Grocery List

After my Grandma passed away we were going through her belongings and I found a great cream wool cardigan of hers. I asked if I could take it home, and since it was the middle of summer, hung it up in my closet. There it sat until the following winter. When the weather had turned bitterly cold, I grabbed that cardigan to keep warm and instantly smelled my Grandma. I was so surprised that after months of hanging in my closet it still carried her scent. It wasn't the smell of her perfume, and I don't think I could ever actually describe it but it was just a smell of comfort, love, and warmth. I remember that smell as I sat on her lap as a young girl, and just from the smell of that old sweater, I was taken back to many happy memories of her. I got so much comfort wearing that sweater and the scent that it still carried, that I held off on washing it as long as possible. However, the time to wash it had finally come, and I new that after that it would never smell the same. I reached into the pockets to make sure they were empty, and my hand felt a piece of paper that I had never even noticed before. I took it out, and there in my Grandmother's handwriting was a shopping list.

* Candy

* Potatoes

* Plates

What more could you ever need?

Of course there would be candy - and of course it would be the first thing on the list. She had a sweet tooth, and her candy dish would always be full, there would always be cookies (Fig Newton’s or gingersnaps to be exact), and rice crispy bars waiting to be shared.

In the final months of her life, she was quite ill and eating was a chore for her, but she could always have a little candy, and whenever you brought a small bowl of jellybeans (black being her favorite) over to her, she would give you the sweetest smile...like a small child. I loved seeing that smile, so I made sure her little candy bowl was always filled.

I like to imagine what this little shopping list was for. Were they planning on having all of us over to their house and that is why she needed plates? Were the potatoes for my Grandpa's yummy soup? If my assumption is correct, I know we all had a wonderful time visiting, I am sure my Grandpa's soup was delicious, and I am sure my Grandma shared her candy with all of us.

The sweater has now been washed many times, and although it no longer smells like her. I still enjoy the comfort it brings every time I put it on, but I really do cherish that shopping list left in her pocket. I  have plans to frame that list, but right now it sits on my dresser, when I am getting ready in the morning it always brings a smile to my face and is a great start to my day, remembering her.

I received some things of my Grandfather's also, and one special item makes me giggle whenever I see it. That will have to wait until another time to share however, because the weather is beautiful out today and I have a little boy standing by the window waiting to get outside and play.