Thinking of family, far away in Philly

Was going through some old photos tonight and was happily surprised at what I found. 

My grandmother, from Philadelphia (that great City of Brotherly Love) died just over five years back - I remember being pregnant with my son during the funeral.  

Luckily, I had spent some time with her the week before she passed away.  In the last few years, I had made far too few 8-hour drives from southwest Ontario to Philly.  I remember her having trouble standing up from sitting down; that was a shock for me.  She had always been very strong and independent.  I also remember that she scoffed at me when I suggested that she could come visit the following year when she was feeling better.  Back in my youth, I remember that she would drive all over North America with my granddad and the trailer.  

She had a way of making me feel that I was very important to her when I was around: she would listen so very carefully and always look you straight in the eye. Her smile was crooked - even before her stroke that left her partially paralyzed on one side.  I see my son smile like her from time to time.  

Of the part of my childhood that occurred in Philly, I remember hearing her constantly arguing with her husband (my granddad).  they would argue about anything and everything.  She was always right.  

When she was 70, she went back to school and completed her BA in English.  I always loved rifling through her bookshelves.  

Amazingly, she had 11 children: all separate births (no twins).  My dad was in firmly in the middle at number five.  She called him Michael.  The oldest was James, named after my granddad, though she called her son Jimmy. So, if I can get them all, there is James (Jimmy), then Hazel, Mary, Carol, Thomas (Tommy), my dad, Richard (Dick), David (Dave), Elizabeth (Betsy), Patrick, and Margaret (Maggie).  Amazingly, everyone is still alive and doing well.  I have - at last count - 22 cousins.  There are, seemingly, countless second cousins.  

Anyway, back to that photo I found.  The original is a wallet size photo of my grandparents younger than I am now.  They're both handsome, happy, in love.  I haven't done anything to modify this image in anyway, so it is what it is.  I love it.  

Grandmom, where ever you are, I'm thinking about you tonight.   

Posted via email from wendyhoo's posterous