Friday, June 5, 2015

Looking back

This weekend marks the second anniversary of my marriage to my amazing husband, Daniel. It's kind of crazy to think that it's been that long already.

It also marks the first anniversary of my grandfather's death, the one I grew up with. So, it's a bittersweet time for me. I'd like to take a look back at my time with him.

Perhaps, some day, down the road, I will be able to write about my grandpa. I would love to be able to do so. He had a very fascinating life, including service time during World War II, training fighter pilots. He always joked about how Texas was such a flat place. (He had to travel through it on his way to training.) Especially after I moved out there from Utah. (Still living in Texas, by the by.)

Grandpa was a great man. I'm told that his singing voice was opera quality, if he'd wanted to train it. But, instead, he chose the profession of plumbing, and created his own company. Some of my uncles worked for him, and for a brief stint, so did my dad. He even helped with the plumbing on campus for Southern Utah University. And his work ethic was top notch.

Being a trainer for pilots, grandpa definitely had a thing for planes. I'd hoped to take him to the flight museum at one point, but I guess that's not going to happen. But he loved planes. He even made a plane out of stained glass. Stained glass was one of his many hobbies.

Grandpa was very artistic. He taught me a love for stained glass, and how to do the basics. His projects were both small and large in that medium. I remember one year for Christmas he made a stained glass ornament for each one of us grand kids, no small feat as there were a lot of us. And he would make a house out of glass for the married couples. For each grandchild that got married, he would make a clock out of stained glass. I was one of the few who did not get one, as he was pretty much at his end when I got married, and not able to do much of anything.

I think his best masterpiece was the grandfather clock that sat in his front room. Not sure if it's still there or not, but it was amazing. I admit that I'd hoped to get it at some point down the road. He had a whole little village of houses on the mantle as well. I don't know if they're still there or not as I haven't been back since I got married. I hope I can go back sometime this year.

Grandma is still alive, but not doing so well. I can't say as I really blame her. Grandpa was her light.

I just want to put this thought out there. Take time to spend with your family. You never know when you might lose someone. And it is better to have memories of them to look back on then to not have any at all.

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