Karlene Miller (a.k.a. the white haired Grandma) :)

Yesterday, I was putting a bracelet away in my jewelry box next to a necklace my Grandma Miller gave me probably 13 years ago. I haven't worn it in a long time and knowing the last few weeks were horrible for my Grandma, I quickly thought ... someday I should wear that to her funeral.

...then today, I got a phone call from my Dad. I knew what he was going to say before he said it, but that didn't make it any easier to hear the sad words, "Grandma Miller just passed away".

My Grandma was an amazing woman and a wonderful Grandma.

She was the one who introduced me to some of my favorite childhood toys...the cabbage patch dolls, paper dolls, the sylvanian families, water color books and the strawberry shortcake dollhouse. She bought me what I'm pretty sure was the whole entire collection of My Little Ponies and in the summer time she made sure we had the hugest super-soaker water guns a kid could imagine.

She was an amazing pianist and when I was old enough she shared her passion with me and taught me how to play. She had lessons with me every week, and patiently taught me where all the notes on the piano were. She helped me as I struggled using both hands to play "Swan Lake", and was probably very disappointed when I eventually decided to quit.

Some of my favorite foods were first discovered in her pantry, "Pink" milk and Twinkies...lucky charms cereal...the cheese 'n crackers with the little red plastic spread thingy and string cheese!

She would buy my sisters and I Easter dresses every year, with matching gloves and hats, and we would feel beautiful. We would have the best egg hunts in her huge backyard... I remember dying the eggs each year on her glass kitchen table and decorating them with Suzi's Zoo stickers and rubber bands.

Every meal at her house was huge and delicious. She made the best gravy and deviled eggs and there was always a veggie tray with dill pickles, olives and celery sticks. She would sit at the table and spread every one of those celery sticks with peanut butter or that weird orange cream stuff that she loved and she would lick the spoon as she went :).

She gave the most original gifts at birthday and Christmas time... pearls inside live oysters, authentic fossil collections and jewelry you would have to see to believe!

She lived with my family for a couple of years and it was wonderful to have her around. I have lots of memories of her, especially at meal time. She loved McDonald's, cottage cheese and huge drinks full of ice. She always asked me to go back to the freezer to get more ice, there was never enough ice. :)

The last many years she has been so sick that she has spent all of her time in bed. As miserable as I'm sure she was, she was always so sweet and strong. She conquered health problem after health problem and we joked that she would out live us all. She is a great example of endurance to me and I have thought about her over and over again as I have been laying here sick in my bed.

I'm so happy that she is finally able to get out of her bed. I love to imagine her in heaven with her mom and dad, who she has been missing for so long. I know she knows how much I love her and I hope she knows how special my memories with her are. I have been so lucky to have her as my Grandma.

While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet them behind the veil.~John Taylor