Missing You

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Today I am thinking of my Grandma.  It is her birthday.  My Grandma Wagner was a lot of things and she was absolutely one of the most influential and special women in my life. 

She knew me better than I knew myself.  She told me when I was about 7 years old that I should become a lawyer when I grew up because I was so good at fighting.  I told her that was boring.  Now, here I am a paralegal, just like she was at my age. 

My Grandma was a total fashionista and diva.  She got her hair done, she loved jewelry (she had a mass collection of amethysts, diamonds and pearls) and she loved getting all dolled up.  On every holiday, you could smell her Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds perfume a mile away.  She was forever complaining about that "dadgum Wheatland wind" messing up her hair.  

She was from the south.  A real lady.  She had a certain twang in her voice and in her laugh.  She heavily emphasized the h's in her wh words.  It wasn't white, it was whhhhhite.  She cooked like she was from the south too.  Every meal we had could feed an army and it was all perfectly delicious. 

She was stubborn and she made sure she got what she wanted.  Because her birthday is obviously the day before Valentine's Day, it was absolutely imperative that my Grandpa celebrate the two fully and separately.  In other words, she better not get no chocolate heart on her birthday.  

She had many talents and many passions.  She was a sewing genius.  Every year, my sister and I (only 13 months apart in age) would get matching outfits for holidays and picture days.  She sewed my mom's wedding dress.  I can't tell you how many pillows, wallets, quilts and the like I have from her talented hands.  As I mentioned above, she cooked like nobody's business and when she was cooking, stay the hell out of the kitchen.  She always tried to get me to learn the Charleston because "nothing gets a crowd going like the Charleston."

Her biggest passion, though, was her family.  She was forever proud of her family.  Kaden was the only great-grandchild she got to meet before she passed away, but he was the light of her life.  My Grandpa told me that when we left from a visit, he was forbidden from cleaning the sliding glass door from his finger smudges.  She wanted them to stay on just a bit longer. 

My grandma was many things to many people.  Her last few years she was part of a Democratic group and avid Bush hater, a die hard Bronco fan, an online chat phenom (screen name Tara) and she listened to Whitney Houston's Bodyguard album on repeat.

 It has been said by my family that I am nearly identical to my Grandma--our professions, our love of fashion, our handiness with the internet, our stubbornness, our love of and talent of the written word, our dark curly hair, our Democratic political stance, our independence, our maternal instincts and our ability to not take any shit from anyone.  When people tell me that, it is the greatest compliment ever, next to when people tell me that I am just like my mother.

Happy birthday Grandma.  I miss you everyday and I love you with all my heart.

Knit Cardigan with Elbow Patches-Mossimo; Chambray Button Down-Lee; Gray Turtleneck-Wal-Mart; Plaid Skirt-Ross; Brown Tights-unknown; Brown Heels-Mudd