Grandma Arnold

 On Tuesday we laid our grandma to rest.  She was an amazing person. My sister and I stood up and said the following at her funeral. KT was orange and I was green. It was hard to do but really glad I did it. 

Today we are Thankful to God for giving us a wonderful, one of a kind, hardworking, Godly, caring lady that we were able to call  “GRANDMA” for over 20 years. Some people only get to see their grandma’s on the holidays but I guess we could say everyday was a holiday, because growing up till college, we saw and ate with our Grandma daily.

Today I look at my simple everyday life and say wow! This really can’t be possible without the influence of my amazing Grandma. She was the one to teach me many things from a very young age. These include the ability to be confident enough to whip up anything in the kitchen. This might be due to the fact that I started cooking along side my grandma at age 2 or the fact that I helped with almost every meal she made including family dinner, Wednesday Night Suppers, Funeral dinners and many other get togethers. I tried to learn her tricks of cooking because she did not always use a recipe card or write the whole recipe down but she is sure known for many dishes. Of course everyone has a favorite dish, Kt- Hamburger pie, Me- Grandmas concoction of cheese, ham, peas and boiled eggs, Bruce, Rex and Ben- ham loaf and peas and potatoes Deb- Nutty Noodles. And all of us can remember meals consisting of a pot of Velveeta mac and cheese, or potato salad.  Always a favorite for all. I believe out of all of grandma’s desserts we all share the love and enjoy of HOMEMADE Ice Cream. I credit her to my love of cooking and ultimately my graduating culinary school

It wasn’t just her kitchen that she cooked at. The kitchen in the church was like her own for many years. We remember growing up here learning her secrets -- how to hold your mouth just right for the dish to come out perfect. That was her trick.  It had to be. So many meals made like no one else could. I (Becca)just recently walked back into the kitchen here and was surprised at how small everything felt. As a kid in the kitchen it always seemed huge. But not to big for Grandma to conquer.

She taught me how to pick fruit of all kinds including, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, but both of our favorites are Red Raspberries.  She could be seen picking these fruits until a few years ago; I still remember the last time we picked peaches together like it was just yesterday. And so many times in the peach orchard with peach juice rolling down our arms from a ripe peach shared with Grandma. We learned to always pack a few wet washcloths to clean up with. It made me smile when my sister told me that just last Sunday she and my parents took her fresh blueberries and strawberries to Grandma to eat. On the phone all I could do was smile too. She also taught me how to make the delicious dishes with these given fruits including shortcake, fresh fruit pies, jams and jellies. but we always had to can or freeze some so in the winter we could still have these fruits.

Grandma gave me the love of games of all kind. Even though Grandma was a hard worker she knew that there was always time to sit down and have fun. We played Memory, Candyland just to name a few when I was younger. She had a great game closet, which I can still find all my childhood favorites in. When I got a little older, I was taught cribbage, Mexican train and the family game of Bid Euchre. With any family get together a table of one of these games could begin and grandma was always participating too. Just a year ago tomorrow (4th of July) grandma was out in her backyard playing crocket with the whole family and she might have just beaten us too.

She retired but didn’t stop working. She went back to work at Emily Andrus where she again was in the kitchen. Cooking meals for the ladies and even did the weekly grocery shopping. During the summers we helped her with that task.  Not every middle school aged kid can say that when they went grocery shopping with their grandma they filled four shopping carts, and then put it all away after lifting it all over a railing of a porch above their heads. Grandma always insisted she do that part. A strong lady.

GRANDMA was a strong fighting lady.  She didn’t get thru life easily.  Three times she beat cancer. It’s hard enough to beat once but our GRANDMA did it Three times. That is proof that she was very close to indestructible.

She lost grandpa almost 26 years ago. Even though she could have given up on life then she kept going knowing that her family needed her. Family was always important to her.

A few other reasons and memories to show that Grandma was a lady we want to be.

• She was always up for an adventure, Grandma canoed on the pond last summer
• She owed and ran a restaurant TWICE.
• Knew how to relax and her swing out back—I would consider that one of her favorite places.
• Lost a husband and two children but didn’t lose her fight for life.
• Has three grandkids but showed a grandmas love to 7 exchange siblings of ours.
• She had a fake knee but was never slowed down.
• She was always prepared she would start Cooking dinner at 430
• She traveled to Germany at age 54 and 61 Israel age 65, Thailand age 71, walked the Mackinaw bridge at age 69 and traveled to many more places.
• She loved her gardens. I always can remember every august Cutting buckets of corn off the cob with the whole family.
• She always helped us with our homework right afterschool.

 
Thanks for all the AMAZING tricks, talents, traits, and traditions you taught us, GRANDMA. Maybe one day, we can be as strong of any influence in someone else life as have been in ours. We will make you proud everyday of our life GRANDMA!!