three years I went to my grandparents` house for family events and good food, for sewing and gardening lessons, walks to the barn to see Old Lucky, to eat watermelon and home- made ice cream, playing dolls with my cousins, for sleepovers on special little beds my grandma made on the floor, to cel- ebrate accomplishment, to cry on a shoulder, and for prayer. Just like all of the quilts my grandma has made over the years; it is these elements that bind us all together- faith, love, family and joy. Their unconditional strong love is what has made our family what it is today and it is what will keep us together from this day forward. I said my favorite place was my grandparents` house, but it was not the house it was Granny and Grandpa and all of the people who passed through the door. Diana Geiger Red Bluff Daily News Christmas Past The Day was Christmas Eve. The year was around 1995 or 1996. The place was the best place of all for a child, (Grandma’s house). To this day I can still remember the smells of pumpkin pie, peach pie, cheesecake and oh the smell of the ham and the turkey. The turkey always had to be put on late Christmas Eve. because it was so big. The house was so full of people. All the family was over. A story of Harrisons/Lucases, Taylors, Shirers and of course the glue that held our family together our grand- mother (Bonnie Tracy). The tree was beautiful as always. A glistening white flocked tree. Kids and adults galore. The My grandma in the corner — playing Grand- ma got run over by a reindeer on her old record player. My grandma was so excited the whole family was there. Her three-bedroom house was packed full. Adults in one bedroom and on couch- es too. My grandma and some grandchildren in her room. The last room was for us granddaugh- ters. There were five of us. We are all good size farm girls. We thought we would all sleep in a full size bed. We all talked and giggled for awhile trying to get comfy, eventually we dazed off all cramped heads to head and some head to foot. All of a sudden what did we hear? Was it Santa, sleigh bells, reindeer, maybe my grand- ma’s famous bells she rang to make us think it was Santa? Nope! CREAK, CREAK, CRASH. The bed us five girls were in had bent in half under all the pressure. We all laughed until we had tears in our eyes; we just lay there trying to gather ourselves to find a new sleeping spot. We grabbed our pillows and blankets and bunked in grandma’s room on the floor with the rest of the grandchildren. What a safe cozy place to be on a cold Christmas Eve. What an awesome Christmas that turned out to be. We all woke up with smiles just remembering the night before and anticipating the treasures that await us in the living room under the tree. Everyone chose their favorite spot and sat down waiting for someone to play an elf and pass out our awaited treasure we had waited so long for. We never got all of us together like that again. Part because of busy lives and grandchildren getting older and going off to school and part because of different beliefs and ideas on life, I suppose. My grandma passed away August 2000, and my little cousin Shannon in January 2001. Life has not been the same since then. Life went on, Christmas went on and so did memories, but none as special as this one. Rest in peace my sweet grandmother and my awesome cousin. Merry Christmas. We all love and miss you. Maryann Harrison, Tehama