Grandma Goodman

Grandma Rita Allred Goodman passed away on  Friday, May 18, 2012.  She was nearly 95 years old.  In my adult years, she became a very good friend and I will surely miss her.
Here are some of my favorite memories of Grandma:
-Going to her cabin as a little girl with Jodi.  We'd walk downtown Strawberry as Grandma got her hair done looking for our one true love.  I vaguely remember playing Rook with Grandma, but it's not a sharp memory.
- Going shopping with Grandma as a girl with Jodi and Dyan.  Grandma insisted on going in the dressing room with us and I remember not liking the clothes she wanted to buy us.
- Going silverware shopping with Grandma before my wedding.  I swear we went to 50 silverware stores and at each one I'd tell her I like "silver" ware, not "gold" ware.  And at each store she'd try to talk me into getting silverware with gold.  We went round and round at each store and I thought we finally agreed on a nice silver setting.  Well, lo and behold, as I opened my gift from her there was gold silverware, just like she wanted me to have.  I groaned, but do you know what - it's been the best silverware I've ever had!
- Grandma and Grandpa came to just about all my volleyball games they could.  They watched me play at EAC, came to Miami for nationals, came to all my MV games I coached.  I could always count on them being there and sitting on the top row of the bleachers - with the assistance of family, me, many other players, strangers, any one we could get to help them up the bleachers.
- Cleaning her house - about 10 years ago we went through a phase where we had to clean Grandma's house.  I remember celebrating when I finally heard the vacuum suck up a piece of dirt.  Grandma laughed and told me to shut up.
- Countless visits to the back room of her house in the past 5 years.  I was blessed to live close and to be able to visit regularly.  She seemed truly delighted to have us stop by.
- On one of those visits, we played "hot potato".  Hannah decided to toss the ball to 92 year old Grandma and I freaked out.  But Grandma caught that ball and tossed it right back to Hannah - it was the fastest I have ever seen her move.  She was not going to be bested by a 4 year old.  It was hysterical.
-  Putting lipstick on Grandma.  The worse I did, the harder she laughed, making it even worse.  It was an ugly cycle, but one of the funniest things ever!
- Grandma's laugh - as illustrated by the above 2 stories.  When you get her laughing, there is nothing better.  Her laugh is genuine and from the soul.  We teased her about her sexy legs - laughter.  I tried to talk her into going back to school at age 90 to finish her master's degree - laughter.  We tried to get her to show us her old cheerleader moves - laughter.  She had a great sense of humor and I felt like I really got to see it in her old age.

Grandma you will be missed, but I know you are with your Ever-lovin' up in heaven dancing, arthritis and pain free!