grandma

so...losing my grandmother this past weekend, has inspired me to blog it up again.... it is right now that a memorial service is being held for her in florida, 15 minutes left to the service then they all head off to the yacht club! sounds weird, but if you knew my grandmother or know my florida family, it is totally normal! actually they call it the "club." well i was so torn over taking the trek down there via car or plane...leave jackson, take jackson....2 days 5 days....it was really hard to decide, then i stopped myself when i reached an all time high stress level & realized, my grandma...of all people would NEVER want anyone to stress about something that had to do with her...so i decided to stay up north. i also know i am not religious by any means & do not need a religious ceremony to make peace & say goodbye to my grandma...i will always have her in my heart & have my own way of saying "good-bye" & i am happy to know that our "northern family members" are planning a get together to honor her memory in new jersey... besides, this photo is EXACTLY how i'll ALWAYS remember her! this was from last summer in upstate new york. my grandma organized a "family reunion" at my aunt jackie's. jackson was just over a month old...little guy!!! although no one spoke it, i think we all knew in our hearts that that would be the last time some of us would see her. i believe she knew as well for she was the one who got us all up there & flew up herself...mind you she hadn't left florida in years...10 plus at least! i will forever treasure the photos from that trip...this one in particular:) i am so so happy she was able to meet & hold her great-grandson! that is a major accomplishment in life! to live to see your grandchildren have children, WOW!
she was a wonderful great-grandma to jackson during his first year. the beautiful crib he sleeps in every night was purchased by her. she has sent him little gifts in the mail, like the stuffed santa at christmas he liked to suck on! she got kick out of that photo!
as my grandma, who could ask for more...a sweet, funny lady who's laugh i will NEVER for get...she would get into laughing about something & say "oh lauren!" she'd always say the persons name who said something funny or obnoxious while laughing...always! she was an observer...just wanted to sit back & watch her family & friends have a good time, because that always made her have a great time! thanks to her we had many florida vacations to her beautiful home on the canal! we'll all always remember jumping off that dock & swimming in the deep, kind of scary canal...the speeding boats, the occasional dolphin siting, "the don," a pink hotel metropolis in the distance...."the inspector," a white egret who always came to grandma's dock. my mom & i always tell the story about the time i caught a left flip-flop one day & the right one the next! so funny!
probably the last time we were ALL together, before the reunion, was for her surprise 75th...this party had everyone, including my mom & her entire family! it was a great time & a memorable one especially because of the guest list. that was 9 years ago...& here we are.
i will always have warm & fun memories of my grandma! we'll always laugh when we tell stories about her:) she a such a gentle nature & a fantastic sense of humor...we'll never forget you grandma...never
forever in my heart: ruth costello 1923 - 2007

obituary from the st. petersburg, fl times:
Costello, Ruth A. 84, funeral services are 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 25, 2007, at Pass-a-Grillel Community Church, 107 16th Ave., St. Pete Beach. A celebration of life and gathering for family and friends will follow immediately at the Pass-a- Grille Yacht Club, 2301 Pass-a-Grille, St. Pete Beach. A native of Paterson, N.J., and a local area resident since 1989, when she moved here from Glen Rock, N.J., she was a retired secretary for the Midland Park School System and a graduate of the Kathleen Gibbs Business School. She is preceded in death by the late Thomas M. Costello. She is survived by her loving family: sons Thomas A. Costello, of Redington Beach; Robert Costello and wife Lisa, of Mountain Top, Pa.; and Kevin Costello and wife Diane, of Union Beach, N.J.; daughter Jacqueline Costello-Haas and husband Ken Haas, of Sharonville, N.Y.; brothers H.E. "Bud" Allen, of St. Petersburg Beach, and Bob Allen and wife Jill, of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; sisters Betty Cheshire and husband Bob, of Glen Rock, N.J., and Anne Marie Mahoney and husband Neil, of Fishkill, N.Y.; six grandchildren, one great grandchild, and her "lifelong friend" Marie Stock of St. Pete Beach. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast in memory of Ruth Anne Costello.