My Grandmother's Flowers

You know how certain things can immediately remind you of a person when you see them? African Violets do that for me with my grandmother. As a child I  remember her keeping them in various places through out her home, which was practically my second home. My grandmother and I have a very close relationship, I love her and miss her dearly. Up until my early twenties when I married and moved away from home I saw my grandmother nearly every day and certainly spoke to her on the phone daily. When I moved away our daily telephone chats continued, and have remained the same up until very recently.I don't know if it's her older age or that I've suddenly become much busier with my two boys (and participating in time sucking activities like living on facebook and twitter) but our telephone conversations have become less frequent.I miss my gram. I miss her a lot.I have a yearning to be home (and by home I mean Florida) and most of that yearning is surrounded by my desire to be near her.She can drive me absolutely crazy sometimes, but I realize that the people whom I love the most tend to do that.I think one's ability to drive another person bonkers is directly correlated to how much you love them. I really do.For the last month or so I've been noticing the African Violet more and more when I spy them in the flower section of the supermarket or while admiring the orchids at Lowes. When I see one I am immediately drawn to them and my childhood...and her.I've wanted to buy one  for weeks but for one reason or another I'd been putting it off.Until today. I purchased this little beauty while at Lowes buying some caulk for our bathroom. On Monday I spray painted the terracotta pot and saucer to match the chairs I painted a few months ago. I plan on keeping it on my dining room table.It comforts me, much like my gram did when I was little when I'd sit on her lap and she'd tell me stories of her childhood growing up in Massachusetts. Or when she'd spin me around in her living room while tunes wafted up from this ancient radio doohickey she had, (I didn't realize how cool it was until years later when vintage became chic instead of old junk.)I can't tell you how much I wish I could curl up on her couch right now and listen to her tell me about going to the cinema for $.10.