My niece Sarah, now in an artist’s residency in Priarietown, Massachusetts, sent me a letter she found from my grandmother Addie Watling-Skinner last month.

Amazingly enough, the letter was addressed to my daughter Alexandra, 28 years old today.

You can see Grandmom’s note to Alexandra below (click to enlarge), but I’ll re-type it to make it easier to read. The undated letter reads,

Dear Alexandra

I would love to see you before I pass away.

I was 95 last year Nov.

We have had 2 big snows.

I wish you could be with me next Tuesday.

I hope you have a nice birthday. I hope God is watching over you and keeping you well & happy.

Lovingly,

From Grand Mom Addie

1996 letter to Alexandra from her Great-Grandmother Addie Watling-Skinner. (Click to enlarge.)

I have one of these scriptures to read each day.

I love them. (She just references the verses she wanted Alexandra to read and didn’t write them out, but I shall from the newly released “Lutheran Study Bible.”)

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 96:4 “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.”

Psalm 100:3 “Know the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Thes 2:8 “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

Math 7:8 “For everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Math 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Prov. 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due.”

James 5:16b “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Act 4:20 “…for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

A shopping list is written on the back.

= = = = =
Since we’re on things Skinner today, I thought these links to a biography I wrote about Cal Skinner, Sr., might be of interest:

in the links below:

Biography of Calvin L Skinner – Part 1 – Second Son, School Years

Biography of Calvin L. Skinner – Part 2 – College, Marriage, First Jobs

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 3 – First House, Elected President of the Easton, Maryland, Town Council

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 4 – Storm Sewer Grates, Miles River Yacht Club, Slot Machines, Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 5 – Switching Parties, Moving to Salt Lake City, Middletown and Crystal Lake

Biography of Cal L Skinner – Part 6 – The Early Crystal Lake Days, Dipping Feet Slowly into Political Arena

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 7 – Running for County Auditor, Precinct Committeeman, Calling the Meeting that Led to McHenry County College

Biography of Cal Skinner – Part 8 – The Star Reporter, Daughter Ellen Bored in High School, Prohibited from Attending MCC Classes

Biography of Cal L Skinner – Part 9 – Responsible Republicans’ Slate, County Board Reapportionment

Biography of Cal Skinner, Sr. – Part 10 – Unsuccessful County Clerk Try, County Airport Fight, Wife’s Death

It’s too late to meet Grandmom and your Mom-mom and Pop-pop Skinner, but the rest of the family still would like to get to know you as an adult. And we all wish you a “Happy Birthday!”

And it occurs to me that your mother was about 28 when we got married.