Hi there!

Excuse me while I tidy, up a bit. (My mom, to her everlasting glory clung to the curious concept of melding white wall-to-wall carpet 'til the end).

Anyway, a lot has gone in all our lives since that July morning at Saddleback Hospital in 2010. But I've decided to revive the blog and dedicate it to those of us still living, and who have expressed interest in seeing new posts. Honestly, I was too overwhelmed with grief and writer's block to do it.

Anyway, as time passed, we lost my dear Aunt Mary Ann Kaffer.

See obituary at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?pid=175993372

In 2013, our dear Uncle Bill had already gone to his Heavenly Home, and let me tell you the Catholic Church showed up in droves down in Temecula! (My aunt and uncle weren't stingy in their financial support of the Church!)

The link to his obituary containing his extraordinary life history can be found at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?pid=164883374

Her son Matthew moved to Washington State. He posts on Facebook sometimes.

 This will conclude my update for now but anyone is able to contact me (Elyse) at epintar56@gmail.com or elyselucilereed@gmail.com (although that is my Facebook related account which I check less often)

Hope all are well!

Elyse

"Don't it always seem t've got 'til it's gone --- Joni Mitchell

Almost a Year

It's been almost a year now, Mom. And really, I can't say it's getting any easier. I look at pictures of you all the time since I scanned so many of them into this computer while the flurry of activity was in full swing in the days and weeks following your death. Betty Ford died today. There was a lot about her that reminds me of you. She was every inch the lady but at the same time, when the white gloves needed to come off, and blunt talk was the order of the day, that's what we got. I love that quality in people. I can still look over to my left and see your sewing machine sitting on the table. I don't want to move it. It feels like the inanimate object that somehow contains the most essence of your soul -- yeah I know that sounds weird.

I guess it's like the Velveteen Rabbit in a way. It spent so much time in the company of the owner that something of the essence of that owner becomes part of it. I remember how much you wanted to get Meghan the book "The Velveteen Rabbit" when she was little (and you did- I see it clearly in my Mind's Eye right now). It was one of those things you seemed to take an almost over-natural interest in . . .although with that book I undersood the reason. The Wind In The Willows and The Yearling not quite so much. I tried, though! I really did! I would never read The Scarlet Pimpernel and thank God that was the book you tended to harp on oops I mean remind Jeff to read all the time. It's Jeff's birthday today. I always remember it, but don't call or send a card or anything. He doesn't call or send me cards on my birthday, either.

I've learned how to manipulate imagery pretty well lately, so ah couuullld make some rilly fancy artistic photographs to put all up in this here blog maybe later.

Should I post silly pictures yet? I don't want to get yelled at again! We'll see.

Did you know . . . . (fun facts about my mom) #2

She was quite proud of two rather strange abilities. The first was (as she would tell anyone who seemed remotely interested) that she could fit her entire fist into her mouth. Remember, in the olden days this would never have prompted even the thought of an off-color remark. Eventually, as children never get tired of seeing their parents look ridiculous, we would say,

"Mom! Put your fist in your mouth!"

"Yeah, Mom! Do it! We wanna see you put your fist in your mouth!!"

It never took too much convincing. I believe the trick was the way she angled her wrist. . . but now I'm wondering how and when she became aware of this awesome talent. And who was the first person she excitedly accosted to witness that in fact, she really could put her entire fist in her mouth?

The second was, she claimed, "I can wiggle my ears." That wasn't nearly as impressive due to the fact that it appeared to me that she could wiggle some area of facial muscles and her ears went along for the ride, but no matter. Perhaps in the first glimmer of adult sensibilities such as tactfulness, I feigned enthusiasm and astonished impressededness.

And now my eyes fill with tears as I my mother at some point in time standing in front of a mirror and perfecting these two silly tricks to elicit the maximum wow factor from her projected audience, and not having the slightest idea that one day it would be her own children who tossed the bouquets.

Some Stuff I Now Have

(to be expanded and expounded upon later, maybe)

1. A purple suede trench-coat.

2. A set of copper Jello molds.

3. A voodoo doll with common old age complaints written all over it like "constipation" over the butt and "Viagra" over the yeah that.

4. A ceramic soap dish of a duck taking a bath that Bill gave my mom for her birthday. She thought it proved once and for all that Bill did not "get" her.

5. A whole bunch of blue towels! (and some white ones)

6. A rust colored blow dryer circa 1972 that weighs 5 pounds.

7. A zipper cosmetic bag filled with my mom's makeup. For some reason this makes me want to sob uncontrollably more than anything else yet has.

8. A glass thermometer in it's original pink and blue 1960 looking box.

9. A Christmas box containing the prom dress my mom is wearing in the picture displayed at her Memorial Mass. I did not know she kept it, and one glance at the cream colored satin is going to cause a meltdown any second now so I better stop here for a little.