I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, growing up. Time seemed to slow down when you were with your grandparents. There were warm, comfortable, memories made with them. Long talks while sitting on the front porch with a fly swatter in your hand. Sitting on top of the ice cream crank while Grandpa turned the handle.
The smell of the woods and soft green moss is imprinted on my memories of Grandpa Parrott. The path through the woods, up to my Great Uncle Ed's house. The smell of vanilla pipe tobacco and cigars intermingle in that memory.
The scruffiness of "briars" on his cheek as I gave him a goodbye smooch on the cheek come to mind. All these swirl together and bring back my childhood days.
I can still seeing him standing in front of the picture window with his hands dug deep into his pockets, rattling the change in the pockets through his fingers thoughtfully.
His weight rolling from the tip of his shoes back onto his heels, time and time again. I think that retirement was tough at times on the man. He struggled to keep himself occupied and spent long hours on the porch, pondering the smoke of his pipe that swirled around his head..No doubt solving all the world's problems in an afternoon or two. He was a man of few words by the time I came along. You had to know when to keep quiet around grandpa. He liked to ponder things. I used to watch those same swirls of pipe smoke and try to see what it was he was seeing. Little girls just do those things.
My memories are good ones and I think I will keep them here.
Secured on this electronic page where I can come in and take a peek every now and then. My own little magic treasure box, kept on my dresser top, tied up with a pink satin bow. Every little girl had to have one. A small, little box filled with trinkets (to some) and treasures (for me).
"Now you just go on in there, your Grandma's around here somewheres...Go ahead on in the house, Janie Girl."
"I will be inside, right here, directly"...."We'll have dinner, here in a little while".
Words from my Grandpa that will echo in my mind forever..as well as my heart.
Especially when I catch of whiff of someone's cigar smoke.
Wilburn Larry Parrott
October 20, 1903 ~ December 15, 1998