Remembering Nanny....

Today is a special day. Today marks the anniversary when a wonderful sweet woman earned her angel wings. That woman, was my Nanny. For those who may be confused by the wording, she wasn't a nanny....she was my Nanny (grandmother).

Nanny lived through over the river and through the woods from me. Minus the river, that is. She was a short walk through 2 pastures and some woods from my house. I wish I had a quarter for every time I packed my backpack full of baby dolls and "hiked" to Nanny's house.

Nanny was very special to me. She made me yarn dolls, spent countless hours playing Old Maid and Chutes and Ladders, cut paper dolls from the Sears catalog and just being with me and my brother. Her house always smelled of fresh baking and clean laundry. If I close my eyes tight enough, I can still smell her house.....the smell of love and comfort.

My Nanny didn't get to see my babies or my cousin, Sarah's, babies. But I know she is proudly looking down from heaven at them. Maddie was named after her. Maddie's "big name" is Madeline Beatrice (pronounced Bee-at-trice). My Nanny's name was Willie Beatrice (pronounced the same) Adams and then later Eldridge after she was married.

When I think of all the changes Nanny experienced during her life, I am amazed. As a child, she rode the mules down to the spring for water and rode in wagons pulled by them. As an adult, she rode in an airplane to Disney World. Neither one of us were big fans for the airplane (truth be told, many many plane rides later....I'm still not a big fan).

My friend, Becky, remembered that the anniversary of Nanny's angel wings was coming up. She sent me a sweet book about a grandmother and her love for her granddaughter called What Color is Love. In this book the grandmother makes her granddaughter a coat out of the colors of love (the colors that represent salvation). Everything my Nanny made, was made with love.

Even though I miss Nanny terribly, I know she is in a better pain free place. I was so blessed that to have her in my life. Makes me sad that my kids live so far from their grandparents.