BaileyJane-Grandma "J"-CherryPie.........

Today’s Beverage-Pumpkin Latte (from Kneaders)

Today’s Goodie-Grandma “J”’s homemade whole wheat toast with butter and plum jam

Today’s Cozy Moment- Early morning at Grandma “J”’s house in Alpine, wrapped up in the patchwork afghan. Rooster-bacon-coffee-Grandpa “J”-Juicy fruit gum-cream of wheat. Fill in the blank.

Bailey Jane…

Oh how I loved this little girl….

How I wish I could have gotten to know her better.

She sparkled and smiled and stretched and smelled good and loved me.

She still dances in my heart and I think about her everyday.

I don’t really have many pictures of her but I know she was real and she taught me more about myself than anyone or anything else ever has.

She taught me how to live in the moment and about how fragile life is and that people are more important than anything.

This is the toughest week of every year for me.

21 years ago, this week, this precious child passed away. Every July and every September I wear a gold necklace almost the whole month with 3 things on it.

-a tiny dancer with 3 sapphire stones (my birthstone)

-a single ruby (her birthstone which my husband told me was a piece of his heart)

-a gold heart with “Bailey Jane” on one side and “Lil Angel” on the other (my sisters gave it to me on the day we buried her).

It’s my private tribute to her to let her know I’ll never forget her. That’s all I can say…………Tough week.

Grandma “J”………….

Fall always reminds me of Grandma “J”.

The only reason that I can think of is that Verd’s opens and all their wonderful produce is available.

She used to take us there when we were little and buy peaches and corn on the cob.

Tomatoes and apples.

I can’t walk into the cooler without tearing up because it reminds me of her.

I still remember walking in there and the rush of cold air as she went in there to buy her cottage cheese and milk in a bottle.

Or heavy cream.
It always meant good stuff.

She always let us get some penny candy and they had these little tiny paper sacks and we would fill them up with tootsie rolls and sixlets. Or Boston Baked beans and Lemon Heads.

They still have the candy and the little sacks but everything now cost 15 cents or a quarter.

The ladies that work there are still some of the same ones that have been there since I was a child.

Very strange and lovely.

They always remember me and it make me feel somehow connected to her.
She was a great lady.

I will never forget her………

Cherry Pie…..

She could smile and pout.

She could shake hands and sleep on the snow.

She liked to walk in one direction and would go home when she got tired.

She had a simple life.

Her ghost still lives in our backyard.

We loved her.

I will never forget her…..

Tonight I will go home and OD on super cold Diet Pepsi and get through this week.

Sigh…..