Crazy Life Discovery!

Wow...

So this afternoon I have been freezer cooking and...get this...

While I am making lasagna to freeze, I decided to read the back of the package.

Not sure why...I obviously never have before...

Did you know...the lasagna package makes TWO meals???I never knew this...and was constantly frustrated while trying to shove all that lasagna into one big boiling pot- and then into a casserole dish.It was madness. It never fit. I was always frustrated.I feel so liberated. It's like a huge weight has been lifted!Anyway, Happy Castle night!Love you all. :) Pin It

Ruby Inez

Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.

C.S. Lewis

Two weeks ago, my grandmother left this world behind.

Ruby Inez Jennings. And what a jewel she was!

My grandmother was a busy, wonderful, colorful, slightly neurotic lady. Truly a one of a kind woman.

For as long as I can remember, I never saw her without her feeding me something. And this wasn't just the case for me, but for everyone that met with her...and this wasn't limited to you visiting her, oh no. If she came to you, she brought you something to eat. And you always ate it. She never really gave you the choice not to. Hilariously (to me), my husband threw up almost every time she fed him. For a while, he swore she was trying to poison him...but sweet man that he is, and persistent woman that she was, she continued to feed him anyway.

As a child, my sister and I would request her homemade chicken and dumplins for every birthday. And she would gladly make them, along with her infamous corn casserole and sweet cornbread muffins. This was a tradition that was coveted by my sister and I, and will now be passed down to our children...that is if my sister decides she wants to learn how to cook... (love you, Meri!)

One of my favorite memories of my mamaw dates back several years. I won't go into all the fun details, but the gist of it is this, My grandmother found a paper Rudolph at the dollar store. She taped it to her mailbox and admired her handiwork...One day, not long after, my mom pulled into her driveway after school where we were shocked to find a police car. We quickly fell out of the car and rushed inside...where we found a young policeman interviewing her. Apparently, Rudolph went missing. The obvious conclusion? It was stolen. She was certain of her taping job, and she felt it was a necessity for the police to get involved. As a teenager, I was completely mortified. Looking back...I cherish the memory or her sitting at that kitchen table across from that stunned, speechless, young policeman, who obviously wasn't sure what to do.

My grandmother was a funny lady, and I have a lot of work to do before I can fill her shoes. She had the heart of a servant, that is for sure. She was more faithful to her women at the nursing home than I am to my children. Not a day went by that she wasn't carrying them somewhere or taking them somethin to eat. She loved taking care of people. And I promise you, I have seen more hunger in the last year than the birds in her yard saw in a lifetime...which may have been only dated a year...but even so, the point is the same: any cornbread crumbs from your plate, or leftover waffle from breakfast, or uneaten fries from the terrifying crevices of my children's carseats, were dedicated to the cause of her beloved birds.

In the last couple years, as my family has suffered financial trial after financial trial, my grandmother would faithfully grab my hand at the time of every parting and put money in it. Then with tears in her eyes she'd look at me and say, "I pray for you, Callie, every day". And I believed her. Oh, how I now covet those sweet grandmother-prayers!

I could sit at this computer all night long and write about her lovable, quirky personality or the lengths she went to to care for those she deemed in need. But I'll simply say this, she was a woman of faith. And a woman of service and of passion, and I can close my eyes and see her right now singing praises to our King. And I know what she's singing, too.

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

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