Hello! Yá'át'ééh 

      This a story about how I spent my afternoon as a 5-year-old.  Dirty little rezgirl coming home from school in the afternoon, due to having only a half a day was great. Waking up for school was not my favorite thing to do. I wanted to stay in bed and sleep. But no that was not something I did.

     Looking back at my days of my afternoons as a child was a lot more similar than morning to-do-list. I would come home and my great-grandmother would be sitting on the floor with a little blanket folded up. She would have a small fire crackling in a small wood stove. As you walk in the aroma of coffee would hit your nose. Then you automatically knew that my great-grandmother was home. I enjoyed coming home to a warm cozy home and it was very quiet because everyone was at work, school or just out doing something and my great-grandmother did not like to go anywhere so she was always home. I think that is where I got my homebody mentality. But I enjoy being home. It is very calming and peaceful. So I can imagine now why my great-grandmother was always home alone.

     On the days it was calm and she was sitting in front of her loom weaving, I would lay beside her and I would hear her static AM radio play KNDN, listening to her humming, while she weaves. I would be eating vanilla wafer cookies and reading comic books. Archie Digests. Those were a favorite and I can not remember if I just looked at the pictures and used my imagination to created a version in my mind to teleport myself to the Riverdale town in the comic book.  It was always a scene you see where they are just relaxing under the sun on a beach drinking lemonade.  I always daydreamed about a happy time.

     As my great-grandmother would take a break, she would ask if I was hungry.  And of course I would be and she would add some small pieces of woods in the stove and hearing the crackle as she would make a small dough just for us.  She would cut a piece of meat and grill on one side.  It would get a little smokey.

(But it was a real scent that would honestly take me back if I could smell it today. My great-grandmother was a real genuine lady. I think about her and all the memories of her would come back to me.)  Her tortillas on an open fire and grilled piece of meat would always hit perfectly.  

      An afternoon with my great-grandmother was enjoyable.  After our lunch she would take the small herd of 10 out to the neighbor's cornfield.  The goats and sheep would roam and I would be next to her as she sat down and watched over the animals while they were grazing.  Beautiful thoughts occupy my mind on very calm days.  As you all read my Blogs,  you understand that I enjoy thinking about my great-grandmother.  

     Spending my afternoon with her taught me more than I realize.  She was a mother of 3 and she had her day of being a single mom raising children.  For her to tell me stories and speaking our native language (Navajo-Diné) was such a blessing.  My Navajo is fluent because of her.  She did not understand English so I spoke in Navajo all the time with her. There were times I would try and teach her to say words in English but just having that time with her and her not leaning one word was worth it.  The best part of was just to be in her presence laughing and fumbling with the words. I had so much fun with her. We would joke with each other or giggling.  A lot of laughs. Not realizing that she was a true blessing is never noticed at the time. If you still have your grandmother, please let her know you appreciate her.  Thank you so much for reading this far. I hope you enjoyed my little storytelling memory. :)

                                     Lots of Love and Blessings!              A'héhéé