Part of the family

We're back from Disney. And while I'll have more on that later, I'm afraid we recently got some bad news. Steve's grandpa, Grandpa Jake, passed away a few days ago. This wonderful man had so many great traits. He always treated me like one of his own grandkids, which I loved. Since I'm away from my own family in Oklahoma, it's always been nice to have Steve's family here. They have always treated me like part of the family, and Jake did that, too.

I was never blessed to meet Jake's wife, Muriel, but he talked about her often. From the sound of it, they lived many years in mischievous marital bliss. Jake was in his 80s when I first met him, but you wouldn't know it. One of my favorite memories is when we went up north to the cabin, and Steve and I went golfing with Grandpa Jake...just the three of us. Well, someone had a bright idea to golf 18 holes, and I was dragging BIG TIME toward the end. By the 17th hole, I was groaning and moving slow. Meanwhile, Jake is off in the woods, looking for golf balls and never missing a beat.

I'll miss Jake this next summer. "Up North" won't be the same without him. I hope he and Muriel are now being mischievous together once again.