OOTD - Grandma Alice's Birthday

Grandma Alice.

She makes me smile.

My grandmother was born in 1922 in Port Arthur, Texas. As the matriarch of our family she has always been one of the most influential people in our lives. She had six children. How she stayed sane is beyond me. I counted the other day and there are 14 grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren. So a total of 42 lives that would not be here if not for her and my grandfather. Can you imagine 42 lives? I can only take credit for two. 

Here she is Saturday at a reception. 

Grandma has Alzheimer's. 

I was in the ninth grade when I remember my dad telling me that she had the early stages of AZ. My grandfather had just been diagnosed with Leukemia and my family was in health overdrive. Making sure that grandma was okay and prepared. Her early diagnosis and treatment has helped her so immensely. 

She is confused sometimes and she can get disoriented, but for the most part she is still very capable of remembering things. She can tell you lots of things about her youth and early adulthood. Not so great about what she had for breakfast or did yesterday. 

It's crazy because there are times that I miss her so much. How do you miss someone that is there? I miss her witty little sayings, I miss her quick comebacks, I miss her happy go lucky straight forward say what you mean attitude. Most of all I miss being the nine year old sitting in the backseat of Grandma's great big blue boat of a car. My sister and I and my cousin were always with Grandma growing up, and we were always going somewhere in that blue car. Adventures, since she only got on the freeway when she had to. 

My great grandfather Mac (her daddy) lived to be 101. Her sister Carmen turned 94 last week.
I am so fortunate to have her in my life and I am so grateful that my kid's got to meet her and know her.

She taught her kid's the virtues of patience, kindness, forgiveness, community service and love.
My family has had disagreements they have had misunderstandings, but above all they love. We love.
She is also one of the wittiest people I have every known.

When it comes to community service my grandparents were pioneers here locally. Four of their children made careers for themselves in the public service sector.                                                                                                   Neither of my grandparents were college educated and they stressed the importance of an education and being well read, well informed and well spoken.

At 90 she is still very well read and well spoken. You just have to tell her what she needs to know to be well informed now, and she jokes about that all the time. That and hiding her own Easter eggs. Not kidding. She thinks that is funny. Leave it to my grandma to be so graceful in the face of Alzheimer's.

 A not so great outfit picture. 

Blouse - Forever 21

Pants - Express

Pumps - Target

Bag - Shoe Dazzle

Note my daughter rifling through the icebox in the background. 

"Icebox" is one of my grandma-isms. That and "witty-witty," "thing-a-ma-jig" or "bob."

 Eyes:

MAC All That Glitters, Bronze, Sable

Ardell Lashes #110

Lips: Dior 465 Singuliere Lipstick