A fond farewell

Personally, I find these types of posts to be a little surreal and foreign, but I would regret deeply not taking a moment to remember my grandfather, Ward B. Pafford, a.k.a. Pappy, who died tonight at the age of 99. The fact that he lived far from Connecticut as I grew up made it difficult to forge a strong relationship with him as a child, but in my adult years I realized how much of a kindred spirit I had in Pappy; don't get me started on our mutual love of Nutter Butters. His sheer joy and interest in the world around him continues to inspire me.

Annie (whose middle name, Ward, is his namesake) met him 3 times during her 4 years and Oscar, once. I know the chances of Annie remembering any of their meetings is a long shot, but I have a photo of the two of them on her bookshelf in hopes that at the very least, she can see what a great smile he had around those he loved. So here are a couple of videos of the kids with him (Annie's just shy of 2, and Oscar is about 6 months old). I love how Annie studies him as they both enjoy their Nutter Butters (sorry for the background noise, the air was on, but that's her saying her name is "Annie Ward" at the end) and Oscar's relaxed happiness in his arms. We'll miss you, Pappy. All love.