Some of you know my Grandma Cook. Chances are if you know her, you call her grandma too. She is my all-time favorite person in the world. Today is her 80th birthday. My mom and I had a huge 80th birthday bash planned for her and all her friends (and she's got a lot of friends). However, several weeks ago she got sick and thought it would be best if we postponed the party until warmer weather (it's still snowing in Fountain Green) and until she felt better.
Unfortunately, she isn't feeling better and has been in the hospital since Easter Sunday. As a tribute to her today here are 80 memories and special things about her.
1. She was born prematurely and was under 2 lbs. at her birth.
2. She has lived in Fountain Green Utah her whole life, and does not like to leave her sweet home.
3. Her mother was a professional singer, and she is just as good.
4. She and her friends started a club and have never missed a month in about 60 years, they call it "club".
5. Everyone in Fountain Green knows her.
6. My grandpa said that one of the reasons he married her is because she was, "different from anyone he had ever met."
7. She tells a funny story about going to a dance with a boy who used vulgar language and she slapped him across the face.
8. She was shocked and appalled when she turned on the TV and found out that football games were played on Sunday.
9. She laughs at every single one of my dad's jokes.
10. She has always told me that I have a "cute" dad.
11. She has seen so many technological advancements in her life, and is amazed (but loves) cell phones.
12. She doesn't like to sort through all her satellite channels, so she has a paper with the numbers for KBYU , channels 5, 4, 2 and the Provo channel written down by her remote.
13. She loved her older brother and tells stories of the sadness she felt when he served in the military (during WWII) for nearly 9 years.
14. She makes the most amazing chocolate chip cupcakes, of which, I am famous for eating 100's of.
15. There is NO WAY she would ever get on an airplane.
16. She has been know to worry and worry and worry. My mom can tell when she gets the "stupid worried look" on her face.
17. As a child I loved to get off the bus and see their truck or car parked at our house. She and my grandpa would often take and afternoon and ride over the mountain to visit.
18. She loves fabric and has a vast supply.
19. She claims to be part Viking, which she credits her love of deep colors and bold patterns to.
20. She loves to talk about her experiences, but has yet to write them all down.
21. She was a scrapbooker before it was cool and before digital photography made it easy to copy photos. She's spent lots of time having old pictures restored and copied.
22. I loved opening my suitcase after visiting her, because my clothes would smell like her house.
23. She is very soft spoken, but unafraid to speak her mind.
24. I would seriously doubt if she's ever offended anyone.
25. She has a love of all people. ALL people. It's amazing.
26. She is deeply spiritual and has experienced amazing miracles in her life.
27. She is so full of gratitude you help but feel grateful when you are around her.
28. She strives for perfection, and in my book, is the closest thing I know to perfect.
29. She can not tolerate "vulgar talk", and has morethan once tried to get me to stop saying, "suck".
30. Once when we were little she accidentally shut her garage door on a cat. I think she still feels bad about it.
31. She hates mice and will scream like a little girl if she sees one.
32. She always tells us to live our life like an "open book". It's something that she does without effort.
33. She used to drink a potassium drink that looked and smelled like orange soda. She would never let me have a taste, but I remember it smelling so good when she would mix it up.
34. If something startles her she will yelp and scream out. Which in turn will scare me worse than whatever it was that startled her.
35. She and my grandpa worked as ordinance workers at the Manti Temple for many years, and I was always proud of that.
36. She is a wonderful pianist, but she's even better on the organ.
37. She loves Arby's 5 fo $5.00 and at anytime will have an entire freezer of frozen Arby's.
38. She loves potato chips and every time she eats one she says, "I haven't had these in years."
39. She always tells me that I look beautiful, and that I should, "wear more brown".
40. She notices when I've had my hair cut and colored and usually likes it. With the exception of when I colored it brown for a year. Her response was, "Cammie Lynn what have you done to your hair?"
41. The first traffic violation she ever received was last year. The cop that gave her the ticket still apologizes to her every time he sees her.
42. She is excellent at needlepoint, and has provided all of her grandchildren handmade dish cloths and table cloths.
43. Until very recently she cooked three meals a day every day.
44. She does everything on a grand scale. She has been known to take on huge projects and triple recipes.
45. In her hay day she could shop til she dropped. My mom has memories of being dragged to every store in Utah county (which is why my mom claims to hate shopping to this day).
46. She always stands on her porch and waves until our car is out of sight.
47. Every time I leave her house I cry half way home.
48. She taught me the meaning of "honor thy father and mother".
49. It would take me days to try to re-tell all the stories she has told me.
50. I like to talk to her at night after the kids have gone to bed while I'm cleaning my kitchen.
51. She always says, "Oh, I wish you lived closer".
52. She thinks that Cali and Carter are the best things in the world, and they love to go to her house too.
53. The first time she me Christian she was amazed at how tall he is. Since then he has become her honorary light bulb changer, she is still amazed that he never needs a ladder.
54. She loves animals, but at a distance. She doesn't pet dogs or cats.
55. Did I mention the chocolate chip cupcakes? Of course I did, but the deserve another mention. In fact, I could use some right now.
56. She likes to keep up on and discuss current events.
57. She likes Dr. Phil and Oprah, but thinks that Dr. Phil should clean up his language a little, "There's no need to talk to people like that."
58. She also likes a few select Soap Opera's, she calls them her "shows".
59. She is very respectful of the deceased and visits the cemetery often.
60. Our family spent many Easter's and Thanksgiving's at her house.
61. She told me that the birds in Fountain Green say, "Fountain Green is a pretty little place". And I believe they do.
62. During the Lamb Day celebration we would catch candy at the parade, she and my grandpa would sit in the shade of their porch and watch us.
63. Every time she opens a Christmas or birthday present she says, "this is the best gift I've ever received". And she means it.
64. She is the most sincere person I have ever met.
65. She spent most of her life helping the widows of the town. She was surprised when she became a widow in the town.
66. She took care of my grandpa everyday for 6 years as he battled Parkinson's disease.
67. While taking care of my grandpa she learned new skills and developed new talents that she never knew she had.
68. She always carries cash. As a child I always wondered why my mom's purse didn't have as much cash.
69. Thinking about not having her in my life will bring tears to my eyes.
70. She's very short and every time she gives me a hug she says. "I wish I were as tall as you."
71. She is a great example of how to treat others.
72. She used to have a drawer full of quarters that she would ration out to us to use at the town store.
73. When we would go skiing with my grandpa she would pack tons of sandwiches in bread bags so we wouldn't be hungry.
74. Don't even think about leaving her house without having a meal, a treat, and visiting for a while.
75. When we go to Fountain Green to help her clean her house, she just wants us to "sit and visit".
76. She loves green and turquoise together.
77. She has a million clothes and likes to say, "if you keep clothes long enough, they come back in style".
78. She has a room in her house called the "beautiful room" which I name when I was 3.
79. She has complimented me and given me confidence in myself that no one else could ever match.
80. There was always a giant gallon of Schwan ice cream in her freezer.
