Things I've learned

from my Gramma Fay......

1. Always smile
2. Try not to worry about stuff that's out of your control
3. How to tell a good joke
4. The names of trees, flowers and constellations
5. How to press a wildflower
6. Always keep a small bag of fun things in your purse to keep kids entertained
7. Always stay close to Heavenly Father
8. How to play a mean game of Boggle or Rummy
9. August has the best meteor showers
10. Who cares what other people think ~ be yourself anyway
11. Keep learning no matter how old you are
12. Always serve cashews when playing cards
13. Laughter is the best medicine
14. Take time every day to observe nature

I will miss this wonderful lady! I will miss her cute little giggle when you'd call her on the phone and she'd say "hello dear." I will miss her strength of character. I know she loves me and she knows that I love her ~ when I visited her in the hospital the day before she passed away, she was still somewhat lucid and I was able to tell her this one last time. I'm incredibly grateful for that last precious moment. Her birthday was six days before mine ~ I will miss having our "birthday" calls. I'm thankful for my memories of the fun things we did together when I was a child and when I became a mom. Memories....not things, are the most priceless possessions. I have a few of her earthly possesions to remember her by, and I am thankful for those, but am eternally grateful for my fun recollections of my amazing Gramma Fay! She was always a fabulous storyteller and teacher ~ she continued to do so after her passing.


My grandma taught a church class for the last 16 years....including the month before passing away. She was an effortless inspiration to many. The following is a story that she related during one of her lessons......

Keep Your Fork... the Best is Yet to Come

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible.

Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important," the woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor. The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?'. Then I want you to tell them:

"Keep your fork... the best is yet to come."

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite Bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question. "What's with the fork?" And over and over again, he just smiled.

During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you oh so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

~ Author Unknown ~



A copy of this story was found in her burial clothes and was accompanied by a fork. She was buried with that fork as a reminder to us all that "the best is yet to come." What a marvelous message for her family and friends!!

As I've handled different issues in the last month, I find myself thinking "your grandma would not let this bother her...don't let it bother you." She always did tell me I was a worrier ~ haha. I only wish I'd caught on a little sooner! I love and miss my grandma and am very thankful to be her granddaughter!!