New Year - New Memories

So this is my first entry for the new year.  I am doing a book in conjunction with this writing experience that gives me an exercise to complete.  Today’s was write an allegory (which I had to look up) but I decided that I don’t have to write these if I don’t want to.  I can always come back to them if I don’t have anything to write about.  So today this is what I chose to write about:  enjoy...oh and remember...probably not a lot of editing involved with these daily writings so they are going to be pretty raw.

Today is an interesting day: 1-1-11.  It would be a normal New Years Day, which isn’t ever been a big deal to me, but this year would be the first year that my Grandpa isn’t here to make his Oliebollen, or “fat balls” as we called them.  This was a tradition in my dutch family that would truly mark the end of the Holiday season.  Every New Years Day, armed with his metal bucket, he would begin making his fat balls early in the morning.  

Last Year on March 14 he had a massive stroke and left us for a better world. He was a kind, giving man and left behind such a beautiful legacy in his children, grand children and great grand children.  He was 1 of 18 children and had wonderful stories to tell of his life in the Netherlands.  Oh how we miss him.  We miss his jokes, his laughter, his bright smile, his love, his hardy hugs, and his soft peppermint smell mixed with strong cologne.

While this year I won’t be walking into their home to smell the sweet hot oil that permeated everything in their house.  I still have a good 20 years or more of memories of those days that I keep close in my heart.