05/29/2026
Many of you know the story behind my physical disability. A few of you know that all I do here at Annie’s is in honor of my grandmother, Lena and Grandpa,Harold. I would give all I have to spend a few minutes with my grandfather. He died one month after my 8th birthday. My twin sister and I really lived with my grandparents, all my memories I have pre 7 were with my grandparents and I felt a part of me died when my grandpa died. Life changed, it was raw and painful and it was made worse by my naivety regarding death. I thought people just came back, like cartoons, bugs bunny came back every day right?? In fact every character in our lives died many deaths and was back for the next episode. That was my eight year old understanding of life and death, silly as it sounds. The day they’d buried my grandfather was more than 20 below zero and snowing very hard. Less than 2 weeks later I walked the 3 miles to the cemetery with a garden shovel to dig up my grandfather. I think I thought they forgot to go get him. By the time I’d returned to the cemetery for the third time my dad was good and mad and I remember the stern spanking which was only made worse because I expressed my angst that he’d been left with no food for too long.
I remember throwing up everytime I stayed by my poor grandmother. I was crushed and no one understood it.
My grandfather walked with a terrible limp, almost thrusting his leg forward to walk. I feel closer to him when I have bad days, when the pain is so severe that it is painful to walk. On those days, I remember my grandfather well and I know I can take more steps, because my grandfather did.
I asked the ladies from LarryVille Gardens if they had yellow pear tomatoes. she expressed her disdain for them, I told her I really needed them, that it was a childhood memory, she said she understood. I don’t think she did.
When people tell me to quit, retire. Take it easy. I simply can’t. My grandfather, he walked with a terrible limp.