Favorite Memories with Grandmother

Many of you have read my Brother's recent blog entry and as you know we both were very fortunate to have Grandmother in our lives on a frequent basis here in Orlando growing up. I will always treasure the memories of us going to Disney together but especially the time when I was told I was going to Grandmother's to stay over one weekend (I think i was 10). When I arrived she greeted me with the usual big hug and kiss but surprised me by putting my stuff in her car and told me she was taking me somewhere special. That day we drove to Disney and stayed in the Contemporary hotel. I remember how cool I thought she was to make this normally usual visit so extraordinary. We did go to Disney often while growing up because relativcs would come into town to visit and Grandmother always seemed to have Disney tickets that she handed out before we would leave her house. Eventually Grandmother and Aunt Eloise both had annual passes they used, sometimes just to grab dinner or a show at Epcot.

Grandmother or Grandmother Orange as many of you cousins often refer to her, becuase of the citrus trees in her yard, taught me to play shuffle board. Both her and Granddad showed me and probably my brother how to play. When I was visiting we would play after I had run to the garage and taken the stick of wood out of the lock, pushed the heavy door open just enough to get in and retrieve the equipment. I can remember getting everything set up and then yelling from the yard for her to come play. Sometimes it would get dark and the flood lights would come on so we could finish our game. We all have spent a lot of time on the back driveway playing shuffle board over the years.

Grandmother liked to travel and as you may know she continued to travel and explore the world even after the passing of Granddad. Often when I would get to stay over with Grandmother she would let me pick a box of slides from the closet to view that evening. Unlike my Dad who usually was in charge of changing the slides, pushing the button and setting things up at home, Grandmother let me do all of it even as a kid. I got to see so many places and neat things that she or Granddad had photographed. Sometimes Grandmother would bring back a small souvenir or something unique from her travels and share this with me. I still have things from the orient and Thailand that she gave me as a small child. She showed me the little golf like cars that they road in and surprised me with a model of one.

One of my most favorite memories is simply lying in the twin bed next to Grandmothers twin bed in her room at the home Granddad built on Shine Avenue. She would tell me stories of my Mom and what kind of trouble (although rare) that she got into as a child. Sometimes I would ask her to tell me the story of something again and even if she had told it too me several times before, she always enjoyed telling me again. After stories we would watch her little TV (I still remember the unique remote and how it felt to push the button) mounted high in the corner of the room and fall asleep to shows...including the Golden Girls which was one of our favorites.

Grandmother will always be remembered for being so loving and comforting to others. There seems to be no other substitute for her special hugs, which she gave out freely and often.

-Daniel R.