Monday, October 29, 2007

Closing the circle

My family is not very conventional. I actually like that about them most of the time..especially since I am no longer a teenager whose entire social standing is based upon the embarassment or lack of it caused by our genetic relations. So, anyway, last Friday, we closed the circle (so to speak) of our mother's side of the family.
My brilliant, excentric, exotic, unusual, overbearing Aunt Jo was laid to rest last Friday.
As one of my other aunt's noted, Aunt Jo was a feminist before feminist was cool. She lived larger than life and resembled a bag lady, an professor, a feminist, an aetheist, a budhist and an aristocrat all wrapped up in one. So a conventional visitation and burial would not do. We put our heads together and came up with a celebration of life last Friday. I made a great fall bouquet and put together a unique collage of photos (thanks to my great scrapbooking friends in St. Louis!). I also put together a nice program and invitation. Matthew did his usual great project manager job of working with the funeral home and all of those great admin tasks. Dan and Jim pitched in by going through her things.
Bottom line: we held a fun, interactive and brief service at Holy Cross on Friday followed by a brunch where the Queen loved to hold court...Denny's Restaurant in Bloomington. The skies opened up once we were all safely ensconced in Denny's ...drinking coffee and laughing and talking. The best line of the day was from her friend Jolene who noted she was "outrageous"> Indeed!
In truth, that day was the best gift Josie has given us all in a long time. Josie brought us full circle. Now, let's hope she is not fighting with my mom and grandparents..I hope they're playing checkers and listening to the radio together.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Finally Home

Rita is so happy...and we all know that when Rita is happy..EVERYONE is happy. She stands inside the glass door and looks out at me. She jumps on"her" king sized bed and rolls around. She races up and down the living room.....she looks at me like...Thank Goodness we are HOME, mom..."

Boxes, stuff all around, furniture not in place. Doesn't mean a thing. Rita knows she is at home :-)

Monday, October 15, 2007

Getting Back to (Ab) Normal...in Bloomington!




Fall in Illinois is typically a blissful time. Sunny days but warm....not hot....falling leaves, the smell of cookouts and backyard bonfires. So, this fall has all of the usual fall sensory experiences...and heat of 88-94 degrees per day. Unbelieveable!!




So, of course, we had to move -- AGAIN -- during the heat wave. It was better than last time but still ....hot. And it took 7 hours!!! (I am seriously considering more downsizing...for everything except my scrapbooking supplies of course..)




I'm getting to know the folks at U-Haul on a first name basis and becoming quite adept at maneuvering a truck through through the streets of Bloomington-Normal.




At any rate...we are (mostly) now in one place..a new home where Rita can happily run through the house, sniff the grass in the backyard and look through the door at her mama.