friday flashback - the one where grandma was never ready

Well I think it's time to get a little Christmasy with the Friday Flashbacks. My Grandma was a shopper. Abby reminds me a lot of her with her love of the bling bling. My Grandma had an endless supply of Avon trinkets, sparkly rings, brooches and a hat or two. She may have worn a house dress for much of the time, but that didn't mean that your flashiest brooch or your good pearls couldn't go with it. So now you know where Abby gets it from. The great thing about Grandma is she loved to buy for all of us as well.

When I was a kid my Mom and her siblings used to pick names for Christmas gift giving. In a family of five kids and adding in spouses and children well buying for everyone was cost prohibitive to say the least. Grandma though didn't abide that theory and bought for all of us anyway. She would shop through the year, tucking things away for birthdays, anniversaries or Christmas presents.

The thing about Grandma is she was never organized. She was never ready for Christmas. Every year without fail dinner would be finished my Mom and Aunts would be washing up the dishes and Grandma would disappear upstairs to sort out the gifts. When I was a kid it seemed like she was up there forever and us kids would whine and moan, asking when is Grandma coming back down? The grown ups would try to distract us by singing Christmas carols which actually worked, but not for long. Finally after what felt like a hundred years Grandma would reappear, her arms laden with Bi-Way bags. Something only my Canadian friends will understand, but basically it was a grocery bag for you Yanks out there. With the appropriate name written on it in pen. And this happened every single Christmas. In the bag you'd find socks or underwear (remind me to tell you about the year I wore my undies on my head because there was umbrellas printed on them.... oh I guess I just did tell you), your favourite candy (always snickers for Dad) and a little toy or two. Invariably there was always something that she misplaced or was forgotten completely which would explain all the new in package Michael Jackson dolls, the Farrah Fawcett doll, dinky cars, no name Barbies and Tupperware (my Mom had purchased 25 years ago and Grandma forgot to give it to her) that we found as we cleaned up after she passed away.

I miss my Grandma terribly. I wish Abby and Maya could know the joy and love that was in those Bi-Way bags every year.