Grandma Gorrell

I found out yesterday that my Grandma Gorrell passed away. She had a stroke a few months ago and hasn't been doing very well ever since. She was such a great lady. First of all, she was hilarious. She would get so fired up about certain topics (politics being one of them) and she would say some pretty funny things. She lived a modest life. She never had anything that was very expensive and drove the same car since I was little. I wish I could care so little about earthly possessions as she did. She was a master quilt maker. Everyone in my family has a least one Grandma Gorrell quilt. The last year my parents were on their mission, she made 9 quilts for my mom and dad to give to families there in New York and several more for other people. Plus she knitted over 60 scarves that same year and sent 30 to the sister missionaries. She has piles and piles of fabric in her house. We would all tease her and tell her she has her own personal fabric store right in her house. She has made a couple different sets of pajamas for Jack and Anderson and they would wear "Grandma Gorrell jammies" every day if they could. I remember when I was in kindergarten, sometimes my Grandma and Grandpa would pick me up at the bus stop and take me to McDonald's for lunch. I also remember going to her house every Christmas day for dinner. She would make a ham, every year. I still to this day do not like ham and one year she started getting a little rotisserie chicken, just for me, so I would have something to eat. I have told her since I was little that if I ever had a little girl, I would name my baby after her. Her name is Ellen and she hated her name! She would always tell me, "Don't you dare name your baby Ellen! I have a terrible name." I told her maybe we would call her Elle, or Ellie, and she was still a little skeptical. She would stay up late watching TV every night. She loved watching sports, the news and old game shows. When we lived in Biloxi, she would call me worried because she saw that there were tornado warnings in Mississippi and she wanted to know if we were ok. She did not want us to move to Biloxi. She was always worried about a tornado or a hurricane. She was even more upset when I told her we were moving to Japan! She felt a little better when I told her that our house was on top of a big hill and if there were any tsunamis, we were in the safe zone. She worried enough for our whole family. I guess that just means that she loved us a whole lot and wanted us to be safe. My Grandpa Gorrell died 22 years ago and I know that she has been missing him every day since. Even though it is sad for us to let her go, it will be a long awaited reunion up in heaven with my grandpa. Things like this make me sad to be living on the other side of the world. I wish I could be there with my family right now getting ready for her funeral. 

You understand though, right Grandma? I love you so much and I already miss you. Say hi to Grandpa for us. I'll see you later!