Happy Birthday, Gigi!

You'll be happy to know your urn is still sitting on the buffet table...

To the best grandmother ever:

You never breathed a word to Mom about me sneaking out of the house that one time, and the time after that, and the time...;

You were never too busy to cook a huge stack of chocolate-chip pancakes;

You lashed me to the bone with an acid tongue when I deserved it, but your hands bore nothing but love;

You kept mum about me smoking in high school, as a "pay it forward" for your continual filching of my Camel cigarettes when I was in college;

For making dozens and dozens of handmade Xmas ornaments for all us grandkids;

For being our "Gallivantin' Grandma", traveling all over the country and bringing us souvenirs;

For being the cool grandma that managed a hotel in Hollywood, Florida only 2 blocks from the beach when we were kids.

For the 34 years that you were a guiding light in my ofttimes chaotic life;

Happy Birthday, Gigi. I miss you so much it hurts...