Here's To You, Gram

Even though it was cloudy and rainy today, it was still a good day for me. For on this day one hundred years ago, my Grandma was born.  TWIT would like to pay tribute to one of the greatest ladies I've ever known, Grandma Clara. 

She was born and raised in Bardstown, and moved to Louisville when she was in her early 20's.  Shortly after moving here, she met and married my Grandpa.They had two children, my Dad and my Aunt, and had a tough time raising two kids during the Depression, as did millions of other Americans at that time.  But they made it through.  The Depression mentality was something that Grandma never lost; in her later years, when we would buy her new dresses, she would still wear her old ones and keep the new dresses in her closet. When asked why, she would say "I'm saving them for hard times."

She loved to crochet, and made some of the most beautiful quilts I've ever seen. She would crochet all the time, and loved to make seasonal things.  For instance, during Easter, she would crochet little chickens that would go over plastic eggs.  I think there's not a child in Pleasure Ridge Park that didn't have one of Grandma Clara's crocheted chickens.  One year while I was in high school, a friend's father who worked at a sporting goods store gave her a "contract" to crochet bright orange ski caps to sell in there stores for the hunters.  I wish I knew how many of thost stocking caps she crocheted over the years. 

Grandma loved to watch her soap operas - something I inherited from her. She didn't watch "All My Children", though.  She was the number one fan of "Days Of Our Lives" and "Another World." I would watch them with her during days off from school.  She also loved country music, and she was in heaven when she heard about "The Nashville Network" channel being on cable TV.  Actually, that was the reason we got cable TV in the first place - so she could watch the country music shows.  Her favorite country singer was Conway Twitty, and everyone had to be quiet when he was on the TV singing or else we would get the evil eye.  She also loved Engleburt Humperdink, and would play his "Please Release Me" album over and over on the stereo. 

Grandma died six years ago, and even now there's not a day thatgoes by that I don't think of her. But they're happy thoughts.  She was my best friend and she taught me so much. She taught me the importance of honesty and being a reliable, responsible person. I know she's looking down from heaven and watching over me.  I hope I've made her proud.