Grandma Anhder

My grandma Anhder would have turned 91 today. This post is dedicated to her. How I miss her... I have so many wonderful memories of my grandma. We had so much in common and it grows every day still. My one hope is that I get her beautiful white hair. I already have a few, but I hope when my whole head turns it is as pretty as hers was.

Grandma in 2004

I have several memories that come to mind when I think about her. I can only say that I won't be able to cover them all through this post alone, but you will surely hear me talk about her in the next 330 days... You have already had a taste (no pun intended) of her wonderful cooking. Here are a few memories.

• The fruit room. My grandparents had a food storage room in their basement chuck full of all kinds of canning that my grandma did. They had a spectacular garden and orchard in their backyard which will be posted when I blog about my Grandpa Anhder. Their room had pickled beets, green beans, sweet rosemary pickles (the best on tuna sandwiches), any kind of jam you could think of and dried apples. Not to mention the pears and peaches... I am sure there were more, but those are what stand out in my mind. My very favorite was the choke cherry syrup and black cap jam. Oh, if I could market this, I would be rolling in the dough. We would drive down from Edmonton as least once a year and when we left, Grandma made sure that our car was full of all kinds of canned items. We would ration them out until our visit the next year.

• When Jill and her dad and I moved to the States in 1992, our family became our best friends. We had a weekly date with grandma and grandpa every Wednesday. We would drive to Richmond and play hours and hours of pinochle with them. Jill entertained herself with Disney movies while Dave and I played cards. Grandma was my partner and I can say that while the boys thought they were the masters, Grandma and I certainly held our own. Now we didn't just play cards, but also ate. Grandma would make circular tuna and sweet relish sandwiches (she would cut them out with one of her canning lids) and we also ate crackers and her delicious Holiday Cheese Ball. Try it, it is awesome and my mouth is already watering...

Holiday Cheese Ball

1 pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
1 small can of crushed pineapple (drained)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tbsp chopped green pepper
1 tbsp seasoning salt
1 tbsp chopped nuts (walnuts)

Mix well, form ball and roll around in nuts. Chill. Eat with Ritz crackers.

• I remember when I was about 8 years old, we were taking a long trip in our boogie van and I loved it when she sang. One of my favorites at the time was Old King Cole. She must have sang this over 50 times during the drive. As a parent now I can understand what kind of patience she must have had for me.

Grandma, Great-Grandma Maughan & I

• I remember her visits to Canada and how fun it was to have her and grandpa there to celebrate with us. You have to understand that we did not have any family there and it was so special to have them around during the holidays.

• I can't thank my grandma enough for introducing me to the English comedy, Keeping Up Appearances. Funny, clean English humor. I will leave a clip at the bottom for you to enjoy. We had our favorite episodes that eventually we watched over and over because she got them on videotape. I have her videotapes in my possession.

• My grandma was very creative. She could make something out of nothing. She was like a Grandma McGyver. She made me paper dolls when I was little and Jill when she was little too.

• Quilts. Each of my children received a quilt she made when they were born. Jillian never used hers because I wanted it in good condition and I was a brand new mom and didn't know any better. Maybe she will have a baby she can pass it down to. My boys however used (and still do) their blankets every night and just for good old comfort. I think my mom still has my baby blanket. My grandma LOVED her great-grandkids.

Grandma with Jill (3 wks old)

• Sports - OK this is something that we did not have in common but my grandma was a huge sports fan. She followed BYU and she had a book that listed all the LDS players and their teams and that is who she rooted for. I haven't ever met another woman so interested in sports.

• My grandma was from Wellsville. In fact I believe that her Great, great grandpa was the founder of Wellsville. Yes, I have Maughan blood in me. Don't we all? :)

Beautiful Wellsville

• The Grouse - My grandma didn't mind hunting. One time I went up the canyon with her, my Uncle Mark and my dad to hunt some grouse. Grandma was awesome for spotting birds. Anyway we were driving along this very narrow road that had a very steep drop off on the left side of the car. I was sitting in the back on the left and panicking because I am deathly afraid of heights. So grandma spots the grouse on the right side (she was in the back seat next to me) and my uncle stops the car. He gets out and bang, shoots the grouse. Not being very exposed to the whole killing thing, he gets the bird, come to my side of the car, rings it's neck, stuffs it in a black garbage bag and puts it in the backseat with Grandma and I. I am now sitting in the middle, very close to my grandma. We turn around and head back down the mountain. I am just getting over the trauma of him ringing the birds neck when I hear something rustling in the bag beside me. Then the flapping and screeching started. The bird was NOT DEAD! My uncle stopped the car, got the bag and whacked it against the car a few times until he was sure it had been put out of it's misery. Can you imagine? I didn't EVER go hunting with them again.
  

• One year, I brought my hamster Midnite on vacation. My grandma hates anything around her feet because they were very ticklish. I remember giving her a start once when I was playing with my hamster around her feet. Again, she was very patient but I do remember her raising her voice and telling me not to do that again.

• My grandma always saw the roses and never the thorns. She could take a bad situation and just find the good in it. This is a trait that I am happy she passed on to me. Well that is all for now. I love blogging for this reason. It gives me the opportunity to remember, recognize and record good memories of the people I love. Grandma Anhder, I love you and I miss you terribly.