Your Great Grandmother

Oh the stories, your great grandma had the greatest stories.  I wish I had listened more, gleaned more wisdom from her.  Next week she will have been gone for 18 years.  That is a lifetime.

It makes my heart hurt for my momma, your grandmother.  I know that she misses her terribly, and I cannot imagine how hard it was to raise 2 children without the benefit of having her mother to call when she needed advice.

Grandma was always full of life, my best memories are of her at the river.  She would usually be in the kitchen, cooking or cleaning something - and dancing.  The music was always on.  Usually an oldies station- sometimes country, she would be singing along, doing a little soft shooing against the green linoleum floor.

She always kept a bag of doggie treats above the refrigerator, she loved feeding the strays, and the neighborhood dogs too, of course.

She tried to put my hair in "pin curls," I didn't let her.  I was such a brat.  I wish I had, then I might know how to do it now.

She and your great grandfather lived through the depression.  It made them apprecitate things so much more than we do.  Your great grandpa built the cottage on Muddy Gut Road with his two hands, how amazing is that?!  He also picked out their house on Chamberlayne Road without her even seeing it.  I remember her telling me that she didn't like it. 
I remember once at the river house I was trying to help by doing the dishes.  She had made eggs and sausage on a cast iron skillet & it was a mess.  I scrubbed it & scrubbed it until it was clean.  I was in so much trouble!!! I had no idea that that you were not supposed to wash cast iron.  She also used to wash out plastic bags and Reynolds Wrap to re-use them, along with any plastic cups or cutlery.  I still cringe a little before I throw away Reynolds Wrap or one of those big gallon sized bags.



Audrey Meade Forney



She really did have some wonderful stories.  The ones that I remember her telling the most were the stories that she told at the end of the pier at the river.  She would take my hand in the darkness and rub my thumb nail as she told them.  We made lots of wishes and discussed hopes and dreams for the future on the end of that pier.  That is where your great grandpa told me that the moon shines so brightly because it is fluorescent.

The one that I remember hearing the most often was the story of her eating an apple in her home ec class.  Grandma was hungry, so hungry, and her class was making apple pie.  They had to peel the apples, and they were throwing away the peels.  Grandma took one of the discarded peels and put it in her mouth.  She began to chew it and then choked.  Once all of the commotion was over she got in trouble for it, can you imagine getting in trouble for that?  I want you to be sure that you are always grateful for what we have, even if you don't think it is enough.

Forney Family

This is one of my favorite pictures.  It was taken at the River (Rivah to you), your cousin Lisa came in from Oregon and we surprised grandma and grandpa.  These are all of their grandchildren John, Lisa, me - your adorable mommy, Steve, Grandma, Evan, Joseph, your Uncle Billy, and Grandpa.

Grandma was the glue that held the family together.  She always had crab balls in the freezer, and made the most amazing lemonade cake.  You & I got your middle names from her bug - Meade.  I love having that part of her with me all the time, and that I was able to pass that on to you as well.  It seems kind of like keeping the flame of her memory lit forever.  I hope that one day you will consider passing on the name to your children.