I’ve been traveling this week and still am. I apologize for the sporadic updating, but it has been largely unavoidable. You probably want to hear about Boston Comic Con. I met some wonderful readers in Boston. I had so many people come by and say such nice things. However, so many kind words were prefaced the same way: “I used to read you all the time in the newspaper!” Of course, I would point out that I’m still in the newspaper, and they’d say, “Yeah, well, we don’t get a paper anymore.” Aside from being flagrantly reminded how far the scene has shifted from my professional turf, Boston was great. I will talk a lot more about it in days to come. Vermont Comic Con is yet to come!
213 responses to “Boston Is History”
Ghost, Trucker, et al.: Parents, spice, and survivors are/were all specific persons. I join in prayers for your grief, but none is qualified to fault others for things that cannot be changed. I am still burdened by wife’s death; to me, world’s best person. Dad and Mom not so much. I did what needed to be done, usually, saw to it that Gran was visited daily in the Rehab by one kid or another, or Elaine or me, until she was no longer responsive; am sure she felt loved, maybe more by me than was accurate. We cannot undo the past.
Funeral at a local LC this a.m. for a former neighbor woman, who mostly lived for others, at least much of the time. Loving kids and grandkids. Full church. Had cancer, and the chance to design her own service. My dental hygienist sang two soloes, reason enough to go. Lunch: I will have a light supper.
Peace and consolation to all.
Change of subject but I am going to listen to some music at a local honky tonk called the Ice House. Want to bet it is a refuge run off from Texas? My employee moonlights as a mandolin and guitar player and keeps inviting me but I hate cigarette smoke. Apparently it’s outside but he says place has been there since 1920s as a honky tonk. I live right across from Belle Starr state Park and all the settings from True Grit. Clyde Barrow and other outlaws ran all through here. A few years ago they found a buried vintage car hidden in a dugout cave that was supposed to have been hidden by outlaws and forgotten about.
Anything is possible in Oklahoma. There is a tiny but legendary country and gospel theater out on Highway 9 by corner where I live. All the local country legends played it in 1950s and 60s like Merle Haggard.
Ghost, so sorry to hear of this. You have had a tough period the last few years between your sister and your mother. I hope this will be the time now you get to rest and regroup yourself. May God give you the strength, love and comfort you need to go on!
Ghost
Sorry to hear of your loss. Great sympathy and prayers to you from Indiana.
Steve Moore
So sorry Ghost.May the Peace and Grace of Christ be with you and your entire family. She is at peace and will be be cheering you on from afar.
This is a song written by a good friend of mine, Michael Card partially base on Hebrews 12:1. The lyrics are an inspiration to live by Faith. The last set lyrics before the last refrain really move me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meSE2GyDjQI
God Speed
I don’t have words any more eloquent than those already posted here, Ghost, but I truly echo what has been said. This Village is a loving and caring place where we feel blessed to spend time.
GR6
Prayer for your mom – prayers for you to get through this difficult time.
Amen
May the memories of the good time get us through the bad times.
If we focus on the bad times we will scarce remember nor enjoy the
memories of the good times. Amen
Belated HB Debbe
B’ugs
We have company coming so may not get a chance to respond for the next week.
Another note if you are checking in Ghost. I have thought of you and your mother all day. As a florist I have done hundreds of funerals, maybe thousands. They are never easy but I always tried to make each thing I did special for the person being remembered was a unique beloved family member to those who remained behind. They were the ones I created for, to bring them beauty and help their loss. It honors the deceased but the love is for those who grieve.
If I cannot send flowers for your mother please know I send them from my heart. May there be beauty as I gave my mother, my final gift to her. May your mother rest in roses.
I hate being up this time of night… especially since I’m waiting for a plumber to handle a leak within the downstairs bathroom’s wall. The rest of the family is unaware of the problem, peacefully sleeping.
GR, I wept. You were and still are a very loving and dedicated son. People will say “I know your pain”….maybe some do, but everyone suffers the loss of a parent in their own way. I found great comfort in reading scripture at Mom’s funeral.
