Or better known as great grandaddy.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about great grandaddy. The kind of man he was. The kind of husband he was. The kind of grandfather he was. When I really think about his personality and the man he was, the first person that comes to mind is Jeff. And then I realize that's what attracted me so much to Jeff (well other than the fact that I thought Jeff was hot;). Jeff and great grandaddy are so much alike.
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Both of them have a very serious exterior but a heart as big as the world. Both of them are hard workers and good providers. Both of them like to work with their hands, love to be creative with what they do and make and are very good at it. Their personalities are just so similar that it suprises me when I really stop and think about it. They're both incredibly patient and although they'd like you to think that they care very little about a lot of things they'd be the first ones to smile about something you've done or said when you're not looking.
Great grandaddy used to tell me to "get on away from him" when I'd try to sit on his lap in his favorite chair in the kitchen (I can picture him in that chair and every detail of that kitchen). When I'd still kiss him on the cheek and tell him I loved him as I walked away, I'd catch him smiling out of the corner of my eye.
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Granny will deny this to her death but I vividly remember sitting at that kitchen table and grandaddy walking by her as she was washing dishes and patting her on the butt. They had to be every bit in their 70's at that point.
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I don't remember shedding a tear when he died because I was so young and he had been sick for what felt like so long. It actually scared me a little as a kid when we'd go to visit while he was sick because he had Alzheimers and I didn't really understand what was happening. He was the example in my mind of what strength and confidence was, so that was very confusing for me to see. I now realize that person laying in the bed wasn't great grandaddy and he was (and always will be) that confident wonderful man that I know and love.
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In our home I have the trunk that grea
t grandaddy borrowed money to purchase so that he and granny could get married and move to DC. The irony of that is he became an incredibly successful builder who built many homes, his own beautiful home and many rental properties. So even in my newly remodeled living room, there sits that worn old trunk as my coffee table. It's there as a daily reminder of him and the great lesson of how hard work can certainly amount to success.
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Also in our home hangs the sign (that he made) that hung at the entrance to his property. His property was called Timberline and the sign is made of old wood and letters that he cut out of metal. The letters are individually nailed to the wood. There's a metal edge around it that has been welded. That piece is also one of the priceless pieces in our home. And ironically that is now the name of Jeff's business (thanks mom, great suggestion).
What do I think of when I think of great grandaddy and that house? (I'll try to save granny for later, but I'm bound to think of things of her too - they were a package deal =) ...
creative 
serious
big softie
patience of Job
flannel
the birds in his hand
throwing bird seed out in the driveway
sitting out on the porch
the indian painting on the porch
the lighted stain glass window on the porch
the mirror with the stain glass that he made - I have that hanging right here over my desk
granny's multi colored metal glasses and how weird it felt to drink out of them
Uncle Snowden sitting in that chair in the corner by the phone - and being freaked out about the fact that he ate turtle and frog legs
that red leather chair
the tape that grandaddy made with Alison's new tape recorder one Christmas talking about everyone in the family - it's been a long time, I can't wait to hear that again! =)
wood working in his garage
tan colored pants (cords)
his hats
that old jeep
their stationwagon
my old purple Volkswagen beetle that he'd charge for me to ride
the vice and saw at the window in his garage
the things hanging in the garage alllllll over the place and the little step down area in the back
I can still remember the smell of that garage and the smell of the greenhouse
playing dolls with Alison at Christmas
sitting in the other room eating lunch with Susie
grandaddy fussing at the TV back on the porch (was it 60 minutes he'd fuss at?)
Christmas in their home
the breatht
aking view from their home
watermelon outside at their house in the summer
trecking up that hill to visit
the little cubby off of the kitchen that granny would decorate special for holidays (especially at Halloween)
granny's little decorations and surprises at Halloween
that musty old basement that lead into the greenhouse
the woods that granny used to walk me in to find the "fairy trees"
the garden and the grapevine
the chicken coop
granny's trash barrel
him driving us to Winchester to old town to shop
builder
loving husband
father
grandfather
great grandfather
I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. Great grandaddy was probably the most important man in my life and it took me many years to realize it. He's a man that died very early in my life, but a man I'll never forget. I'll say that while writing this I've finally cried over great grandaddy's death, but there's also joy and excitement that I feel certain that I'll see him again and I can't wait for him and Jeff to meet!
Cute little golfing boys!
Cute little golfing boys!
Is there anything any cuter than dirty boys . . . . . .
laughing and enjoying some watermelon?
Proud Papa's!
Owen trying to entertain himself during golf. Such a sweet content boy!
He stops watching TV for a minute to ram a truck into the table 
Aw oh! I've been discovered
