A Fond Memory of Granny Jo

Once again, I struggle to write memories of someone that is living and might actually read this. I hope I can portray the fun times I have had with Granny Jo. Here are some of the stories I can remember from my times with Granny.
We were lucky to live close to both sets of Grandparents while I was growing up. My Dad's side of the family always threw big parties during the holidays or when there was a special occasion. Along with those big family gathering at their house, Granny Jo loved to take the grandkids out on fun adventures. It was almost guaranteed that we would get lost in the process, but we still had tons of fun.
Some of our favorite places to go where the Detroit Zoo, Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village and the mall. I remember one of the times we went to the mall, my cousin Liz (I think it was Liz) and I were separated (aka lost) from Granny Jo. We didn't know where to find her, so we just sat down in some comfy chairs and waited. Looking back, that is exactly what you are suppose to do in the wilderness and eventually it worked in the mall too.
While I was in college, I took a wonderful trip back to Michigan for Thanksgiving. It was great because Granny Jo gathered the grandkids that wanted to go and we headed out to the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade. I was the oldest by far, but I had a blast! It was fun to see some of the traditions from my childhood with Granny being passed on to the younger cousins.
When I was about 11, my family headed to Chicago to have my brother sealed to our family in the Chicago Temple. Granny Jo decided to make an adventure out of this very important trip. She took me and maybe a few other cousins on a train to Chicago. It was so much more fun then driving!
Granny Jo was a school teacher in Detroit. I remember at least once she took me to her class to help out! That was super fun! I think she taught kindergarten, but I can't remember exactly. It was great to interact with her students and see her at work. It was also great growing up knowing how important education was to her. I am glad I had the chance to grow up close to Granny Jo.