30 years ago

            

       30 years ago when I was 9 years old I stayed a whole week in St.Maries Idaho with my Grandparents. 

It was in August as my older cousins Trina and Cally were doing back to school shopping that week with the help from Grandma and some of our many Aunts. 

It was the first time I ever had an Italian soda,and learned about how important new clothes are for looking good at school. I was delighted to be apart of those shopping groups.

Sometimes now in the mornings as I drink my first cup of coffee I think of Papa, for he smelled like coffee and after shave. 

He had lived his busy crazy life by the time I got to know him, so there was instead of a hot headed young man a more peaceful wise old man. And my Grandma Eva looked exactly like a Grandma should, she was rolly polly happy in cooking or planning out the fun activities for the day! 

Oh how 30 years ago I look back in awe, in all the good things these memories bring.

Staying with my Grandparents showed me how they both seemed to really like each other, they talked about everything and even laugh at the same time when I would say something too.

That week was so full of family conversations, connections and real adventures! I don't think I could capture all the layers of my memories and life lessons that week in a one page story.

That week was pure magical to me and I knew even as I sat on the bar stool eating my pancakes that Grandma loved cooking up for me, I knew even then as it all unfolded that one day many years down the road I will remember everything exactly as it was!

I will never forget this week above all else, I was in pure awe!

I loved them so much, my Grandparents. I sit now and wish they were still there like that, evening news plays out on the TV as Papa sits in his chair and Grandma hands me a popsicle, I eat it outside on the sidewalk right next to the living room sliding glass door and listen through the screen to the TV. It was so peaceful there, I loved being surrounded by the forest.  

Watching those humming birds flying around Grandma's feeder while I was eating my own sugary treat!

I wish they were still there like that once again, I can only find them in my memories now.......

I woke up every morning to that wonderful smell of coffee brewing and Grandma making a big breakfast explaining to me that Papa will take me to work with him as she goes to show a house. I ended up going to work with Papa every morning that week and I loved it! 

He ran the hardware store in town, I had lots of things to do in helping him open the store up for the day and everyone who came in was out going and friendly just like Papa.

I admired such a life in such a town, I thought a lot about Papa never being rude to any customer, for he was always showing me how things worked in his shop and what I could do to help, Oh how happy he was being there!

Every morning we opened the shop and every lunch hour we crossed the street to the cafe where Grandma met us and we talked about the rest of the afternoon, for I had little cousins to play with and cookies to bake with my Auntie Val so the week flew by in all kinds of good times and good memories.

My Grandparents lived such a lovely life together back when I was 9 years old, I thought it was wonderful opening the church up on Sunday with them, setting out donuts and cookies, setting out old hymnals and stacking up the new programs to hand out as people began to arrived. I waited there at the double doors with Papa greeting everyone who walked in for the morning service. While Grandma loved telling everyone who I was "This is Delbert's oldest, Debby or Little Dee as we call her." I was thrilled, I was delighted for I met so many new people that Sunday, while also seeing my beloved Aunts in their Sunday dresses. I would race up to them for a hug and say how beautiful they were! 

Then I would walk around all by myself knowing that I was never really alone in that big noisy church, I had Uncles and Aunts mingling all over the place, I had really cool cousins going into high school and I had adorable little cousins in kindergarten.  I took it all in with such gratitude!

If I could of never left then I would of lived happily ever after right then and there!

Papa played cards and Grandma read a magazine in their living room at the same time as I was drawing once again on the floor. 

The word "Peacefulness." came to my mind. 

I wanted that kind of life.

It had been a very busy active fun week, to the Carnival, to the river, to the public pool, to the church and to the park I was sometimes with Aunt Kaisie, Auntie Val or Aunt Vee. But it was those calming down evenings with my Grandparents that I truly loved. We all went to bed at the same time and we all got up at the same time with the day full of life! Those nice summer nights when everyone was gone and we just relaxed made me feel so safe and so truly blessed!

 On one afternoon while Trina and Cally and I watched "Old Yeller." a classic movie about a friendship between a kid and his dog, the 3 of us ended the movie holding each other close, we burst out sobbing wrapped in each other's arms while Grandma came in to see what had happen to her granddaughters she exclaimed "Oh Dear! I have traumatized you girls with this movie! I thought it was suitable for kids!?!?" Then we laughed explaining to her how we loved it, how we really did, truly, deeply loved it so much that we cried in happiness and in sadness all together! 

(Over the last 30 years since that moment in time I have noticed that we 3 girls love animals very much! With a devoted passion and understanding how the circle of life is made better with our help!)

That week of staying there with my Grandparents will always be like stepping back in time from my memories, I can see it as real and as alive as I am today. 

I can remember thinking back then during those days that I had never been so happy in my whole life!

 so I knew even as I sat there entertaining myself with cattails and clover that these were the days I would remember all through my life, as I sat watching the sun set from out front of my grandparents home on that big big rock I sat facing the horizon in pure joy, peace of mind and true love of life!

I whispered out towards God "I will never forget how wonderful it all is! how someday I will look back and wish I was right here once again!"