All Saints Day

Proudly wearing his brand new "zoot suit"

It just can't have been a coincidence that John William Peloza was born on November 1, All Saints Day. I don't think I can put into words how much I love my grandpa, or how important he was and continues to be to me... but this is my attempt. 

I never really understood growing up, but his health was very poor my entire life. So much so, that it really feels like a minor miracle that I was able to spend 21 wonderful years in his company.

He loved the music of Johnny Cash and movies with John Wayne, telling silly jokes (knock knock jokes, especially), watching WWF (I have NO idea why) and baseball games, and most of all, I think, being with and caring for his family. He always had the funniest exclamations: "golly gee wilikers" and "wowie kazowie, rootie kazootie" being my favorites.

My happiest memories... yes, there are lots!

Grammy and Grandpa holding my hands and swinging me up over a curb, 

sharing the wishbone at Thanksgiving,

spending the night in a chair next to me when I was hospitalized with pneumonia,

Grammy and Grandpa playing a Gone With the Wind board game with me at Christmas 

(they were not big on games, though he did call a great bingo game!), 

drooling over roasted lamb and potatoes together, 

we were always the last two still eating at holidays... 

not sure if was because we ate the most or we talked the most, 

bringing me daffodils for my birthday,

waving to each other as I'd drive past the Twin Lakes Colonial Townhomes, 

special dinners at Billy McHales and Black Angus, 

riding together in his VW minibus,

wearing a brand new shirt for my performance as PLU's student soloist competition winner,

feeding the ducks at a pond (once he saved me from a mean goose that bit me) 

and the seagulls at Ivar's on Pier 54 (he'd order extra french fries so I could feed them longer),

 at the Federal Way mall one time he pointed to a group of pretty sketchy looking boys and told me very seriously, "don't ever come home with a boy like that" - no worries there!,

and finally...

After a semester abroad studying in England (1998 - back in the good ol' days when you could be met at the gate), I arrived home to then boyfriend Nick, Mom, Dad, Kile, Grammy and most of all Grandpa. He was the first face I saw as I came up from the gangway as he could barely wait until I had cleared it when I received this big hug and kiss. He was going to be the first to welcome me home, everyone else would just have to wait.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa! 

In my eyes, you will always be the world's best. 

Love, your "sugar"