Grandma's House

Today I took a walk down memory lane. 

We are in Washington visiting my uncle for his birthday. We stopped by to visit my grandma and grandpa’s house since it is vacant. My grandpa passed away about a year and a half ago, and my grandma passed away just over eight years ago. After my grandpa died, we put their house up for sale but it still hasn’t sold.

Walking into that house was like taking a step back in time.

 I am eight years old again, running around the house with my grandma. We bake cookies and she helps me make homemade bubbles from dish soap. I stay in my uncle’s old room and there are a few toys that stay here just for me. I play in the huge backyard and walk behind the raspberry bushes to the neighbor’s so we can play.

Grandma takes me shopping at Fred Meyer and the mall. She spoils me with new clothes and of course, Barbies. 

Now I am 22 again, almost 23. I am married and haven’t been to Washington to see my family since my grandma’s funeral eight years ago. 

But the memories in that house are palpable. I can remember where every piece of furniture used to be, though it now lies vacant. I can remember the old exercise bicycle that I used to play with. I remember where my grandpa kept all of his 400 bottles of pills. I can remember the TV trays where sometimes I would eat lunch and watch TV [because grandma’s house was awesome]. 

 I loved that house.

 I loved my grandma, and usually, my grandpa. 

They used to pick me up at the airport [I would usually travel alone] and I would always look forward to seeing them at the gate [back in the days when you could do that].

My grandma was so kind. She would make all my meals and she loved me as much as I loved her. She kept fudgcicles in the freezer for me for whenever I came to visit. 

When I was lucky, we would go to the Navy Base. The navy base had everything you could ever dream of and it was always fun to go there and shop. 

When I wasn’t so lucky,  I would go to old people dances with my grandparents. It meant a lot to my grandpa and I knew that even then, but I still didn’t love it. The old people would oooo and ahhh over me and I always had to dance with the old men. My grandpa always breathed through his nose on me when we danced and he smelled funny, haha. I did love the music and the older I got the more I tried to enjoy it [they did have treats during the dance break]. 

I am amazed at how much I can remember and how special those times are to me now. I look forward to creating special memories like that someday with my kids and grandkids and my kids having that experience with my parents.

I still love and miss my grandma to this day and I thank her for giving me so many wonderful memories. 

I recommend taking a stroll down memory lane if you haven’t in a while. . . you might be pleasantly surprised with what you find.

p.s. Real pics & stories from our weekend in Seattle soon!