Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!

My Grandma Helen was born in 1923 during the height of Prohibition and before the depression (I am sure she is thrilled I am broadcasting this). Growing up my Grandma lived about 3 miles from my house which I would bike to almost every day during the summer. We would play cards, my grandma is a card shark, she will throw the first couple of games, then suggest playing for money and take you to the cleaners. There were many times I bought the whole VFW a round of drinks because Granny beat me at Canasta, Rummy or Crazy 8s.

My grandma had seven children and surprisingly (hearing the stories) they all survived to adulthood (one of my uncles turned 60 this year). My grandfather passed away in 1982, she never remarried there were boyfriends throughout the years but she never remarried.

She loves lighthouses and wind chimes, she is also an amazing sewer and I cherish each quilt she has ever made me, decorations for holidays and little notes she sends. My favorite is the trivet she made with this handwritten note: This is to put hot dishes on. Jeff and I still laugh about that note.

She has had two hip replacements and jokes those hips are going to outlast her. She makes a mean Brandy Old Fashion (recipe to follow) and was the first person to I knew to drink Near Beer (due to her medicine). She loves yellow roses, Valentine’s Day, Bingo and card games (as I mentioned before). She loves to volunteer and has amazing stories that she loves to share. I am very lucky to have my grandma still around and it is days like this I wish I lived closer to my family because I would love to share a Brandy Old Fashion with my Granny.