Harriette Audelle Saunders 1918 - 2011

March 3rd, 2011

My sweet Grandmother, known lovingly as "GG" to my girls, passed away this morning.

We are all tremendously sad. She was truly a remarkable lady.

I already miss her so much. I miss her voice. I miss her perfume. I miss her soft, manicured hands. I miss her lovely white hair.

I know I will always miss her.

I will miss the sounds of her cuckoo clock and her grandfather clock. The deep softness of her couch. The beauty and serenity of her garden.

She was so strong. So vibrant. So sharp-witted. She lived on her own and drove herself around until very recently and had standing appointments to get her hair and nails done. She remembered everyone's birthdays. She gave wonderful hugs and kisses. She had a throw pillow that said "if I'd known having grandchildren was this much fun, I would have had them first", which she gave to my mom a few years ago. She was both thrilled and incredulous at being a great-grandmother.

She said things like "Oh, for Heaven's sake", "Isn't that neat?" and "Gee, whiz." She could use her fingers in her mouth to whistle louder than anyone I know. She called everyone "honey". She always had a box of See's candy on the table, a bowl of M&Ms out and a basket of Beanie Babies in the corner. She had beautiful handwriting. She was a lefty. She was a lady. She wore pantsuits and blouses and things with embroidery. She put out unique and whimsical decorations for every holiday. She loved and collected teddy bears. She liked to watch Jeopardy. She wore a heart locket necklace with pictures of her two children in it. She liked the chicken club sandwich from Jack-in-The-Box. She enjoyed watching the birds in her garden, especially hummingbirds. She liked wind chimes. She loved Spring. She was genuinely clever and had a great sense of humor. She would sometimes close her eyes and clasp her hands together in delight when she laughed. She loved to hear anything we had to tell her about our lives. She was upbeat and positive and always smiling. She and her late husband, my Grandpa Fred, called each other "pal".

It was my honor and privilege to be her granddaughter. Whenever we visited her, she always said how lucky she was. I think we're the lucky ones.