Remembering Grandpa Harms

It is a fact that whenever I think of my Grandpa Harms I do all I can to hold back tears.  He's been gone now for years, but my heart is still attached to him and has never, nor will, ever let go.  Today was his birthday. I just want to remember and write of one memory that I have of him, but that's definitely too hard with the wave of emotions I feel as I reflect so I'll just throw out a random assortment of things I remember...

- he wasn't afraid of me giving things power...I remember going over the railroad tracks and him telling me to "hit it"

- he used to grab my shoulders a lot and tell me how strong I was...and how that was a good thing.  One day he put a picture of an old lady throwing the shotput on their refrigerator and wrote on it, "Melissa at 80"

- he could sing a serious harmony and Happy Birthday will never sound the same.  Other songs I remember him singing were "How Great Thou Art" and "Up From The Grave He Arose"

- he really wanted me to learn Devil Went Down To Georgia on my violin

- he knew I liked his old cars and he knew I liked the "mafia car" the best

- he tried to teach me many of his crafts.  He made a bunch of things using beads and I tried to as well.

 - I'm not handy like Grandpa, he was good at everything, but he tried to teach me his handiness.  I mowed the grass a lot for Grandpa and Grandma when they lived  by the park and i specifically remember when grandpa walked me through sharpening the lawn mower blade.

- his hair restorer and permanent wave joke

- eating homemade ice cream on July 4 and having birthday cake for grandpa

- we both liked the "white cup" because it tasted funny

- he taught me how to slurp hot beverages so I didn't burn my tongue

- he only watched westerns and baseball.

- he gave me my first lesson in welding

- I very vividly remember his hands, how many times he cut them, and how they looked because I watched them do so much, and those hands definitely could do whatever they set out to.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!  You are gone but not forgotten!  I love you!