92 Years of Gram

Yesterday a Beautiful and life changing woman turned 92.  My Gram.  

Gram is one of the most inspirational people that has every graced my life.  She was born in a very poor family on a farm in Normandie, France.  She helped raise her siblings and had to drop out of school at 13 years old to work to help her family survive.   She never complains about how she grew up.  

When she was about 20 she was working in a cafe during the war.  She says she remembers D-Day, and hearing the German soldiers running on the cobble stones, asking anyone for water...   She met my Grandfather, an American soldier, during that war.  They were married and she moved to America.  When she moved she brought one of my uncles with her, and was meeting my Grandfather here.  She came, young and scared, knowing NO english, with a small child, across the ocean, and across the country.  She taught herself english, got her citizenship, and raised a family that included a slew of foster kids and anyone who needed some love.   She worked hard and never stopped.

At 92 this woman can run circles around me.   She never stops.  She is always working, and hates having to sit down.   She kicks my butt, literally and figuratively.   She is my inspiration and my best friend.  I am so blessed to have her in my life, and to have had the honor of being able to live with her for the 5 years that I did.   She really is something special.

She switched the candles so they said "29"  

Still as goofy as ever. 

Me Too... Forever

So yesterday I got a tattoo.  For those of you who know me this is quite out of character for me.  I am not a "tattoo person". I don't like when people have tattoos that are visible, and I especially am not about those that are just getting tattooed to get something done.


This however had meaning.

When my Great Grandfather was still alive, he was a one of a kind man. He and I were always very close. The one quirk he had was when you said "I love you" he would always respond with "Me too".

Shortly after he died my Great Grandmother and I started doing the same.  As our way of remembering him perhaps.  My Gram is my best friend. She is my rock.  She is my life.  She has been my one constant my entire life.  Through the ups and downs, the bad and ugly, my Gram has been the one I run to.

We've now started just saying "Me too" to one another... then giggling like school girls.  This is something only she and I share.

My Gram is going to be 91 this July.  She is still in wonderful health, but I do realize that I won't always have this woman who is my world.   So I wanted to get a piece of her to have always.  I got this, written in her handwriting, to have her with me no matter where I go in life.

Overdone

My silly Gram- who laughs at me. 

Last week I mentioned being a "fat jar loser" and the need to get myself in gear and work out... well I may have overdone that a tad.

Sunday I started the "Max Capacity Training".  Wow that was painful but I pushed through thinking that stopping was not helping me at all.   So after that I felt sore but good.  I relaxed most of Sunday and then on sunday night I was watching America's Next Top Model reruns.   Not a good idea.  That show always makes me feel huge!!  And it makes me feel old as of lately because all those girls are 18 and 19. Well I got up and did pilates- right there on the spot!  In retrospect that was the nail in the coffin because two days later and my legs are still in pain.  So much pain that my Gram is laughing at me because she says I'm like an 80 year old woman.   

I wanted to go for a run later tonight, but I am trying to get my legs back into working order because Thursday I am going to the Cardiologist for a stress test and an echo.  Onto the topic of the Cardio-  This week I have been forced to wear a King of Hearts monitor, which is really more a pain than anything else.   Basically these two electrodes are on my body and I hook a portable monitor to it and press the button when I am having pain or trouble breathing- no big right?  Well the electrodes itch like there is no tomorrow!!!!  Seriously!  Driving me nuts!  But oh well, I've added it to my life adventure, which is really all I can do.