Granny B

It's been 9 years since my Grandma Blackburn died. It's crazy how you remember the most random details when it comes to different events in your life.
9 years ago, on the day after Thanksgiving, my Granny suffered a massive stroke. They did emergency surgery to release the pressure on her brain, which meant a huge tube coming out of her head to drain all the blood. I remember walking into the ICU and seeing all these extremely sick people, and when we came to one room I saw the person laying in bed hooked up to all these tubes and they looked like they were about to die. I was shocked and felt so horrible for that person and their family.
Then my Mom walked into that room.
The horrible looking person about to die was my Grandma. My sweet, amazing Grandma who got up at 5am everyday to either walk or play dice with her friend Keith. My Grandma who made the most delicious peanut brittle you've ever tasted in your life. My Grandma who watched "The Price Is Right" every morning and when her 2nd husband was called down as "the next contestant" you can see her jumping up and down on the tape. My Grandma.
She was paralyzed on the right side of her body and couldn't speak when my sister and I had to leave to go back to Utah. When we walked out of the door she lifted her arm and tried to wave goodbye.
That was the last time I saw my Grandma alive. She passed away at home a couple weeks later. She had a living will and never wanted to be put in a nursing home. My Mom was with her that Monday morning when she died.
Sydney and I went back to Idaho for the funeral, and it was probably one of the worst few days of my life. As soon as the viewing started, I started crying. I cried the whole 2 hours non stop. It wasn't my Granny laying there. She always had her hair a certain way and, because of the tube they had shaved one side of her head, they tried to fix her hair so you couldn't see the bald spot. She was allergic to make up, but they had caked it on her. And she wasn't wearing her glasses. I was in total shock from the whole thing.
I was only 13 when she died and I hate it that my most vivid memories of her are her funeral. I still have great memories of her, but none that will ever be as clear as those days in November and December 1999.
My Granny was born in 1920 and when she was just 20 years old she bought and opened her own beauty parlor. Women still didn't have many rights back then so this was a huge accomplishment. She was elected as the first woman on the Rexburg City Council. Overall she was an amazing woman.
I blame my Grandma for my addiction to cheesecake and raspberries. And my love for peanut brittle...and rubharb jam...and waffles...All of those come from the countless meals my Granny would always make me when I saw her.
The more I think of her, the more great memories I have of her. Playing cards and dice, and the game of "LIFE", picking raspberries, "Pick A Hand", watching her do hair in her kitchen, old food in the freezer, her house that always stayed the same, more junk in the closet than anyone knew what to do with, sleeping in her bed with her and imagining clouds, her post it notes...I could go on and on for days.
I am a better person for having my Grandma in my life. My family is better because of my Grandma.
I LOVE YOU GRANNY AND STILL MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!

Darlene M. Saurey Blackburn Peterson Bowen
Sept. 17, 1920-Dec. 13, 1999