Month: October 2021

100 Things That Remind Me of You.

Posted on by sennajandy

Greetings, squadlings.

Today is October 2nd, 2021. My grandpa was born on October 2nd, 1921. He would be 100 years old today.

Unfortunately, he never made it past 84–he died on October 14th, 2005.

For his 100th birthday, I’ve compiled a list of 100 things that remind me of him. Enjoy.

  1. Plaid. You know which pattern.
  2. Fall.
  3. Lakeside Park.
  4. The number 247.
  5. Northwestern.
  6. Old white dudes in crewneck sweatshirts.
  7. The grandfather clock in my dining room. Even though it doesn’t work anymore.
  8. Cardinals.
  9. Football.
  10. Writing. I had to get that gene from somewhere.
  11. Christmas.
  12. Graham crackers.
  13. My cousin Margaret.
  14. $1 bills. I’m a bank teller, and I still think of you, every time.
  15. Antiques.
  16. My dog bookend–the last thing you ever bought for me.
  17. Books.
  18. Presidents.
  19. The damn bell on the back of the door.
  20. Front porches.
  21. That little white bench.
  22. Your crazy children.
  23. Stan Lee. He looks like you.
  24. Big glasses.
  25. The nightly news.
  26. Driving.
  27. Midwestern dads.
  28. Happiness.
  29. Hugs.
  30. Your voice. I can still hear it.
  31. My mom.
  32. Bats. I think you would be mortified by that.
  33. The Wisconsin Badgers.
  34. World War II.
  35. The lighthouse.
  36. Rudolph.
  37. “Ya got it!”
  38. Your love for our family.
  39. Newspapers.
  40. White houses.
  41. Stuffed animals. You used to buy them for me.
  42. October. For the best and worst of reasons.
  43. Christmas Eve.
  44. Sweaters.
  45. The Little Farmer.
  46. Aunt Meg’s house.
  47. Photographs.
  48. Bookshelves.
  49. The chairs in the living room.
  50. The old house.
  51. Smiles.
  52. Your high school varsity letters–all 14 of them.
  53. Old movies.
  54. Sharpies.
  55. “Gun it!”
  56. My mom’s stories.
  57. Pine trees.
  58. Backyards.
  59. Garages.
  60. That little red car that my brother and I would fight over.
  61. The freakin’ Camry, which I can’t believe still works.
  62. Your laugh.
  63. The photos of you around my house.
  64. Go-Karts.
  65. Bumper Cars.
  66. Trains.
  67. Ice cream.
  68. FdL High School.
  69. Words.
  70. Heaven.
  71. Dean Martin, for some reason.
  72. Christmas music.
  73. The ornaments you made for our family–still on all our trees, all these years later.
  74. Unfortunately, mac and cheese from Noodles & Company.
  75. Air vents.
  76. “It’s so loud!”
  77. Your crazy grandchildren.
  78. Your crazy great grandchildren, that you never got to meet.
  79. Knickknacks. God, you had a lot.
  80. The books you wrote.
  81. Presents.
  82. Cards.
  83. For some reason, the light fixtures in my house.
  84. Desks.
  85. Pens, pencils, markers…
  86. Feeling brokenhearted because we lost you.
  87. The Green Bay Packers.
  88. The old kitchen table.
  89. Tile floors.
  90. My aunt Sarah.
  91. My aunt Meg.
  92. Family.
  93. The blinking light on top of the hospital.
  94. Carpeted floors.
  95. FdL in general.
  96. Fireplaces.
  97. Car horns.
  98. Red doors.
  99. Birds.
  100. Love.

Be well, squadlings.