Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days!

When I was 14, I was a horrible person. Maybe not horrible, just incredibly self centered. For that reason, I would love to get rid of my journals because of entries that are all like this:

At that time, apparently I didn't grasp how extremely blessed I was for having such a fantastic grandpa, whom everyone loved and respected. So... this time, he's not the P.P.S. My Grandpa Jones was one of the most amazing people I've known. All of my family is amazing, both sides, and my grandpa was determined to see that both sides blended to create what became my parents.

Grandpa Jones started a laundry mat and dry cleaners and hired my mom to work for him. One day, he called my mom in to work and needed her to hurry down. (In her version of the story, she had greasy hair.) Grandpa and Grandma Jones needed to go to the airport to pick up their son just returning home from his mission. On the way home, Grandpa decided that he needed to stop in at the cleaners to check on things and persuaded his son to come in with him. It was there, at Jones' Cleaners that my parent's eyes met for the first time, discussed roast beef sandwiches, and fell in love. His plan worked.


Other things that my grandpa did that have had a lasting impact on me were his acts of kindness.

-He would let me stand behind him for hours while he was sitting in his chair and braid his comb-over into as many tiny dread-locks as possible.

-He taught me how to shoot a gun. Grandpa and Grandma Jones would take us to do fun random things, like shooting, ice skating, to see the 2-headed snake at ASU, to DI, to Virden to clean the gravesites, to build a fence at a home teaching family's house, lots of service.

-He let me sit on his lap in church and poke the pencil-lead stain in his hand as quickly as I could while he tried to close his hand on my finger, or play with his calculator watch, or feed me tic-tacs or Dentene cinnamon gum.

-I remember that he was very respectful of the church and his responsibilities. Every week he would carry with him table cloth and vase with a flower from their garden to set as the centerpiece for the class he was teaching.

-Without being asked, he would also clean up the flower beds and sweep the walkways weekly so so the church would look good for Sunday services.

-Grandpa was so affectionate. He would often give Grandma LONG kisses in front of anyone who happened to be in sight. He wasn't afraid to show his love.

-He loved Lemon Meringue Pie. He would trade my grandma pie for cleaning up the kids' throw-up.

-Some of his "catch-phrases" were, "Hello, Beautiful!" "Hello, George!" while shaking your hand so much you thought your arm was going to come loose from the socket, and when you asked how he was doing, he was always fabulous.

In honor of Grandpa being gone 17 years today, I planted some zinnias, sweet potato vine, basil and a lavender, and swept my walk. He was a good man.