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Today, on her 76th birthday, I'm grateful for...

my Momaw Jiggs.

We lived behind her and my Popaw growing up and I can still recall waving my arms out of our living room window and shouting across their vegetable garden, "Momaw, can I come over?!" She never said no.

Momaw & my Dad ~ circa 1955

I remember sitting with her and my mom under the tree in her backyard, scrubbing potatoes from the garden. And I still remember the way she strung green beans with the same tupperware bowl in the floor, blue towel across her lap, and folded down paper bag from Ralph's Supermarket to catch the strings.

Momaw & me ~ Christmas 1986

Camping with her and Popaw every summer at Greenbo Lake was always a treat, and sleeping in the loft of their camper was by far the best place ever. Pulling a kitchen chair up to her sink as toddlers to "help" her wash dishes was lots of fun, and she never complained even though we had soapy water dripping from our elbows all over her floor. And every year, all three of us got presents on the other one's birthday so none of us would feel left out.

Stacey, Amy & me on Amy's 3rd birthday

Food always tasted better at her house and sometimes Mom would send us over with food we refused to eat at home, but knew we would gobble up at Momaw's. When our bellies were full, it was so easy to fall asleep on her couch with the hum of the window-mounted air conditioner billowing through from the kitchen. And playing "librarian" with her book collection was one of our favorite pastimes, as well as dressing up in her high heels and bed sheets while we pretended to be brides.

At her house, she always put Bac-Os in her scrambled eggs, canned milk in her mashed potatoes, and strained the pulp from her orange juice. Her purse was stashed with Star Crunches and Oatmeal Creme Pies on Sunday mornings just in case our stomachs growled during church. And orange Triaminic was always in her fridge.

Me, Momaw & Amy ~ Easter 1995

I never got tired of her telling the story about how she saved a baby bunny that had fallen down into the snow from it's cage, and I often asked her to tell it over and over. When we would curl up on her lap as kids, she would "put makeup on us" with her bare fingers to help us fall asleep. It didn't matter that there was no makeup on her hands, but her gentle touch on our faces was as relaxing as the sound of ocean waves.

Momaw, me & Stacey ~ Christmas 2003

Finding money in my purse with a special little note attached was never rare. And her having Popaw sneak to put gas in my car while I wasn't looking was a common occurrence. She has never missed a birthday, graduation, or special event without sending a card or coming to visit. And even when she had to bring her oxygen tank with her, she came to see Macy in the hospital when she was born.

Popaw, me & Momaw at my college graduation

Life is better with Momaw Jiggs in it and she has been the definition of a wonderful grandmother. I look forward to every Wednesday when I go sit with her and Popaw while Macy is in school. Curling up beside her on the couch brings back so many memories of when I was a kid. And just like I tell Macy stories about Momaw, I hope one day she can tell her kids stories about Momaw, too.

Momaw & Popaw with five of their great-grandchildren ~ Halloween 2010