Dear Boppa,

I've been thinking about writing this for a long time. I'm not really sure why the words weren't there until now but for some reason i struggled. Since i'm not struggling anymore i want to say thank you for everything you did for all us. I had the joy and pleasure of having you in my life for the first 12 years.

As i write you this letter i am sitting in my favorite chair,that belonged to you. It's still orange just like it was when you and Amma had it in your tv room but it's been given new life and has been recovered in new orange fabric. Just like it has taken me along time to write this letter it took me a long time to let our orange chair be recovered.

Thank you for all of the walks to the beach early in the morning,for teaching me to play 21,for making my breakfast coming to soccer games and for taking me to see your family at the Ouleout Valley Cemetery. I have never forgotten the day you and i went to visit your parents and Uncle Bob and all the time we spent looking for your cousin who is buried there who fought in the civil war, To this day i can remember the section of the cemetery we walked through and have pointed out where you thought it was to my dad. Maybe he and I need to figure out which cousin you were talking about and find his head stone,

I remember spending hours with my sister at your house making 'potions' using Ammma's colored glass bottles and pitures,and you sighing as we plucked them out of the window sills and grabbed a bowl and wooden spoons out of the kitchen. We never made an actual mess while doing so,as we never used any water or anything but we didn;t always put the glass bottles and pictures back in the window sills and if we did we didn't put them back right and you always came behind us to put them back right.

A note on your sighing,my dad has told me i sigh big sighs just like you used to. When he says that i tell him that i remember you being the same way. Sometimes i sigh for no apparent reason and everytime i do i think of you.

Everytime i hear classical music i think of your 'Tunes'. You used to have a bunch of Casette tapes in your car that you listened to while you were driving and when you were alone they were cranked right up. I think thats something that we all remember about you.

I have always been sad that you passed before any of us Grand Children graduated from high school because i know that was something you wanted to see. While i am sad that you weren't physically there to watch any of us, i know you were beaming in Heaven as we each crossed the stage and that always makes me smile.

Now that i feel like i am rambling on and i am so glad to have finally gotten my words out,i am going to close. Thank you again for everything and i love and miss you every day

Love your Youngest Grand daughter,

Cas