ode to my nan

(Isabelle in her navy blue velour suit)

My nan passed away last week. It was awful to see her spend the last few days of her life suffering so I was glad that her funeral became a celebration of her 92 years instead. We told great stories. Like, how she used to scare us as kids with horrifying (and made up) animal stories and as a result, my cousin is still afraid of cows. Or how much she loved to read, especially murder mysteries. How much she loved Jeopardy (and how good she was at it). How she used to go all out on holidays and wear color coordinated outfits with tons of accessories (think Fourth of July with knee high striped socks, mardi gras beads, blue sweater, white keds, red shorts). How she loved to crochet and bake. How she let me eat cans of mandarin oranges from her stockpile that lined the walls down to her basement. How she kept a beautiful garden and canned wonderful foods. How she named the chipmunks in her yard (Charlie, in case you're wondering). How much she loved tea and sweets*. How she despised alcohol but smoked like crazy. How she loved to dance. How she used to model shoes for Stride Rite with her adorable size 4 feet.

Thanks for everything, Nana. Hope wherever you are, you're sassing someone (and if they're being fresh, giving them a pinch).

*Just like Isabelle's PB cookies

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

preheat to 350. mix ingredients + roll into balls. wet a fork + create a crisscross pattern on the cookie (this is crucial for that 'grandma cookie' look). bake 10-12. enjoy!