Dear Grandma

I was cleaning up the desk the other day and came across some pictures I printed for my Grandma...two years ago. I still haven't given them to her! Oh, the shame. They are pictures from her house out on Little Skookum Bay where I have so many fond memories. I got reminiscing which spurred me to go through all my pictures and find more good ones to send to Grandma Sha Sha.

Grandma Sha Sha is actually my great grandma. Yep, we have 5 generations around! She's 97 years young. Okay, we all know that's really old, but hey - longevity runs in my family. Her dad lived to be 110. Anyway, while I was growing up we called her Grandma Allen, or for clarification in my really young years, "Grandma with the white hair" (as opposed to Grandma with the red hair). In my adult years Grandma told us a story from her childhood, and we realized that when she was a little girl she couldn't say her name, Frances. It came out Sha Sha, and her friends and family called her that for a while. We thought that was such a cute story we started calling her Grandma Sha Sha and that's how my kids have always referred to her.

In order to preserve some of my memories in writing I've decided to put my letter to Grandma Sha Sha on my blog. And of course I'm going to post some of my favorite pictures as well.

Dear Grandma,
I was looking through some of my pictuers the other day and enjoying all the good memories I have out at "Allen's Achey Acres." I remember playing baseball out in the field with Marshall and Allen when we were young. But I especially loved swinging on the tree and trying to get high enough to touch the branches with my toes. Oh how I loved to laze in your hammock and hear that dinner triangle ring in your "current" tree with the electrical outlet.

As a teenager I loved to listen to you and Grandpa play your guitars together.  It was quite the honor when you and Grandpa invited me to play the drums with you and your friends at your annual 4th of July gathering.

I could go on and on writing about all my childhood memories.  Even into my adult years - like when you taught me how to make naturally pink applesauce from your weathered apple tree.  I'm so grateful for all thse wonderful memories and even more grateful that my kids are building memories at your place.  They love camping and finding treasures at "Grandma Sha Sha's beach."

I've enclosed some pictures from a couple years ago and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  Thank you for the many memories, Grandma! We love you and hope to make it down again soon.

Love,

Jessica

 Grandma's "current" tree. Yes, that's an electrical outlet and yes, it does work.

The dinner bell. Aunt Shirley always used to tell me I could call her anything but late to dinner. 

  

Tate swinging on my favorite swing, July 2005.

Tate and Papa exploring around Grandma's place, July 2005.

 Tate and Camille in Grandma's field, July 2007.

Launched a canoe ride at Grandma's and explored the bay. Found this cute tree branch that beckoned me to sit in it. I actually lost my sunglasses in pursuit of this photo-op. Thankfully we were in fairly shallow water and I was able to dig them off the bottom with my oar. February 2008.

 Tate lost his second tooth at Grandma's place. Family Reunion August 2008.

 

Cooking dinner - everything tastes better when you're outside!

Mom had a fence put up around Grandma's field so she could bring her horses out to graze in the field. The kids loved the horses! Here they are eating their meal on a bench while checking things out. Family Reunion August 2008.

Grandma's youngest generation of kidlets. Left to right: Elizabeth (Maralee's), Camille (mine), Dylan (Allen's), and Tate (mine).