In Memory of - Great Aunt Irene

This past week my Great Aunt Irene died.

She was about 92 years old. Lived a full life!

Since she lived "across the river" in Maryland, I was able to visit her at times. That has been a few years because she moved to be near her daughter for the last few years of her life since she'd spent the years around here with her son.

Here are a few memories:

• Breyer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - Way back in the 1980s, my family took a trip to DC and stopped by my Great Aunt and Uncle's home in Bethesda, Maryland. I remember it being near the temple for our church, but they weren't members and so they didn't go with us to visit it. However, they did feed us out on the grill and followed it up with the best vanilla ice cream I'd ever had at that point in my life! She informed me that the little black dots in the ice cream made it taste better and I've been hooked on Breyers since that time.
• Oil painting - She loved to paint. I think that she picked it up later in life. Never mind that, she was determined. So determined that she signed up for painting classes across the world. Yep, not just local little paint classes, but classes in exotic places.
• Travel - Even in her 80s she was taking trips to exotic places around the world - and not just to paint. She went on a safari and other such adventures.
• Kindle, email, and technology - When I was visiting her one day a few years ago, she got me involved in working on her computer. Something wasn't right and she and I both ended up on the floor re-directing wires. Really, a woman in her 80s and me. Since that time, she added me to her email list, she joined Facebook and requested all future book gifts to come electronically for her Amazon Kindle. Fuh-ney. Who says technology savy has anything to do with age?
• Aching Back and Hips - She informed me in another visit that her back and hip hurt and she didn't know why. Hmmm. Age?
• Laughter - Sometimes she was quiet and sometimes she'd tell a good story and share a cute laugh.
• Joy in grandchildren - She was ALWAYS raving about her grandchildren. Don't all grandmothers? But, I of course got to listen to a few extra piano solos and see little people dance around the house at her promptings.
• Loving to a not so related relative - A great aunt, unless located near you, aren't typically that close. I'm glad she took time to invite me over, talk, and share.

She died peacefully in her sleep. The right way to go.

I'm grateful she was a part of my life.