For a special lady

One thing I have really enjoyed about getting married is adopting a whole new family. I've been extraordinarily blessed with great in-laws (good thing we get along so well, seeing as we live in the same yard) and love to spend time with the brothers and sisters-in-law and nephews and nieces. Errol and I tease each other that the other's family likes them better.

One special lady I adopted was Errol's Grandma T. I was taking a quick break from baking up a storm before I head out to mow the law and read May-B's post about her grandma, and thought, I should post about Grandma T! It's hard not to think about her often as we live in her old house and many of her belongings are in daily use (furniture, her specially-made countertops that fit me perfectly, etc.) She's the lady who painted the kitchen, dining room and master bedroom pepto pink. Tomorrow we will celebrate her 90th birthday (i.e. the reason why I'm baking in the summer...)She's lived a fascinating life. She spent a good part of her childhood in the Park Valley area, one daughter of Swedish immigrants. She married and she and her husband eventually settled in this area as well. My mother-in-law is their only daughter, but they took in scads of foster kids, several of whom still stay in touch. Eager to entertain with food, she worked as a cook for many years at the Big Dipper Dining Theatre at Christopher Lake, home of the Cottonpickers and eventually retired and moved to Canwood. Her memory is not great anymore, and she can no longer care for herself, so she lives in the home in Big River. But that hasn't slowed her down. She loves the parties and friends she's made there. She's quick to smile and laugh, and will tease you to make you feel at home.

Happy 90th Grandma T!