Happy Birthday!
Today is the birthday of someone very, very, very special to me and even if she's been dead for more than two years now, this day will always be a day to party and eat chocolate in her honor. Grandma had an impressive sweet tooth and was more of a child at heart than I've ever been even as she was raising me. I sat through every single family reunion organized on her birthday because I knew she loved having everybody around at least once a year and she loved those people and could connect with everyone, which is something I never quite managed. I had my own room for a while while I lived with her, but I always liked sleeping in her bed and after I moved out and came by on the weekends in college, I used to sleep in her old bed where we'd stay up and gossip until 2 am. She loved hearing about al the conferences I worked on. She adored dogs and loved cats, had long, flowing princess hair which I loved to braid and was always tanned because she spent most of the day outside even when she had to use a cane to walk. She loved telling stories about my cousin's tiny penis when he was little, which she theorized never really grew much, told stories of pre-marital sexual debauchery among the prime and proper girls she grew up with in the 30s and 40s and generally had no shame, which I suppose is genetic. She had an infectious laugh, especially when she told stories about how she first discovered grandpa was cheating on her, loved soap operas and had a quick temper and a beautiful voice which she used to yell at the seven kids she raised mostly by herself and generally talk so loud, the neighbors could hear her even when she was inside. She loved to knit and would do it for hours upon hours until she was doubled over trying to see the pattern because she wouldn't even get up to turn the lights on, I always did it when I'd come back from school and find half of a sweater already done. I had lots of nicknames for her. The one she liked best was Strawberry.
For some reason I decided to make myself a card for the occasion so I scanned the picture I always carry in my wallet. This is from her 80th birthday, the one before the erm... family incident...
I'm probably going to emo!bore you to death every single day of October 16th for as long as I'll ramble on the internet, but a party generally needs more than one person. Cake's on me. :)