My Nani

A little over a week ago we said goodbye to my sweet grandmother Marguerite Ann Peoples Dorrance, known to others by Peggy, and to her grandchildren as Nani (which means grandmother and also beautiful). She was my only grandparent growing up. Her husband passed away when I was two, and my mom's parents died very young in a house fire. 

Here is an exerpt from her obituary: 

Born in Shanghai, China Jan 30, 1927, the first child of Marguerite Tahaney and Lewis Jackson Peoples. Peggy later lived in Louisburg, NC and attended St Mary's College in Raleigh and American University where she distinguished herself as a champion swimmer and tennis player, crowned "May Queen" and earned a BA in Fine Art (1949). Married in 1950 to Nathaniel Roberts "Pete" Dorrance (b.1923-d.1984) she traveled the globe following his various posts as an executive in the oil Industry. These included Bombay and Calcutta (where she volunteered with Mother Theresa), India; Nairobi, Kenya; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Singapore, Malaysia; Brussels, Belgium; Greenwich, Ct; and Chapel Hill, NC. An award winning artist of both oil and Chinese brush painting, Peggy was also a gourmet cook frequently attracting her children's friends as unexpected dinner guests. Sunday dinner was always Peggy's curry and she excelled at cooking Chinese cuisine as well. Peggy was known in later years as a UNC Women's Soccer fan, attending every home game. An avid reader she also enjoyed book club and Mah Jong groups at the Chapel Hill Senior Center, and her "ladies lunch group". A master of all card games and puzzles she especially enjoyed working the N.Y. Times Sunday crossword puzzle. In recent years her freezer was always stocked with chocolate ice cream. Christmas was her favorite time of year when her entire family gathered in Chapel Hill to celebrate together.

Read more here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsobserver/obituary.aspx?n=marguerite-p-dorrance&pid=172801506&fhid=21504#storylink=cpy

I am very grateful that I got to see her one last time when she was still 'there'. I showed her pictures of Finley from our recent trip to Disney. She kept commenting 'wonderful', 'beautiful', and 'ohhhh'. Here are some other things I will always remember about my Nani:

This red chair that Nani is sitting in was always known as her chair. Every time she was at our house for family gatherings, that is where she would sit. And if you were sitting in her chair, she would give you a stare down!

When I was a teenager Nani once told me I could tell if a guy liked me by keeping my eyes open while I kissed him. Not sure what I was suppose to see, but I never did try that one. 

When I was younger we would frequently go pick up Sunrise Biscuits after church and head over to her house. We would have a picnic on her floor and watch tennis.

It seemed like tennis was always on in the background at her house. When she got older and a little more stubborn, she once insisted that Nadal was an American. She refused to believe us when we told her he was in fact a Spaniard. Even after providing proof. 

During the years immediately following her stroke Nani once called David 'Rommel' aka the Desert Fox, by mistake and we thought it was so funny the name stuck. 

When we were little my Nani taught my sister and I how to write in Calligraphy and also how to knit. 

Nani had these two 'chests' or trunks that had these tiny compartments in them. As children we would enjoy playing with the chests and sorting all the buttons and odds and ends that were inside. 

Every year Nani came with us on our family beach trips!

Nani would enjoy sitting on the porch watching us play on the beach. I would also often look up and catch her doing her 'exercises' on the porch. 

Nani loved getting to spend time with Finley. 

Most summers we would make a trip or two to her pool with her. 

Just a month before Nani died, Finley and Nani enjoyed playing catch together in her living room. They were so cute together. 

After my parents got Hannah (their dog), it always made us nervous that she might knock Nani over. But Nani would walk in the house, point at Hannah and she would turn around and walk the other way. She knew not to mess with the Nani. 

 We were so lucky growing up to live in the same town as Nani and see her on a regular basis. I always enjoyed sitting beside her at my dad's soccer games even if she did punch me every now and then when she would get upset over the game. 

I have about 9 of Nani's paintings in my house. Here are some of my favorites. 

She was an amazing artist and her works are all proudly displayed in every single Dorrance's home.  

This one on the right makes me smile. When I was younger and she was still painting I asked her to paint me a picture of a waterfall and with children in it. This is one of the few, if not only, pictures with people in it. 

Right before she passed away all five of her children were able to be by her side and say their final goodbyes to her. I am so grateful they got to do that! She was able to go quickly and not suffer a long drawn out death. I am so humbled by God's mercy in granting her this. 

My Nani was fiercely independent and remained that way until the day she died. 

She loved to read and do the crossword puzzle. 

She taught David and I how to play all kinds of crazy card games. And she would usually beat us in almost every game. 

When we would play family board games she couldn't be on just one team. She always just called out the answer whether it was her turn or not! She was a pretty smart lady. 

Here is the last picture I have of our dear sweet Nani. I am so grateful for the full and amazing life she lived. She will always be in my heart and I know I will see her again one day.