Today’s photo will credit my maternal grandmother, showing her doing one of the many things she enjoys the most: quilting.

Photo by: Nancy Schara

Grandma turned 95 in December. She lived independently until a couple of years ago when she moved in with my Mom and Dad. Until October, she was able to do most things for herself. In October, she developed some issues that didn’t allow her to do that anymore, so she had to move to a nursing home.

Grandma traveled extensively during her life and saw and did many things. I remember she took up cross country skiing in her 60s. She handled all aspects of her aging with grace and maturity. She anticipated when she wouldn’t be able to do things, and she took appropriate steps to provide for herself. She sold her house before it became a burden. She moved out of her apartment with stairs before it became a problem. She moved into an assisted living facility, and she wasn’t ready for that yet, so she moved out and back into an apartment by herself until she moved in with my folks.

She loves doing crafts. She built her own cabin in the North Woods. There was a cabin on the property, but the one she built had two bedrooms, full electricity and plumbing, to include a dishwasher. Grandma liked to paint and fish, but she didn’t want to be slowed down by having to mess with dishes when she was on vacation. Then, when she wasn’t using it anymore, she sold it.

Grandma is a painter. I have an early still life (not that good, but she painted it), and I have a couple of her later paintings — very good. My aunt has not forgiven me for asking for one particular painting (she was sitting right there), and grandma gave it to me.

When I was stationed in New York City, she came to visit me for a week. We battled ferociously in Scabble. We attended two Broadway plays — front row seats for Cats and front row balcony seats for Phantom of the Opera (we heard those were considered the best). We did a few other things while she was in town, and we enjoyed our time together.

Grandma (as of this writing) is still with us, but she has reached what she knows is her end of life time for her. She’s been one remarkable lady. I pray for her to be enveloped with peace and love as she prepares to be called home.

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