Learning to Float...

My grandmother passed away six years ago today, and the last thing I ever said to her was "that's a nice tree."

Really.

I saw her three weeks before she passed and I had no idea this would be my last time, ...stupid, isn't it? My grandma was 98 1/2 years old! But have you've ever known anyone that you thought would be around forever, even if common sense dictates otherwise?

Well that was my grandma.

So my last memory of my grandma is her was sitting in her tiny nursing home room-next to a curtain that separated her from her roommate, staring out the window at a beautiful Oak tree and saying to me "Would you like to live like this? Nothing to do but stare out at this tree?"

"That's a nice tree."


My young grandson is wrestling with grief right now, except his grandma (his dad's mom) hasn't died yet, she's been battling breast cancer for several years, but then cancer took a break for a few years. We all forgot about it. Well last year cancer came back...and it's meaner and nastier then ever. She's my age. I wish I had something more comforting to say to my grandson, but I simply don't. No pearls of wisdom, no "it will get better, you'll get over it" because that's not true. My dark Huber sense of humor would advise him to stay away from the subject of tree's...

I guess you can't pick and choose your grief, can you? And grief can be sneaky too...it's weird how it sneaks up when you least expect it, like the Christmas card section at Walgreens when it hits you that you have one less Christmas card to send this year, or the song Amazing Grace at church when it hits you that it was grandmas favorite hymn.

Someone once told me that grieving was a lot like learning to float in a lake. When you first try to lay back on the water you sink...alot...but then, after you hit the bottom a few times you kind of get the hang of it. Once in a while though you get hit by a big wave, and you lose your balance and you sink again, and again...until, you accept that ever so often there's going to be a big wave that maybe you can't handle (like a birthday anniversary or death aniversary), but for the most part, if you just relax, you can float above the water.

Cindy Huber

PS...My grandma was a terrific cook...it's very unfortunate that I didn't inherit that gene from her...although, the last 20 years of her life she ate cabbage every day (since she thought that would help her live to one hundred)...and I'll tell you...I had to bust my butt to find a recipe of hers that didn't include cabbage in it...but I think my grandma--who loved to cook for people and enjoyed sharing recipes--would love it if I kept her memory alive with one of her recipes...This one was featured in her church recipe book in April, 1987...and if you have a grandma coming this holiday season, feel free to use it, just tell her you got it from your friends grandma...I know my grandma would love that.

Pork Chop Noodle Dinner............ Reba Davison
4 pork chops.........................2 C. cooked noodles
1 tsp. salt.........................1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. prepared mustard...... 1 C. water
1 tsp. chopped onion

Brown chops on 1 side; turn and season. Brown side with salt and mustard. Place noodles in buttered casserole. Place pork chops on noodles, brown-side down. Pour soup, water and onion into skillet; stir and heat until blended. Pour over chops. Cover and bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees, then uncover and bake 1/2 hour til brown.

Cucumber-Pineapple Salad ........Reba Davison

1 pkg. lime jello............. 1 C. Dream Whip
1 C. crushed pineapple.. 1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. cubed cucumber
Add 1 cup boiling water to jello; stir until dissolved (2 minutes). Add 3/4 cup pineapple juice and cold water. Chill until jelly stage. Add pineapple, cucumber, Dream Whip and mayonnaise. Let set.