My Grandmother’s house at Port Salut
The definition of home to me is a place where my family, friends, and church have made me feel safe. This can also be defined as an environment that I can always call home. Growing up as a child, I spent most my summers at my grandmother’s house. Every summer my family would get together to visit my grandmother. You might as well call it a family reunion. My sisters and I had the best of times there and made lots of special memories. From going to the beach, to holiday gatherings, or just coming to visit the grandparents, it was always a good time.
My grandmother’s house may have looked small in size on the outside, but it had much potential on the inside. As you walked in the front door, you would see a spiral stairway leading to the main hallway where all the bedrooms were. The only bad thing about it was that the strong smell cigarette smoke would hit you once you reached the top. It was because of my aunt’s stinky little habit. My grandmother’s house seemed like it was always full of cheer and laughter. She always had company over, whether it was family or friends; her door was always welcome to everyone. Before the company would come over, my grandmother would tell my sisters and I were very seriously that we needed to be on our best behavior. One thing that I appreciated about my grandmother was that she always had the house smelling so good. Especially when my sisters and the other grandchildren would come over, she always had something sweet baking in the oven. One thing she enjoyed doing was spoiling her grandchildren with yummy treats.
In my grandmother’s bedroom, everything always smelled of fresh lilac and lavender. She also had purple curtains and drapes over her windows so it was always nice and shady in there. It was a nice place to go in to cool off on those hot summer days. One thing that stood out in her room was a Virgin Mary. She had standing on her night stand. She was wearing a light blue cloak and her arms stood out long and outstretched. It was my grandmother’s most special and cherished piece in her room. My grandmother also had a balcony outside her room which had a great view of the neighborhood. It was very pretty to see at night because the stars would light up the sky.
In the summer, we would also spent a lot of time outside. My grandfather had built a sort of jungle gym in their backyard. When we were back there playing, my grandmother spent some of her time gardening and planting her flowers. She had her orange tree growing. There were also a lot of trees in the backyard so when the sun went down there would be a nice warm breeze. My grandmother was a very spontaneous person, she did what she wanted at the drop of a dime and nobody ever stopped her. She was always very active in many things like making crafts, cooking, and cleaning. But she always had time for the ones she loves. Staying at my grandmother house for the whole summer was indeed a lot of fun because she was very easy going with my family. She was a highly giving person to everyone around her and she never asked for anything in return.
On the other side of the house, the kitchen was pristine. Every surface was cleaned. To my left the sink sat empty, although my eyes searched I couldn’t find a dirty dish anywhere. Out the spotless glass doors, the screen porch overlooked the tidy backyard. This room was clean as the inside with the pure brown furniture and polished tile floor glowing in the sunshine. When I looked back, everything in the house appeared perfectly clean, and I could not find a single object out of place. I didn’t want to leave her spotless home. She was a very caring and genuine person.
It’s been ten years since my grandmother passed away. I appreciate everything she did to keep her room clean. My grandmother’s house, which was like my second home, is now just a precious memory stored in my heart. I can no longer visit the house anymore because of which it was mostly in ruins due to Hurricane Matthew. My grandmother’s house played a big part in my childhood and I am blessed to have cherished my most precious memories there.
