As it is November and the month Thanksgiving lies in, I wanted to give a little bit of thanks. My grandma Sue is one of my favorite women in my life. She's someone I look up to a great lot. I am so so thankful for her and so this article is rightly dedicated to her.

My relationship with my grandma Sue has been heavily centered around two of my favorite things: music and food. When I was really little, and she was back in their old house, I remember her making my younger brother and I pudding with cool whip mixed into it. We got a lot of sugar rushes at her house! I was fortunate enough to grow up with my grandma (and all of my grandparents for that matter) five minutes or less away from me. I spent a lot of time with my grandma, and continue to.

As a young adult, I have been cooking and baking with my grandma for years. We've made everything from pumpkin bars to cakes to cinnamon rolls to stroganoff. I truly cherish the time I've spent with her in the the kitchen. We get to catch up, gossip and create delicious food together. We usually have a few laughs! Grandma also always insists we try everything we concoct, at mostly every stage of the process. I don't mind. ;) I am never hungry when I leave grandma's house with a box full of goodies. We have a lot of fond memories in her kitchen.

My grandma was the woman to teach me, and all my other cousins, how to play piano. I remember as a kid I dreaded practicing my piano lessons and having to go to grandma's. Now, I am fortunate to have that musical foundation... even though I might have cried a few times out of frustration. That's all in the past, though. She's always "encouraging" me to join choir at college, since I still haven't. Sorry, grandma.

I really hope to be like my grandma when I am older. She's confident, commanding, but still kind and loving at the same time. She can be a bit stubborn and loves sugar, just like her mother did. She's always there for a prayer, hug or meal when you need one. She's so welcoming of any guests that anyone brings, and treats perfect strangers like family. She's opinionated and passionate about her beliefs, but she's still respectful. My grandma is one of the strongest women I know. And for that, I am forever lucky to have her in my life.

I love you, grandma.