Gramma Ollie

Gramma's body had taken a turn for the worse last week, we were informed she probably had only days left as she was no longer waking up, having trouble breathing.. the final tolls of Alzheimers were taking over. My brother asked me to go with him to see her one last time on Friday morning, so we visited with her for about 20 minutes. Of course she didnt talk back, she wasnt even awake, but she did look peaceful and I was glad I was able to go with Eric.

Talking with her is not very comfortable for me or Eric, so we chatted about the happenings in our own life at the moment, talked of course some about gramma and how odd it was to imagine that she was potentially days away from moving on... I said goodbye and hugged/kissed her and knew that would probably be the last time I saw her. Friday evening I got the call about 9pm that she had passed away. I knew it was coming, we've known for a very long time this was coming, but the initial realization that she was gone did take over and I just cried for her.

I loved my gramma very much. I look back and wish I had spent more time in the saddle with her.. I wish when I was in my late teens and early 20's I had taken advantage of that time and spent it riding/camping with her. I did not belong to the horse club then, I was in limbo in the horse world; trying to figure out how to own horses, be married, live on my own, whether I wanted to trail ride or barrel race or what.. and although I've always owned atleast one horse since I was a kid, I didnt always have a riding horse and there were quite a few years where I would go out and ride around the pasture or down the road as time allowed and that was the extent of it. It wasnt until my mid to late 20's when I met Toni that it clicked that I COULD join the horse club!

When I think back, I can see how independant gramma was, atleast through my eyes. She would just load up that horse and head for the hills.. or head off with her friends to Alaska or Hawaii or some cruise in the tropics.. She lived a full life filled with so much love and happiness from those around her!

As I look back, I wish I had realized how much I was going to get involved with the club and how much it would become a part of my life because I think her and I could have chatted about her favorite places to camp and ride, maybe listened to the stories that I now wish I knew and talked about other things we share in common.. I missed out; however I am very grateful for the few times I do recall going with her as a kid. I know my aunt Julie was a part of that too and I'm sure she is just as much responsible for my love of the backcountry as my gramma.. Actually this is how I see it.. Julie showed me the true love and passion and abilities I could attain of owning and riding horses.. I am a horse lover becuase of Julie, I can say that! I admired her growing up, she was a strong horsewomen who could hold her own. I feel my gramma led me more in the direction of loving and appreciating and seeing the true beauty of the backcountry with my horse. I always knew growing up that gramma belonged to this great horse club and they rode in the mountains and I'd hear about her christmas parties and other social events and I always said to myself "Some day I will be a part of a club like that!" Just the idea of knowing what gramma was doing and where she was going, gave me the drive/ambition to someday do that as well... She instilled the spark that led me down this road that I am now on.

Derek and I spent Saturday morning at my parents for a little bit, we ran some errands and decided late afternoon to go for a ride.. It was 70 degrees and HOT, we were roasting as we saddled up the horses. We were in the saddle at 4:30pm at Mann Rd, it was such a nice peaceful quiet ride. Just the two of us to reflect on how great it is to just be able to go out and ride as we please, that we have 2 great horses to do that with.. we explored some, talked about gramma and thought that our ride was our way of paying tribute to her. It really felt good.

Sunday we slept WAY in, worked on the boat so we can get it out on the water soon and catch us some fish... spent the day relaxing and doing nothing more than that! This week will be spent helping to plan services for gramma and moving forward and remembering all that is great about life.

Here are some pics I had of gramma:

Her & I 2003 at the Ladies Ride at Silver Ridge Ranch, Hawaiin theme obviously! :) It was really great that she was able to make this camping trip and although she didnt ride any horses that weekend, we had a great time! Below are a few more from that same weekend...

I love this picture of Gramma & Aunt Julie!

I found these pics of Gramma & Carrie, we had gone sledding up at Silver Ridge Ranch in Feb 2002, a horse club social day of fun... I think Nadine is pushing them down the hill and then I have this sequence of pictures of Carrie & Gramma trying to get up and out of the darn tube, I think that is why they are laughing so hard.. gramma just couldnt get up and out! :)

Here's a picture of gramma after she fell in a creek! Her horse put it's head down in a creek to drink water and gramma must not have had a back cinch on cuz her saddle popped up off the horse's back and gramma tumbled straight down the neck and into the creek! :)

and here's gramma on her mare Favor... what a great horse she was, she packed gramma around for MANY years, they saw many things together and traveled to many places.. The best word that I can think of that describes my gramma is Radiant, you can see that from the first to last pictures I have posted.. she just glows with happiness and beauty...