I was reluctantly packing up a few mornings ago to return from a month long beach a thon, when my friend and my usual roomie Sue asked me, “Does this mean summer is over?” As I was rummaging through my belongings, my wearied brain began reflecting… “Yep”, I said…”I think this sweltering summer may be coming to an end”… but beach trips and day drinking ..well, not on MY watch my friend! I have visited mountain vistas, I have swam in the deep blue sea, ridden bikes on long and winding roads, and saw my very first grey whale! This sweet summer has left an impact on my life forever.
And then came August….
Most days have been spent with family and friends, as it should be. I found it not so critical to have my toes in the sand or even a mountain to climb…but it was critical to have the people I love by my side. If you’re lucky enough to have,” fill in the blank”, then you’re lucky enough! I am…because I had Merle.
An Angel left us this summer. We knew it was time, but none of us will ever be the same. My mother in law raised me. I was only 18, a baby. She let me sleep in her home. She cooked for us more delicious meals than I could count. Often she washed my children’s clothes (and my children!). She brought soup to us when someone was sick and emptied trash cans when stopping by for a quick visit. We talked on the phone for hours, and she kept my children for days. There were hello hugs and more hugs to say goodbye. She kept my family safe and sound, and told me she loved me all the time. She wasn’t my mother in law…she’s a Mom to me, only I had to share her with everyone else who loved her.
As this summer winds down and the end is finally here, it has been oddly beautiful and colorful and dark.
Gary happens to be on his 31st camping trip with his 4 best friends. If they were any closer they would be girls! He loves his backpacking buddies and they truly care, so I’m happy he is there. Time ticks on. Parents, siblings, friends, and precious puppy dogs are not allowed to be around forever. I “kid around” about my wine and my girl time, and I don’t like to take “stuff” too serious, but there is no kidding around when I tell you, in this silly little blog, how much I cherish the people I love.
Fall…YOU ARE MY FAV! A time to miss everyone that I miss and kiss everyone that is here.
So hurry home GAY-REE (as Merle would say)
PS…You better get your butt to the 10th (and last!) MelaNoMo this year!
“ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO A 10”
love you
“Mired Up”
This is making me cry! It is so sweet and she did love you like a daughter! We all loved Gannie and she will be missed!!!
Writing about your(our) Mom was as easy as her apple pie:) Just hard to find a finish.
So, so good (as usual). Def one of my favorites!! I’ll miss Gannie everyday!
You were lucky to be her favorite…granddaughter!
GANNIE, in her own sweet way, kinda’ raised everyone! She had a sweet, sweet spirit.
So true Angela. Sweet is the key word…She was sweet to everyone, and how that paid off…because she was loved right back!!!!
❤️
And that picture of Lewis and Merle…it’s like looking at Gary and Gail!!
The epitome of a young girl in love with a boy! Only 17 years older than Gary!
Your talent for writing such heartfelt stories continues to amaze me. You’re all so lucky to have such a wonderful, loving family!!
We are lucky. It takes a lot of love and work to be so lucky!
Wonderful! My favorite one so far.
It has been wonderful to sit down and put my thoughts together…I have had a wonderful mother in law all the way through!
I had her biscuits sometime along the way and they were wonderful! We had a lot of good times along the way as newlyweds. Long time ago! Enjoy your blog!
Wonderful memories for sure!
Such a sweet tribute!!
Thanks Charlotte…I don’t know how she loved so many so much! But she did!
Oh my,my. I’ve been shedding a lot of tears these days but reading this,they were bigger and came from way down deep. I loved Merle from the first hello and forever more. Thank you Tracy for such a beautiful piece.
This blog came from way down deep…Happy to show some light into being Merle’s (favorite;) “daughter in law”
A Merle post written from your heart. This post truly touches us all who ate Merle’s biscuits and felt her love.
Kinda like the tin man…but I got mine from Merle!
This is the sweetest tribute to a wonderful lady 💕 gannie will be missed by so many but I have no doubt she will have biscuits waiting for everyone when she sees them again!
The last time I “tried” to make Gannie’s biscuits they were NOT eaten. I’ll stick with my cheese wafer’s, but will never be as “famous” as Merle Gaines!
There are certain people God puts in our lives that make a lasting imprint on our hearts and your MIL(Mom) by what you said and felt was definitely one of those special people. How blessed you both were to have known and loved each other. Cherish that!
She wore a size 6 shoe….but mighty shoes to fill!!!
You are a joy! I get excited when I see one of your blogs show up. Keep entertaining all of us who cannot put thoughts on paper as well as you do.
You are my favorite cheerleader! Keep the compliments coming…they make me smile!
Tracy what a wonderful blog u wrote about Merle, she was a sweetheart and u where good to her, Lucky to have Merle on your life. Love u my friend.
So true! I was blessed to have her in my life. She kept me “together” many times in many ways.
Gannie was the absolute best! She opened her heart to me and treated me as her grand daughter, no questions asked! However, I still laugh at her calling Margaret ( when she & Neil were engaged ) by Neil’s former girlfriend’s name and my all time favorite, trying to get Neil to buy an engagement ring while grocery shopping at Cosco! I am quite sure everyone in Heaven has gained at least 10 pounds from eating biscuits and gravy every day!! I loved her.Boy, did she love her children, grands and great grands! She loved you, too, Tracy! So do I
Straight out of the oven…Nothing better! I wish I knew of how many biscuits I have had. UH…maybe not!
Thanks for loving our Gannie as much as you did! She really did love your family as well!
That is so sweet Tracy and you’ve probably shared what we all feel but didn’t have the words to express about life. Sounds like you were so blessed to have such a wonderful mother-in-law.
Hi Susie!
I had the best…so NO excuses for me…right? (Yikes:)
Thanks for reading my blog…it means the world to me!
i know mother in laws get a bad rap sometimes, maybe deservedly so, but mine was as dear to me as merle was to you. i know you speak and write genuinely, and that’s getting to be a rarity, and indeed, a treat.
You are so right Margaret! A bad Mother in law is difficult, but a mother in law that is a “bad ass” is a good thing right? lol