50 Shades of Green and a Peony

Went to visit my grand parents this weekend. In Idaho.

For a little afternoon adventure, we took a drive into the country. With all the rain they’ve been getting lately, it looked more like Ireland than it did the back roads of Idaho. And hey, I’m not complaining. As we passed the patchwork-esque fields, Grandma said, “It looks like there are 50 shades of green out there.” Sometimes, I’m so awe struck by the beauty of the earth….

I love visiting my grandparents. I have loved getting to know them now that I am all grown up and I feel like I can really appreciate them, the experiences they have lived, the stories they have told, and the legacies they will leave behind. Isn’t it inspiring to realize that one’s personality traits and interests can parallel that of one’s grandparents for so many aspects of life. Half the fun of getting to know them is realizing how much of myself I owe to them... For instance, my love of music, apple pie, and everything western. Not to mention the phenomenal sense of humor that both Grandma and Grandpa have… there are many times when we just sit and laugh.

My Grandpa has always loved music, in fact, he’s in a band. Oh yeah. There are times when I’m pretty sure that HE thinks he’s Johnny Cash, and to be honest, I aint gonna take that away from him. Who else gets to jam with their grandpa? I, on the violin, and grandpa on the guitar… singing his heart out to “Walk the Line”. And it’s not only country music that he loves, Grandpa digs western movies, fried corn, and his impressive collection of belt buckles. Never a dull moment.

Then there’s grandma. Both grandparents grew up without much luxury and still don’t even have a dishwasher. And Grandma is a pack rat. She loves to keep things and find other uses for them. Waste not, want not. That was how it was back then and it’s something she has always held onto, and to be honest, it’s something I adore about her. Packrat… that would be something that I’ve been accused of as well. In an effort to explain myself, I’ll just say that I hate to waste things if they can be used for something else. I love to make things with my hands, create things, learn things… there’s just too little time. Everything is destined for a finished product, but most of the time the project just doesn’t get done. In that way, Grandma and I are similar. Her love is sewing. And she’s darn good at it. (That’s the Idaho lingo comin out… you spend too many days up there and you too will start to sound like a native). She also loves to make things with her hands and usually has too many projects on the horizon than she can get too…

Then there’s the food. I’m a sucker for down home cookin. (It only seems appropriate to leave off the g). Potatoes fresh from the garden, fried corn, lima beans and ham, strawberry jam and the aforementioned apple pie. Great weekend. Enjoyed some good food, good company, and some great laughs… all the while catching the scent of one pretty pink peony as it graced the plastic vase on the dining table….

Peonies are my favorite.