My Grandmother passed away

My Grandmother passed away on the 7th of November 2008 at 6am.

My grandmother at the end of the table, next to my ex-husband.  And the girl with very blond hair standing up next to my ex is my sister… I think it was for a christening and that was the first time the family met my ex hence why he was sitting next to my grandmother. This picture was taken at not even half of the table. I love those big ancient full size tables… Since both houses are ancient, there are several of those tables… Behind my grandmother you can see the fireplace, I think the one in her “living area” is even bigger than this one if I remember it well…

I was not close to my grandmother, well I am not close to any of my family, I do not even talk to my parents but I still have lots of childhood memories, good and bad ones.  And I absolutely love my Grandmother’s house.
If my sister and I were not at school we were at my grandmother’s… the farm… a house full of treasure…  I always thought to myself if I had millions of $$$, I would restore this house to its original state… well it is over 300 years old… But what a place! We used to play in the attics a lot where we found all sorts of things like a full rack of guns and swords.  It is a huge place and so many places I never explored as some part of the house where just way to scary… I am scared of the dark and terribly afraid of spiders!

This is an aerial view of my grandmother’s house, all surrounded by water and a dam which looks empty on this picture.  I used to fish  with bread but the fishes in there cannot be eaten as they are full of mud… I was told that some of the fishes were over 100 years old and I know there is a huge one which we have tried so many time to catch without success… My sister also fell in the water and is still saying that I pushed her in! But she is so lying!

Another view of the house.  The front here is actually the center of the village, a public place where all “major” events happen.  Actually the annual fair happens there and is always on the week of my birthday.

Since my ex is a stonemason, my grandmother asked him if he could fix the top slab of this area. It is one whole huge thick slab which is split in the middle and would cost a fortune and skilled people to get it fixed
because of the way it is built. Under is the access to the wine cellar… a very dark and scary place but lots of wine and liquors…

My grandmother lived in a small village of just a few 100s of people.  She did not have a drivers license. There is (or was) a mobile shop coming once a week into the village- a bus full of groceries – ad this is where she would do her grocery shopping. It used to come by on Wednesdays, the day we did not have
school and therefore had to be at my grandmother’s since my parents were both working.  Wednesdays was the day with kids programs on TV all day long!

All I can remember from my grandmother is her cooking on the orignal stove which works with firewood and was how the whole palce was heated in winter until she finally allowed my father to install proper heaters.
The stove is in the main leaving area.  The kitchen only consist of a sink made in one solid piece of stone as well as the shelves are made in stone… I can remember going with her and my sister to get the eggs and feed the farm animals… I remember going to get the fresh milk… I remember going to the cemetery to water the flowers…  the only times my grandmother was getting out of the house was either to go to church or to go to the cemetery.

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