She Gets Me

This is my grandma. We call her Grandma Juel, but her name is Mary. She is my mom's mom. I love her.
She let us spend the night at her house all the time. Grandma used to let us use so much bubble bath that we were itchy afterwards because it didn't get rinsed off enough. She used to hum while working (but then we pestered her enough and she stopped but now I wish she hadn't). She sews. She sews counter-cross stich, plastic canvas, embroidery and all kinds of things for us when we were little. She gave me my first sewing basket and box. She has made an ABC book for each of her three grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She has made blankets for her son and daughter and all the rest of us, multiple times over. My family calls them great-grandma blankets and we love them. Mine is falling apart. She embroidered flour sack towels for me and they were done with chickens and roosters. She didn't even know I liked roosters. One time she saw these forks that were bent to stand up and hold a picture or recipe card, etc. and bought them for me. I have an apron of hers that she made. I love the print on it. She gets me.
Grandma grew up in the time of the Depression and it just so happens that many of the little things of the Depression Era connect with me. Grandma grew up in Escondido, California where her mother did other's laundry and her father worked in the harvesting fields. Grandma's maiden name was Zickefoose. (I know!!!) She moved from Cali to Iowa after she met my grandpa on a blind date and married him. Grandma put up with a lot on the farm- outdoor plumbing, chasing cows, pigs, horses, chickens, canning and canning and canning the scores of tomatoes Grandpa would grow. She puts up with a son and particularly a grandson who like to get her riled up. Occassionally she dishes back and it cracks us all up.
Grandma has a tender heart. She would feed any stray animal, but mostly cats. There were so many cats! (That part I did not like.) She was married to Grandpa for 51 years. When she gets to heaven she plans on sitting on the front porch rocking babies for the rest of eternity. My Grandma has this kind of love that is unspeakable. You can't name it, but you can feel it.  I'm so thankful for her and her love to me!