Last month, Dave's beloved grandfather passed away.

One of our favorite recent memories of Grandpa was his love of The Sandbar. He lived near Wichita so he didn't visit often, but over the last few years various family members drove him to the KU Medical Center for treatments, and there was usually time to stop in Lawrence. Grandpa always insisted on going to The Sandbar for a beer, or a bloody mary, or whatever else he was in the mood to drink.

Several years ago, he was here over Halloween. He got the biggest kick out of seeing all the people in the bar, dressed in costume, dancing and having fun.

And more than a few years ago when Dave and I got married, after Liberty Hall finally kicked our wedding reception out of their place, everyone headed to The Sandbar, including Grandpa. It was a great mix of the young and old, Sandbar regulars and people there for the first time.

IMG_0289
After the funeral last month, everyone gathered at Grandpa's house. One thing that Dave really wanted was an old Black Label "Cold Beer" light-up sign that was in Grandpa's shop area. We brought it back to Lawrence and Dave hung it over the doorway.

It has a useful function; it provides a little extra light for the doorguys to check ID's. But it also serves as a reminder of the times Grandpa came to the bar and just how much he enjoyed it. We like to think it's a little piece of him hanging out in the bar with us.

So next time you come in, give a little hello to the Cold Beer sign.