She’s in her 80s and still wears a bikini.

She loves the sun.

She thinks she’s part Indian because she loves Indian jewelry.

She is my grandmother Oumie.

She is my hero.

Still rockin a hot bod and impeccable style that I strive to have, her refined wardrobe and collection of yellow gold jewelry is only the tip of the iceberg. She had swim cover-ups and night gowns made because she couldn’t find any that she liked and had a gold charm bracelet designed with all her grandchildren’s birth dates and stones. Now when I get to see her my favorite thing to do, besides going through her jewelry, is listening to her stories. From having three dates a day during the war to meeting my grandfather, being a lumber mill wife, learning to fly and traveling the world, the stories are legendary—as is her ability to beat me at scrabble consistently.