Frogs

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while.....but our hearts forever. ~~Author Unknown

Since we got a late start, we decided to not travel through Atlanta. We stopped at a restaurant in Alabama for dinner. It was there that I introduced Rachel and Anna to buttercups. They had a blast sniffing them and rubbing the yellow pollen on their noses and ours.
For a 90 year old woman, Frog still has some spunk. Her mind is sharp but her body is getting weaker with each passing day. Even still...she keeps on going. And, there is nothing she loves more than spending time with her grandchildren. And, that's a good thing as she has quite a few grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Frog was the sixth (out of 10) child born to Papa John and Mama Nancy. And, she is the only remaining sibling at this point. She married a man named Joe at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church in Ensley, AL, in 1905. She was introduced to him by a friend, Sam (who was married to Joseph's sister). Joe was the only man she ever dated before marriage. And, she never remarried after he died of a massive heart attack in his early 50s. Together, Joe and Mary had five children.
Years ago, it was socially unacceptable to have a child outside of marriage. And, one of Mary's sisters, Angelina, became pregnant and she was unmarried. Angelina lived in a Catholic Home for unwed mothers in Mobile, AL, during the final months of her pregnancy and gave birth to a baby girl in February 1942. That baby girl was named Mary, and she is my mother. Mary was adopted by Joe and Frog. So, while Mary has no biological ties to Joe's side of the family. She does, and I have, biological ties to Frog's side of the family. Frog, my Grandmother, raised her five children alone after Joe died. She had some assistance from Joe's sisters (one, Rose, who never married, and another, Mary, who was the widow of Sam). Jointly, these three ladies helped one another through life. And, these same ladies played a large role in my life as a child.My Grandma worked as a nursing assistant in a local nursing home until she retired. After that, she spent her time taking care of her grandchildren until her arthritis got so bad that she no longer felt able to look after them properly. She is a devout Catholic. She is up every morning watching mass on TV and saying the rosary daily. And, like the mailman, nothing stops her short of hospitalization from showing up for mass on Saturday night. One interesting note...she never learned to drive. Interestingly enough, one of my husband's grandmothers never learned to drive either.
Three years ago, we had a large party for Frog. Her big party in 2004 was a surprise for her. We even made it a family reunion so that the entire family would be there. It is her 87th birthday party in 2004 that prompted me to take the cake decorating classes. I made her the most equisite cakes for that party. This was for a woman who never had a baby shower. She never had a fancy wedding cake. But for her 87th birthday, she had cakes that would make the most pampered bride jealous. I wanted her to feel the love that she has given so freely to all of us through the years. I wanted her to feel special. And, she did. She was the belle of the ball that day with over 100 guests in attendance to honor her. She may not be rich in material wealth but she is rich in love. And, at almost 90 years of age, I hope I can say the same some day.

This year, her cake wasn't as fancy but it was still made with as much love. I was glad to have a kitchen again where I could bake cakes comfortably. That is one thing I missed while living in the RV.

(Four generations in the pictured above, from left-right, my mom, Rachel, Frog, Anna and me)

Why did I title this entry "Frogs?" That is because "Frog" is my Grandma's nickname. She has what we call "knock knees." The knee joints in her legs turn inwardly creating a curved effect to her legs. A long time ago, everyone began to call her "Frog" as a result. My younger daughter has the same knock knees. My Grandma has never taken this name to be an insult. If you call her "Frog," she will proudly answer.

Yet another interesting tidbit about frogs, on my husband's side of the family, frogs were dubbed good luck figures. So, I guess some fairy tales do come true. I am married to the man of my dreams; my prince who came from a family that values frogs. And, my family has a frog too. Sounds like destiny to me.

And, my frog is our Grandma.

Happy 90th Birthday Frog! We love you!