Ode to Grandpa Gene

this his been an interesting activity for me, memories both voluntarily and involuntarily swirling around in my head. i am still processing my Grandpa's recent death, but I have enjoyed brainstorming memories of him. and it has brought back many fond memories of my other grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Donze that my brain is slowly and involuntarily focusing less on with time. but i like thinking about them and how fortunate i have been to have had the influence of each of them--each with his/her own different contributions and memories. this may have been sharing more of what goes on inside my head than you were looking for, but here is a bit more in memory form.

I hear him clearly in my head with his distinct accent, and whether he greeted me on the phone or in person, it was the same enthusiasm each time saying, "hi, kater!"

I believe that Grandpa Gene was born with a saw in his right hand, a pencil behind his ear, and two green thumbs. as long as i can remember, Grandpa has spent hours getting to know and playing with wood...I believe cedar was his favorite to work with. I can smell the shavings as he opened the door to his shop revealing mounds of it lying beneath his tablesaw next to his art...engraved jewelry boxes, rocking chairs, cradles, tables, benches.

He often wore a pencil behind his left ear...the flat "carpenter" kind that required manual sharpening with any ol' sharp object around. Those pencils became well-rounded (no pun intended) in their lifespan, whether he used them to map out a project or draw a quick masterpiece. I think Tori (his great granddaughter, and his latest joy) was perhaps his biggest fan, and an artist in training under his guidance.

The color of his thumbs encouraged a flourishing garden filled with root vegetables, greens, the juiciest tastiest tomatoes i have ever had, zucchinis...you name it! summertime brought an overabundance of veggies year after year. his talents spilled over to the visual appeal of gardening as well. being the manly man he was, he had an incredible eye for flower arrangements, ribbons and bows included.

The best part is that he loved modestly sharing his talents. you could feel his excitement when someone was interested in picking his brain about any of the above topics, and did not think twice about sharing his experience and time and giving whatever he could to help out. perhaps his best quality was his ability to give...quietly...and humbly (if that is a word)...he did not expect recognition. he did it because he wanted to, and that makes him extraordinary.

Two words...1.Soul 2.Food. Every time we went to gma and gpa's house for a meal, it was a feast...fried chicken, greens smothered in vinegar, mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits and gravy, grandpa's famous cornbread with milk, butter, and sargum molasses, of course! And the desserts, oh yes the desserts...his FAVORITE part, esp. chocolate cake or fresh berry cobbler with ice cream. Mmmmmmm! And bacon grease. According to Grandpa, everything tastes better when fried in bacon grease...corn...eggs...

One of my favorite recent memories was during a visit to gma and gpa's house a couple of years ago. And on this particular visit, he was his natural giving self. Knowing how much i looove the fresh laid eggs from his ladies, he offered me a sunny side one (which means 2-4). so i obliged without hesitation, a smile on my face anticipating the love he put into his eggs that makes them the best tasting eggs i have ever ingested. anyway, he took out his refrigerated jar of bacon grease, plopped a few heaping spoonfuls into a skillet with a couple of eggs and placed them on a plate that he handed me with his proud-that-i-appreciate his eggs but modest Grandpa Gene grin on his face. i had not eaten meat in years, and i will have to admit, i was a little hesitant watching that bacon grease sizzle in the pan initially and i could already feel my arteries clogging. but the feeling quickly vanished when i watched his face as he presented his masterpiece. i enjoyed every bite.

I will forever imagine him wearing overalls or a white t-shirt with a james dean-style pack of cigarettes rolled in the left sleeve and blue jeans with 6 inch cuffs, and often a cowboy hat to match the season or his exposed flat top. When he worked at a maximum security prison as their carpenter, he used to talk about how the "good ol' boys" would trim his hair. by that he meant convicted murderers with sharp objects next to his head. "they were nice guys." typical Grandpa...nonjudgmental, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

He is John Wayne's most devoted fan.

When I think of Grandpa Gene and music, that is easy -- Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Hank Williams, the good ol' country boys...and still classic!

A man of few words, people listened when he spoke. And he was a prankster, but his subtlety could catch you off guard. You could often catch him laughing quietly in the corner, guilty and entertained by a prank he just played on someone. His laugh was not a big loud belly laugh, but a quiet, yet contageous full body/shoulder shake with his entire face laughing.

He had his own one-liners we like to refer to as Geneisms, sayings he would use to describe a situation. But i believe he had enough of them to create his own language. i did not often understand what the heck he was talking about, and he loved it. so he would just keep repeating it and laugh and laugh at the silliness of it all.

his life is a celebration...with cake and laughter...and johnny cash playing as the soundtrack of a john wayne movie that he is watching while building a flower planter just after feeding the horses and chickens, wearing his overalls and a cowboy hat!