Grandpa

Today is a sad day for me. Today is the day that we lay my Grandpa to rest. 

My grandfather was more than just a grandpa to me, he was also a father. When I was young, still a baby, my parents lived with them. I have so many fond memories of running through the kitchen right under the table and not hitting my head. There was also the time that I took the hose to my parents and my grandpa just laughed and laughed because I got them back.

It wasn't until my parents started going through a divorce that my grandpa really stepped in. I remember going down to their house for visits and sitting on grandpas lap and telling him everything. He was the only person I ever really confided in as a child. 

After the divorce, my sister and I lived with my grandparents with my dad. My dad was always working, so my grandparents were the ones I spent time with. My grandpa would take me fishing, hunting, and for drives in the woods. I have fond memories of him and his buddy Bill out on the lake with me in the middle of the boat listening to them talk about the old days, and kicking jokes back and forth, far over my head jokes but I'd laugh right along with them.

He'd take me for rides on his old lawn tractor, which my oldest son now has. I remember steering that old thing and he'd have to help me so we didn't crash. God I loved that. Come apple season he'd always pull out his pocket knife, that hadn't ever been washed I don't think, wipe it on his pants, and cut and core an apple for me right from the tree, whistling as he did. Then he'd wipe it on his pants and put it away. One time he did that right after he sharpened it, and the oil was just a little to much on the apple but I ate it anyways lol.

My grandpa taught me how to sharpen my own knife, and I'm darn good at it thanks to him. I'm surprised he let me go around with a knife at all considering all the trouble I would get myself into. I always knew when I had gone to far because grandpa would come running out the door hollering at me to leave that the hell alone. There were times he would catch me getting into something and lecture me about why I shouldn't mess with that, and what could happen. I use the same tactic with my children. Granted I don't go running out the door hollering so the whole town can hear that my kids just opened up a brand new thing of wood putty and used it to make their mud pies (that was me when I was a kid actually, thank God they haven't done that yet) and then was trying to feed said mud pies to the dog. Thinking back from then to now, my kids are way better then I was!

After I got older, my grandpa would look at me and tell me he always considered me one of his kids, more then just a grand daughter, then he'd chuckle and say well, you are a pretty grand daughter. That was before he started forgetting what my name was. Towards the end I would remind him who I was by starting to sing the swinging song he made up while pushing me on the swing. He would chime right in and for the rest of the day he'd remember my name. I admit, I didn't go see him all that much towards the end. It was so heartbreaking to see him struggle to remember something, or to breath.

I'm thankful for all the memories I have of him. I'm thankful for everything he taught me, and how he taught me because it has come in so handy for my children so I can "learn ya" to them ha ha. I'm also extremely thankful that my grandpa was able to be my dad when I needed one, just as my dad is now doing for my babies.

My grandpa had cronic pulimonary lung disease, and emphysema. He fought long and hard, and finally died peacefully next to the woman he married over 60 years ago on Dec. 15th. I will always remember him and his fun loving ways about life, especially when someone tells me I'm a smartass, cause it's better then being a dumb bunny ;)

Until next time strange ones,

Nancy

P.S. I didn't bother to proof read this. I just wrote it to get it off my mind, and posted. 

What is Normal?

I often ask myself this question, especially when I'm having my off the wall random moments. Has there ever really been a classified case of "Normal" anything? Especially considering science is constantly proving everything wrong!

I know there are a lot of days that I personally don't feel normal. For instance; waking up late, rushing the kids to school just so I can make it back in time to hurry and get ready for work, slide in the door at work just in time to start the day only to realize in my hurry I forgot one thing or another (usually my hair) and then spend the rest of my day wondering what else I forgot while in a complete frazzled mess.

Then, there are days I wake up on time. Leisurely I take my time getting my kids and myself ready, get to work early, one thing leads to another and then, BAM! Day, gone to crap. 

My life has been anything but normal it seems, the same goes for my personality. Most all of my friends consider me weird, which I don't mind. It means I'm unique. Right? The "You're Weird" comments followed by laughter, usually come after one of my random off the wall moments. Those moments where I'm just talking, then randomly throw in a joke or make a funny face with a little dorky laugh.

Sometimes, when I have a quiet moment (which is rare when you have kids), I'll sit and think of what living a normal life must be like. Or what having a normal personality is like. Then I laugh at myself, or should I say laugh at the idea that I might not be all that normal. I've also thought, maybe I'm the normal one, and everyone else is just off their rocker.

I've even gone as far as searching Google for the answer. So far, everything I've read about what normal is, has made me question the mental state of the entire world. I mean seriously! There are some real hum dingers out there. Like the ones that make you question on whether to run away as fast as you can, or, hope that if you just stand still, don't blink, and keep smiling they might not smell your fear and will eventually wander off. 

Pretty sure I'm not one of those types. I think. So far I haven't had many people run from me that I couldn't catch, and I have short legs for my height.

Of course, I could always just snap back to reality and be thankful for my strangely abnormal life and sense of humor. My family and friends should also be thankful for it as well, as my off the wallness keeps them on their toes and a smile on their face. Well, I take that back. My mom could probably disagree (more then almost always) with my sense of humor. What she doesn't know though is, I laugh more shocking or appalling her, then I do at most jokes :)

Until next time strange ones,

Nancy