In Honor of Gladys A. Huster: Sept. 12, 1908 - April 19, 2008

First let me start off by saying that Gladys was not your typical Grandmother. She never baked cookies or gave us hugs and kisses. She didn't host holiday dinners or have sleep overs for her grandkids (or great grandkids). I'm not even sure she ever told me she loved me. But none of that mattered over the years; in fact we've had many a laugh about it over the years. It was just part of who she was and we loved her anyway.

What Gladys did give me was a lifetime of lessons. Some are funny, some are useful, and all are memorable. I compiled this list to remember her and all of the honest-to-goodness funny times we had together because her humor is something that always amazed me and everyone who met her. I enjoyed joking with her and making her laugh. I don't think anything I ever said ever shocked her - even at 99. And as my previous post proves, she kept that humor until the very end.

The things I learned from my Grandmother:

1. You can never moisturize too much
2. Heavenly Hash was the best ice cream ever
3. There's nothing wrong with eating a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in a single sitting
4. If you're going to sit on the radiator, don't raise the temperature higher than 80 degrees or you'll burn your butt
5. A pound of Godiva a day is a good day
6. Julia Roberts is beautiful
7. Buying 6 months of paper products at one time is completely normal
8. Macy's is the only store you need
9. Barnes & Noble has better hot chocolate than White Castle
10. Ronald McDonald red is not a good hair color for anyone unless you're a clown
11. If you need to wear a wig, make sure its secured in the event you get rear ended
12. Even styrofoam cups can't ruin a good cup of tea
And my most recent lesson, learned on Sept. 21, 2007:
13. Cafe Picasso's chicken parm may actually be better than the Olive Garden's!

Rest in peace, G. I'll miss you.