You will be in my thoughts and prayers……….Amen
…I’m off today, going into town and spend some time with my Dad and sisters cleaning his house, then onto my sister Brenda who has the spinal fluid leak….
Love to all , and His blessings on all
debbe
Jackie…you got those shoes??? I wear a 7 and 1/2 with socks…..
Mark…thanks for the link….will have to save for them, cause I WANT them 🙂
Old Bear…thanks
B’hugs back at you
Ghost,
I’m deeply sorry for your loss. Though we live behind a curtain here, it is still very possible to know and care for the people in this village. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers as others here have shared.
David
Ghost,
I am very sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Rusty
…just to put a little smile in here…..
http://cheezburger.com/8968158720
Awww man….
Ghost, love you.
Trucker, I reread your post regarding your mother’s final stage. It is with heartfelt gladness that you were and are able to have closure and remember her at her best…
I am trying so hard to get the energy to get up and away and get into town. Come on guys, let’s hear it…..”Debbe, you know you can, you know you can……..”
Mark, and how are you doing this morning???? Back when I was head of housekeeping at the Hampton, we used these ionized machines to clear out the smoking rooms….it helped. Do you have such a thing in your house to cut down on the smoke? If not, please look into it….as you are a wiz at finding anything on the internet.
Driving out to the state highway for my morning coffee, thinking about the Village, and this song crossed my mind.
https://youtu.be/ej1I-IrHWCc
May the weekend bring you peace, pass it on of the Lord gives you the chance.
Debbe, thanks for the suggestion. Have a happy Caterday!
Orcalab is doing highlights right now; don’t know for how long. Good chance to see what goes on there. Humpback whales, orcas, maybe other stuff. Remember to close ‘exp lore’ before copying the URL. Peace,
http://expl ore.org/live-cams/player/orcalab-base
Good morning all. Hal is obstinate today. We had a beautiful cool night last night and sat outside free of cigarette smoke listening to my stone Mason, his wife and friends play country, blue grass, rock, and hymns. I sat in beat up chairs and drank Diet Coke while they played their hearts out working with a couple of new additions.
Tonight I am going to hear my friends The Captain Ledge Band playing at a club where I have to endure the smoke. They are excellent and just got a new recording contract so hope they have a good crowd. Suffering for friends but they have played for me every year for my boating weekend.
Ghost, you are loved by all here. Know we are with you in spirit.
To the Village:
As you know, my mom passed away early Friday morning. I appreciate your expressions of concern more than you can know. This community of ours is truly an amazing thing.
She seemed to have improved the first day she was in the hospital, but things deteriorated the second day, especially in the last twelve hours. The stress of her rapid heartbeat and her worsening pneumonia was just too much for her already frail body to survive. She was obviously in respiratory distress but at the end she passed relatively quickly and quite peacefully. Her situation was such that I would not bring her back in that condition if I had the power to do so.
I managed to make all the notifications and funereal arrangements by 2:00 yesterday afternoon. (I guess my Germanic penchant for organization and orderliness is good for more than just giving me the occasional bout of minor and random OCD.) Staying busy helped, and when I was finally able to get to bed, I fell right asleep and slept for ten hours, which for me is like a sleep marathon.
Our relationship was always excellent, but it reached another level after my sister passed away, and I took over checking on her and carrying her shopping and to doctor appointments, as she was no longer driving by that time. In her final months, I spent a lot of my time with her. Her long-term memory, although getting a little sketchy, was still good (prior to her starting to have seizures), and we spent a lot of time talking and reminiscing. I learned things, small personal things, about her I had never known.
An example is that as a child she had always wanted roller-skates, but her mother forbade it for fear she would break an arm or a leg. So when she went to Big City following high school to attend “Business College”, the first thing she did was buy a pair of skates so she could skate to school every day. And she didn’t break anything. (She was starting team women’s varsity basketball in high school, so it wasn’t like she was a klutz.)
She was loved, and I’m going to miss her a lot.