November Thanks Day 8 - My Grandmother

Today's thanks is for my Grandmother. She has been a calm, steady pillar in our family ever since I can remember. Not easy to excite nor apt to be pulled into anyone's drama. Throughout my lifetime, I can remember multiple family members (self included) making mistakes, and instead of putting her opinion in, she was simply there the same as always. She has been there, in that capacity, for her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. Many, many of her character traits are ones I would love to have, but God did not decide to bless me with (as in, being able to watch someone taking jumping off a cliff type mistake without so much as a facial expression of disappointment. I'd love that trait, in case the Big Guy up there is reading this, and feeling benevolent in the characteristic gifting).

My children, Grandmother, and Uncle

 Not only has she always been the person who can bring together multiple feuding people into one room without so much as a haughty comment from anyone, but she has also been the glue to our family traditions. From her, we have our Norwegian heritage celebrated at every holiday. As a child, I remember having a day ever November set aside to going to Grandma's house to help her bake lefse. She would have spent the day before prepping things so that I'd have the easy part left, yet act as though it was a "huge help" for her with the holidays coming up to have me roll out the dough (already made) and bake it on the griddle with her standing next to me the entire time, giving out instructions and advice. For every birthday, until I hit my teens, she would bake and bring sandbakkels decorated with frosting, and filled with my favorite candy. A few years ago, she announced she would not be making them anymore, and took time to have me and my kids over to learn how to make them, and then handed the tins over to me. It is my job, now, to make them, and make them I shall though I am horrible at it, and cannot get even one of those suckers to come out resembling the baked, golden deliciousness that she used to turn out.

Lastly, my Grandmother has taught me that people are more than they appear, and getting older is not to be feared. Over the last few years, I have gotten to hear stories about my Grandparents honeymoon (still having difficulties thinking of her wearing chaps on the back of a Harley, and then camping out on random farms), and other adventures she has had. Her life has been anything but safe, anything but ordinary, anything but dull. She was raised on a farm, became a nurse during WWII, met my Grandfather and married him three months later, had six children while working and living on a farm, and even now she still travels and sees things though she is well into her 80's.

My Grandmother at my cousin's wedding. She
saw the car, and just had to take a ride in the
"hot rod".

So thank you, Grandma, for always being there for everyone in the family, taking time to show my kids they are special,  keeping our family traditions alive, and being fully involved in her old age!