Grandma

Just a quick post to thank you all for your kind comments and give an update. My grandma passed away late Sunday night. Between keeping my sister's kids occupied (a welcome diversion) and helping my parents sort through my grandmother's stuff, the week has passed in a blur of activity--some joyful and some incredibly sad. I'm the executor of my grandma's will so my grief is all mixed up with concerns about handling her estate.

Today is the first time in a week that I've had the house to myself (along with Jerry) and felt like I could slow down and take a breath. I had a good cry this morning and ended up waking Jerry who gave me a big hug, rubbed my back and suggested I talk to my mom, since when he's sad talking to me always helps. He's been really sweet and tolerant all week in spite of his fractured wrist and being left behind a lot of the time (his choice) when we went out with his cousins. Even though I've fallen behind on a few things that really need to be completed (newsletter, interviews, laundry, gardening, taxes!), Jerry and I are going to spend a couple hours at the beach today. It's really for me (I always want to go to the ocean when I'm sad) but I think he'll enjoy it too.

Sometime soon I'll post a list of what not to keep in your house when you're old and about to die in order to make things easier for your family. It's going to start with "Do not keep a gigantic dresser full of unopened medication bottles." My parents and I started to think maybe my grandma had a little side business going--we're still on the lookout for shady characters with golf carts or canes hovering on her doorstep asking for their next fix. So far though we've only met one thoroughly nice neighbor who told us what an inspiration my grandmother had been to her throughout the last twenty years. I expect a few more of those, too.