Just Grandpa

I only have/had one Grandpa. My dad didn't have much to do with his family and my Grandpa Watson died when I was younger. They were all the way in California.

I was thinking about the name of this blog, "Memories of Grandpa Rue". For me it kind of feels like there is more information there than I need. I am not making a dig at the title or anything of the sort. This blog is meant for a lot of people to use, and lots of them have/have had more than one Grandpa. I am simply making an observation that in my life he wasn't Grandpa Rue. He was just Grandpa. It is kind of like if I were talking to my mom about Nicky and said, "My cousin Nicky." All I need to say is "Nicky".

In my life if I were referring to some other Grandfatherly figure, they received the modifiers. Grandpa Olsen, Grandpa Guy, Grandpa Watson. If "Grandpa" was ever mentioned in conversation, it was Grandpa Rue.

In fact, it feels funny saying "when 'Grandpa' was mentioned in conversation... it was Grandpa Rue". My thought actually went more like this, "when 'Grandpa' was mentioned in conversation... it was Grandpa". It is kind of like when you talk to your friends about your parents you say, "My mom." When you're talking to your sibling you don't say, "My mom" you say "Mom".

Things changed when I had Daphne. Suddenly we were dealing with 3 more Grandpa's than I was used to! Again, they all received the modifiers. Well, except when we were talking to Daphne about Grandpa, then he became Papa Rue. Otherwise, when "Grandpa" was mentioned in conversation not directly involving Daphne, it meant Grandpa Rue.

He was also the last Grandpa Trevor had. When we first married he kept calling Grandpa "Grandpa" and I had to tell him that he didn't have to do that. In our family we just used names. Josh and David didn't call him Grandpa and Larry, Garth, Vernon, and Kent certainly didn't call him "Dad". He was Rue to all of them, or sir depending on how stern he was being. Trevor told me that he hadn't had a Grandpa in a long time and kind of wanted to have one again.

I'm telling you, there must have just been something about Grandpa. He's just Grandpa and that's all there is to it.

Just thought you should know

Tyler had surgery today and had phenol in his legs and his tonsils removed. He is home. He would LOVE some Ware love. He gets to walk through HELL everyday and it is sometimes a little tough. He has been pretty good this afternoon but tonight has been tough.

Happy Fathers Day, Grandpa!

I have been thinking a lot of Grandpa today. I remember all those Fathers Days growing up and having our "party" out on the deck with the family. It was never really a planned thing, if it was I didn't know about it :) We all just showed up and ended up on the deck. Miss you Grandpa!

A Week in Logan

Last Thursday I was driving south on Logan main street. I was needing to turn left and head east; however, the light was green so I was yielding to many vehicles heading north. I inched my way into the intersection to have the opportunity to turn left when the light would switch. I noticed the line of cars continuing north, so the wait was very long. When the light decided to turn yellow the cars heading north stopped allowing me to turn left so that I wasn't left in the intersection; however, a white Dodge decided they wanted to own the intersection, so they gunned it and ran the red light, nearly hitting me. I was a little shaken up after and my immediate response was, "Call Grandpa and ask him who was in the wrong!" When I knew that I couldn't call him, I decided to call mom and/or Chelsie. I found no answers, and I am still curious who would have been at fault.

In other news, I am sitting on my porch right now, enjoying the sun, drinking some lemonade with ice. It reminds me of spending time out on the deck as a family. I loved those afternoons. I remember always being the, "Mitchell, will you go get...." boy for Grandpa and Grandma. I know we have all made jokes about how Grandpa would say, "3 ice cubes", but it made me feel good that I could help my Grandpa with the most simple things. I will forever remember my Grandpa by the way that I served him. I helped him in the yard, helped with the clocks, and many other things.

A few weeks ago I was out for a run in Orangeville, and I decided to pay Grandma a visit. I went inside and we talked for a bit, she showed me his room and the wallpaper removal process. She left the room to answer a phone call and I could have a moment in his room. I opened up his closet doors and I saw his tie holder. I remember, as a child, I loved seeing his tie holder and how it would rotate. I saw a shirt of his, and just like my mother, I pulled the shirt in and held it. I smelled the shirt and for that brief moment, I had Grandpa next to me. I knew Grandpa was watching at that moment. I could feel it. I could feel him.

On my way back to Logan, I drove in silence. I thought about life, family, friends, and Grandpa and what I had experienced that afternoon in his room, and I have come up with this conclusion: Before I had gone home I hadn't spent much time on the fact that Grandpa was no longer here. I knew he had past, but I never "felt" what I did that afternoon in his bedroom. So I take that experience as a reminder that my Grandpa still knows me, he watches me, he is reading this blog as I type it, he is still there. So I think we will all have a reminder sooner or later, and they will happen when we are needing that reminder, and when we are in need of that comfort and love that we once had when Grandpa was here.