Believe It Or Not

As most of you know, my beloved mother passed away on September 26, 2002 after fighting lung cancer for 2 years. Although she has been gone for almost 14 years I still miss her today as much as ever! I hate that my memory of her and the sound of her voice has faded some but sometimes something will come back to me so vividly that it can take my breath away!


I never gave much thought to what happens to someone after they die. I was raised Catholic so I thought you either went to heaven to be with God, went to hell or were stuck in purgatory for some reason and that was that! Never to be heard from again.


After I left the Catholic Church and my mind opened up a little,  I started to believe that the dead could and do communicate with the living occasionally. There was enough little signs that I had heard from other people that made me believe that could be true. For example: My grandfather died and one day a few years later the whole family was at my grandmothers house. My niece who was 3 at the time wandered into one of the back bedrooms, and then came running out telling her dad that she saw a "man" back there! After investigating and finding no one and being suspicious, he showed her a family picture and she pointed right to my grandfather and said that was him!  She couldn't possibly have remembered him because she was a baby when he died.


There were other things but nothing happened to me personally. That is until my mom died.


She and I were very close. As her only daughter we did a lot of things together. Between my three brothers and my dad it was like the two of us were an island in a sea of testosterone! I felt her absence very deeply, especially at family gatherings.


One night a few months after she died, I was reading in bed which I do every night. Rich was next to me sleeping. I was just starting to doze off when suddenly I saw her in my right side peripheral vision, felt her kiss my cheek and heard a soft kissing sound.  My eyes flew open! I literally could still feel her kiss on my cheek. I saw her, I felt her and I heard her and it was definitely not a dream! I started to cry because I was so happy that she found a way to visit me! I still remember that vividly.


My mom had a watch that she wore every day of her life.  I used to wear it occasionally after she died because it is a nice watch and well..it used to be hers! One day I was at home by myself and I had her watch on. Planning on doing some cleaning, I took it off and set it on the stairs to take upstairs with me next time I went up. Now the first half of the stairway is open with spindles and runs along the front hallway. The stairs are set down below the line of the wall so you can't slide anything off it has to be lifted. I set the watch on the stair, walked into the kitchen, and no sooner had I turned the corner than I heard her watch hit the floor. I backed up about three steps and looked, and sure enough it was sitting in the middle of the hallway!


Now I have five cats and they knock stuff on the floor all the time but in this case a) they would have had to lift it and throw it, b) they were all sleeping and c) cats never run away when they knock stuff off a surface, they always sit there and look at it!  So I picked up the watch, smiled and thanked my mom for saying hi and put it back on the stairs!


I know without a doubt those two things were my mom finding a way to tell me that her spirit is still with me and always will be. There is so many times throughout the years that I can feel her around me sure as I breath.  


So there you have it. I truly believe that was her and I do wish she would come around more often! It's been quite a few years since I've even dreamed of her.


Maybe she knows that we have all found peace with living without her.


Until the next time..

What's Up!

Well, after having winter in April we finally have some beautiful weather! Sunny and reasonably warm. Perfect weather for me to have a few days off of work!

Yesterday I ran a few errands and just kind of putzed around.  Went in search of some plain t-shirts to wear for every day. I didn't want anything fancy and no writing on them. Do you think I could find them? I looked in several stores with no luck and then I remembered buying a t-shirt in Hobby Lobby several years ago that I still had and liked. So I went there and sure enough, they had a ton! I bought three of them and it only cost me $8.48! Score!

We got a new water fountain at work that's pretty cool.

It fills water bottles. All you have to do is hold the bottle underneath the spout and it automatically comes on! Plus it lets you know how many bottles it's saved. When I first used it it was at 17 but I'm sure that number is much higher now! Anyway, it's the little things, you know!
My dad closed on his house so it's officially sold! He's going to be moving to a senior citizen apartment complex called Newburgh Vill@ge. He got the keys to his apartment yesterday and today I am meeting him over there to help him unpack some stuff.  Then next weekend we are moving him out of his house! The new place is 3.5 miles from me. I feel better knowing he's closer in case I need to get to him fast for any reason. I've heard they have lots of activities so he can stay busy and won't be so lonely.

I'll leave you with a picture of my girls.

Hanging out upstairs in the bedroom together! They get picked on by the boys whenever they come downstairs! Brothers! What can you do?

Until the next time.

Happy Spring ( I think)

It snowed like crazy yesterday and today we have a dusting on the grass and trees. Plus its cold!! 

Why are we finally getting winter in April!

I noticed that there are a lot of adult coloring books in the stores these days.  

I used to lock myself in the bathroom with a coloring book and crayons when my kids were young. It was a great destressor at the time. A few years ago I bought a coloring book and crayons to try it again. It didn't work so well that time. I don't think coloring is my thing anymore!

Easter was at my dad's house this year. One last family event there before the house is gone. Closing is April 8th and he moves within 30 days. 

Marissa dug up my moms irises and day lillies to replant at her and Chris's house. 

Trying to keep as much stuff in the family as possible!

Its bittersweet! 

Until the next time.