It's been a long, exhausting weekend for our family. My 94 year old grandmother passed away today. We are thankful that she lived a long life and passed quickly and peacefully. While she may not have always been perfect, she taught me some very important things in life, like: • how to express myself through my art - and that there is in fact a right and wrong way to hold and clean a paintbrush • how to trifold a piece of paper perfectly so that it fits into an envelope and always opens in the same direction • having systems can help you organize anything - even if those systems are as simple as a different color pen or a sticker • you can pretty much lay away anything at Kmart - including candy! • classic dentyne gum is the best kind of chewing gum • Frank Sinatra was truly the greatest singer ever to grace this earth • humor and wit during times of seriousness can make any situation better • the importance of owning an extremely large purse - so you can sneak in cans of classic coke and candy into the movie theaters - DUH! • how to appreciate a great movie and tell if it's Oscarworthy • baking treats brings joy to everyone - and can also lend to future favors - i.e. if you keep your mechanics and doctors' sweet tooth happy, you'll never have a problem getting an appointment! • to marry the first "real" time for love • Polish babies are huge and have big heads • when betting on horses, always go for the one with a great name • even as a grandmother, you can still be 29 and holding • the term and the execution of the term "pedal to the metal" • when driving and needing to stop suddenly, the right arm can swing out and double as a seat belt • the importance of a good cup of coffee • our animals are really the only honest and true creatures we can trust • that you can never have too many shoes or too much gold lame • that you can lose both your boobs to cancer and still pull in all the men • you can never be old to try a new trendy cocktail or enjoy a good happy hour - and just because you turn 90, doesn't mean you can't still throw back 3 Cosmos • every day deserves an ice cream (a scoop, a sundae, or a milkshake) - and that you should always have dessert first, because you never know when you're going to kick the bucket • that when we're young, we have the body but don't think that we do because we're crazy in the head; when we're old, we finally have our mind together but no longer have the body - that's life! • and in life, you may make some good decisions and some really bad ones. But when all is said and done, you do your best to be who you are, to tell a good story, and to make people laugh We'll miss you Mom Mom!