This week I made a trip to Grandma’s house to gather a few more of her things—some essentials, some keepsakes—and as many of her plants as I could fit into my car. If you know my Grandma at all, you already know: she has a deep and lifelong love for all things green and growing.
She’s had lots of hobbies over the years—Persian cats, Spitz dogs, fish, DOLLS (so many dolls 😅), crocheting, sewing, mini tea sets, Dreamsicles, and more. But the one thing that’s always been consistent is her love for plants and flowers.
So when she saw her plants again, she lit up. It even got her
outside for a few hours, soaking up the sunshine and tinkering with her greenery.
“You're Doing It Wrong”
I have a few plants here at the house, but I’ll admit… I don’t exactly have Grandma’s green thumb. Of course, she’s been taking care of the plants we already had—and gently (okay, not-so-gently) letting me know that I’ve been doing it all wrong. 😂
While we were sitting outside enjoying the sun, Grandma started talking about Grandpa. Naturally, I asked how they met.
She said:
“We met when I was at the Cotton Mill. There was a night guard there who told me I needed to meet Ray. So I did… and the rest was history.”
I laughed and pushed for more details:
“Grandma, there’s gotta be more to the story! Did he take you on a date? What did y’all do?”
She thought for a moment, then smiled and said:
“I don’t remember. It just worked.”
Then I asked how he proposed, and she got this big grin on her face. She chuckled and said:
“We were having dinner at his house, and Ray said he needed to get some more dishes. I told him all he needed was a marriage license.”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She was so proud of herself. She said Sister (Guynelle), told her that Ray was the best thing that ever happened to her—and she agreed.
“He was. He was so good to me.”
I never get tired of hearing Grandma’s stories. At 92 years old, can you even imagine all the things she’s lived through? All the changes she’s witnessed? All the wisdom she carries? She has touched so many lives in her own special way.
So here’s my challenge to all of you:
At the bottom of every page on this site, you’ll find a short form where you can:
Please take a moment to share your favorite story or memory of Grandma.
We’re building a beautiful collection on the “Memories and Messages” page, and I would love for your voice to be part of it.
Let’s surround her with the love she’s given to all of us for so many years. 💗
Grandma has been up and moving around quite a bit lately! She’s walking around the house several times a day and sticking to her PT and OT exercise routine. She’s determined, and it shows.
In fact, you can catch her making her rounds in the video — but fair warning: Keep all the big rump jokes to yourself! 😂 I've been feeding her good, and one of the side effects seems to be some added thickness in the backside. That’s just the price of Southern hospitality. 💁♀️
She’s feeling stronger and sassier — and that’s exactly the energy we love to see.
— Jamie 💗
