I was always proud of my grandma, she was so athletic and active. If you have seen On Golden Pond, think of the character portrayed by Katherine Hepburn. Grandma learned to play golf in her late 50's to early 60's, by her mid to late 60's she was winning golf tourneys in her age bracket. The summer after Mt. St. Helens erupted, she drove up solo from California to Washington state and was miffed that the roads to Mt. St. Helens were blocked and that she could not get closer. She taught me how to pan for gold, to always wear a hat outdoors, how to sing a variety of very silly songs. She valued her independence and her relationships with friends and family. She could always surprise me, like the time one of my aunts produced a ukulele and Grandma tuned it, played it and sang "My Gal Sal"! In her mid-80's she was showing me some pictures of a parade with a car all dolled up driven by a good looking young man, dating back to the 1930's. On the back of the picture she had noted that the fellow was "the cutest boy in the world". I think Grandma was a flapper back in the day!
When Grandpa died, it was hard, very hard for Grandma. She missed him so much. But she went on living and went back to enjoying life and all it had to offer, including dating and remarriage. She showed that even when things were so bad, life had some more adventures, surprises, romance and love in store for her. Grandma has been gone from this earth 11 years, but lives on in the hearts of those who she loved and those who love her.
Happy birthday Grandma!