Damn, Chiefy. Thanks. 
Man! That first pic is precious.
My condolences.
I love the first picture. Such pride and love. My condolences to you, housecat. I think it is pretty special that you did call when you did - very blessed you didnāt put it off (as I do so many important things like that). I love the gratitude you express for him accepting you - that is so important for us. Kindness goes a long way.
The oilskin apron got me thinking about kitchens, and:
My grandfather loved to get up at 5 to bake fresh croissants and blueberry muffins. Good quality croissants evoke rich, warm memories for me on occasions I am fortunate enough to encounter them. Grandmother made vanilla crescents (kipferln) and other such cookies that melted in oneās mouth. They kept all their recipes in an enormous three ring binder. Old yellowed newspaper clippings pasted to paper, neatly typed recipes with the telltale āoā from Grandmotherās typewriter, and hand written recipes in tiny writing with amendments and notes in the margins. As a child, I would sit on a stool in the kitchen, binder on my lap, playing with the set of brass weights, emulating my grandparents cooking from that magical book. Their passing was hard on me, but just. Theyād both had the good fortune to live to old age.
I often wondered what had happened to the binder. A couple Christmases after grandfather passed, I got a parcel from my closest cousin. Inside the box were beautiful cloth topped canning jars filled with Grandmotherās cookies. The treasured binder had remained in the family. I wept, of course. Best Christmas present ever.
Thanks for sharing that, Kage, itās beautiful.
housecat, reading this topic for the first time, and Iām so sorry you werenāt able to see your husbandās grandfather before he passed, but as others have said, happy that you and your son did manage to call him recently and that you have special photos and memories of him. A great Aunt who raised me from infancy was like a mother to me, and although I went to live with my mother again when I turned seven, she was always my Mom. She was my grandfatherās sister and never had children of her own. When my grandmother died shortly after the birth of her eighth child, she became the matriarch of the family.
She died several years ago. Thankfully, weād gone home just a few months before her passing so my youngest had met her and even though we had just a short two weeks with her, my younger two born here still remember āMama Nenaā. I wasnāt able to take the kids home for her funeral, but did send flowers. I think my family was hurt that I didnāt go home but I realized it would have been more for them than for her. Somewhere in the photo albums of relatives there are photos of the two of us when I was a little girl, shirtless and in pigtails. 
I want very much find all those photos and make copies for myself.
I do have two regrets though: First, I wish Iād made more time for her in my life. Does anyone ever feel like theyāve had enough time with a loved one??? In my case, I know as a young person I was often too wrapped up in myself to call her and visit her like I should have. She was a healer, one of a handful of āmedicine womenā on an island of 150,000 people when I was growing up, so my second regret is that I didnāt take the opportunity to learn all I could from her about āChamorro medicineā so that I could pass her wisdom and knowledge on to the next generation.
I intended only to write you simple but heartfelt condolences but instead this topic has brought back some wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing, everyone.
Praying bountiful blessings of peace, prosperity and healing on you and your precious boy.
Aaww, housecatā¦ Iām so sorry to hear of your loss. How blessed you were to have had him in your life for the time you did and how blessed was he to have had you!
Your story has brought back some memories for me which, although once so painful, bring a smile to me - rich in memories and wrapped in the love I felt both for and from my amah, A Sia. I grew up in Taiwan away from extended family and as a result didnāt know my relatives. A Sia was there when I was born and raised me during my early years. She was the grandma, confidant and constant presence in my life as a child. As each of my brothers and sisters was born she loved and welcomed us. We grew up playing with her children and grandchildren - they were the extended family we knew. As the years went on, she moved on to other missionary families, providing them with the same sense of family and security we children all needed, but never left us. As a result, she had a HUGE family of foreign children she loved and who loved her. Some years after my family returned to Canada, her daughter called to tell us that she had passed on. I, as a teenager had āleft those years behind meā, but the shock and sense of loss I had was devastating. I had always thought that I would return to Taiwan and she would be there as always. I hadnāt realized that she was in a sense, my āconstantā and I grieved deeply. Now, all these years later, I think of her and smileā¦ she brought such richness to my life and although I still feel sadness when I think of her no longer being here, I now remember her with a smile and gratitude that she was a great part of my life.
Thank you housecat, for sharing with usā¦ you have made Grandfathers life all the more honored by giving us the opportunity to think of those we loved and love who have made a mark on our own lives.
I sure hear you about your āconstantā.
Thanks all of you. (happy tears)