~Grammie's House~

When I was really little we lived in Oklahoma for a few years. As a small child I got to spend a lot of time with my Grammie.  After we moved away we still always seemed to make visits back every year or so to spend a few days in Hugo and over time her house became one of the stable images in my memory.  Not knowing when I will be able to make the trip down again, I decided to take lots of pictures of the things I remember most.  

Sitting around Grammie's table in her kitchen eating country southern food with extended family has always been a memory from her home.  While we were visiting this time Grammie invited her brother's wife and daughter (my grandpa's cousin) to come and eat.  They were very kind and quite smitten with Cordelia.  I was proud of her for being so friendly.  She's such a sweet baby.

Grammie's house has always been beautifully decorated.  These are all images from her forma dining room. The shadow box is full of figurings that grandchildren and great grandchildren have either left at her home over time or given to her as gifts.  As a child I loved looking in that box.  The presidential plates are another memory I have from Grammie's house.  It's not until I was older, though, that I realized just how cool they are.

Grammie's formal living room is full of beautiful knick knacks that I would stare at for hours as a child. I always loved her doll and glass figurine collections.

The beautiful dishes, epecially the strawberry containers and cake holder as permanent images burned in my mind.  They have always been in her kitchen and as a wee little Strawberry Shortcake lover, I was smitten!  I have also always remember a big bowl of glass fruit on Grammie's table.  I remember trying to convince my brothers when they were really little that the fruit was real.  ;-)

Grammie has also always had a giant doll collection. She collected holiday Barbies and as a little girl I would spend hours just staring and dreaming about them.  Recently she gave them all away, but she still has her beautiful porcelain Princess Bride Diana and Princess Bride Fergi dolls. After all the hype about the most recent british royal wedding, I thought these dolls were pretty neat.  The giant life size doll is wearing a dress my Grammie once bought me, with my old socks and sunglasses.  She calls that doll "Chris" or "Sissy", both names she has called me.  Almost every time I talk to Grammie she tells me the story of the day she bought me that dress and had to hold me down in the store to get me to try it on.  I love that she still has it.  I love the pictures of my Papa Ike and my dad's Uncle Sam from high school.  They look so dashing.

  All of these things are memories that I attach to my Grammie, things that will always remind me of her and the time I spent there over the years, now all photographed in one place where I can see them and remember the feeling associated with that time and place in my life. I've always had my Grammie's love, and for that I will forever be grateful.