Grandma Greiner

 

My grandma Greiner passed away this morning. She was 98 years old and though she was declining for a while, she hung in there for so long, sharp as a tack and active into her last days. She was a singer, a tailor, a pioneer woman who could can anything, sew anything, and 'make do' whenever it was necessary. 

When I was a kid, she and my grandpa would travel to "the valley" every winter, and would stop either on their way down or on their way back home (sometimes both), bringing us prizes from Mexico. One year it was a glass piggy bank, another year some solid silver bangles and earrings. She always smelled like Avon perfume, she always had her lipstick handy and her jeans pressed, and she was always up for a cup of coffee. She always called me "CourtneyAnn" like both were my one name, and she always refused to spell my middle name with an 'e' when she would write (it is actually Anne). 

I can easily recall her laugh, her jewelry, and the smell of her basement (mothballs, clean laundry, coffee...). She was always a bit mysterious to me, and little intimidating if I'm being honest, but she gave the best hugs and always had cookies handy in big jars in her kitchen. 

I miss her.