Gentle Giant

I've been thinking a lot about my Grandpa, Ronald Keith "Grumpy" James, and wishing I could be near him. When I was growing up, Grumpy was always there to take us grandkids out for bubblegum ice-cream, where he'd proceed to devour half our cones in one lick, under the guise that he was "helping with the drips". We would convulse in laughter when he showed us how he could open a neighbour's garage door with a click of his own button, and he delighted us further by steering the car home with his knees. Even after the amputation of his first leg, he still seemed so big and strong, and was amazingly adept at using the end of his crutch to twist up our shirts and yank us towards him for a hug. This is how I always think of him-- happy, mischievious, and affectionate. Even in the face of tremendous hardships, Grumpy has always been one of the sweetest, funniest, and all around best people I have ever known... or probably will ever know.
I love you so much Grumpy,
XOXO,
Lindsay, aka (The Orignal) Dizzy

Here are some photographs I had on my computer of my Grandpa through the years: