Collage

Collage
My Many Sides

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Finally Made IT.....Yeah

2011 is almost over, and I can come out of hiding.....Tomorrow.








I will not miss 2011, it was a terrible year for us...it started out with losing one kitty and by Oct we had lost 3.  Rest in Peace, Sally, Ada Jane and Shadow.

A treasured friend died this year also and I am so tired of death.

For the past 18 months Al and I have dealt with death so much it is hard to think in a positive way.  It started with my mother's death in July of 2010, with Al's mom in Oct 2010, and it did not stop.  We attended many funerals for veterans and active duty military in the past year, and feel honored to have stood flag line, but saddened to have to be there.

After the hellacious term Al had in college this Fall, and struggling with health issues, I decided that after Christmas Day I was taking refuge in the house till the New Year.  I have not even poked my nose outside since then.  I didn't feel safe enough to push my luck this last week.  All I can say is that I am so lucky to have Al as my backup. 


I hope that everyone out there has a Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year and that 2012 will be positive for all.


Megan, Al and Gabrielle

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is always a bittersweet night for me since 1977. 

I used to love Christmas Eve especially after 1960. In 1960 we were waiting for Santa with bated breath. It had gotten dark early that night, and my little brothers and sister were getting excited because Santa was due. He was really coming to our house.  We were all a little sad though, because Mommy and Daddy were not there.  Mommy had gone to the hospital to have a baby on the 19th.  Robert Paul was born, yet back then ( I know, the way back machine, women were allowed to stay in the hospital for about a week after having a baby)  Mommy was not going to be home for Christmas... at least that is what I thought.

There was a knock on the door, and when my brother opened it up, we had the delight of our lives. In walked Santa!  But the biggest surprise was when Santa walked over to me and handed me my Christmas present first.  Wrapped up in a Christmas stocking with a little cap was a beautiful doll, or so I thought at first.  It sure was a doll, a living doll, because Santa gave me a real baby, Robert Paul by name.  I looked into that beautiful face and fell madly in love ... and stayed that way forever.  I ran into my bedroom with him in my arms, and got out my doll crib to see if he would fit. He did.  Well I figured my Christmas was as perfect as it could be.  But it wasn't over yet.

Santa was being jolly and giving out presents to my other little brothers and sister, when there was another knock on the door.  The kids were so excited they fell over themselves to get to the door and were screaming with delight because in walked Mommy and Daddy.  As far as we were concerned we were in nirvana.  After we hugged and kissed them, Mommy asked where the baby was, and I asked her what baby? She said the baby, Robert Paul, that Santa had brought in to surprise us with.  I said you mean the beautiful living doll that was given to me for Christmas?  She said yes.  I told her I had put him down in my doll crib to nap while all the excitement was going on.  Mommy looked rather shocked and looked at Daddy who broke out in hysterical laughter.  Santa was cracking up too.  The little kids had no idea what was going on, just that everyone was happy.  Daddy asked if he could see my new doll and I told him if he was quiet he could see him.  He went to the bedroom and cracked up, Robert Paul was sound asleep in my doll crib (which was a handmade wooden crib that my grandfather had made me the year before, it was built like a rock).  Daddy asked if he could pick the "doll" up and I told how to do it safely, (support the head and put him in the "roock" of your arm).  My father had a wonderful sense of humor and humored me and walked into the living room with my "doll".

My father walked into the living room and started to give the baby to my mother, but stopped short and asked me if it was okay for Mommy to hold my "doll".  I told daddy "Don't be silly Daddy, Mommy made him for me."  I am not sure who laughed the hardest, Santa or my parents.  After some questioning my parents realized that I *believed* Santa when he said that the baby was my Christmas present.  After this realization they had to have Santa find my "real" gift, which was a baton, which I had wanted, *BEFORE* Santa gave me my "living doll".  I relented and let Mommy have the baby, on the condition she would share him, which she did till 1977.
Bobby 1966


Christmas 1966




On Nov. 2, 1977, my living doll, Bobby was killed in a car accident on the way home from school......I will never stop loving him and seem to always shed some tears on Christmas Eve for him,  My Mother told me that each Christmas Eve she would remember the lovely story of how Bobby came home.  She told me before she died, it was one of the most cherished moments in her life, because after all I was only 10 and trusted Santa and my parents, so believed anything they told me.  Mother said that the man who played Santa was a member of our American Legion and would tell the story for years afterwards.


Bobby loved his first Christmas story ....and so do I, even if it is bittersweet.  Bobby would curl up in the rocker with me and ask me to tell him the story every year...it was our special story.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve story for themselves.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Fun Days

As I am downsizing all my things so we can move into assisted living, I came across an old photo album and started to scan some pictures in. 

Back in the days.....now I do sound old, don't I?  Back in the 70's I had a Girl Scout Troop, #185 to be exact, and had 25 wonderful little girls that I got to play with.  I was their leader with my friend Izzy, from Juniors till Seniors. You don't know PMS till you have 25 at the same time.

One time in 1980 Izzy and I decided to take the whole troop, family and some friends to the Detroit Zoo.  Now I know, "What the "H" were we thinking?"  So besides the troop of girls, we had a passel of others to go with us.  BUT, Izzy and I figured, there would be other adults along. How bad could it be?....Again, I know, "What?"  So youth has it's advantages, you think you can do anything.

So, we get to the Detroit Zoo, unloaded about 45 people, and started to break them into workable groups...but none of the girls wanted to go with their OWN parents, they wanted to be with Izzy and me....joy.  So we moved in mass, sort of like a large amoeba.  Then after we got part way through the zoo, the heavens opened up and dumped a deluge of rain on us.  Okay, so you would think we were going to turn around and go back home...No way, Izzy said, we can just go from one covered building to another We are "Girl Scouts", so we can handle this with ease.  Not sure at this point who might have wanted to kill her more, the wet parents or the girls. After looking at these pictures,  I am not so sure.  In fact, Izzy isn't looking too happy, as we found cover in the bird aviary and no one wanted to leave.


I so loved being a Girl Scout leader and have some very special memories with a lot of little girls I came to love very much.  They are all grown, many with kids of their own and a couple are already early grandmas...time sure marches on.



The one thing I will cherish more than anything is that in the picture is my beautiful sister Rose, my beautiful nieces Marlene and Michelle from Oklahoma, and my lovely, sweet and beautiful nieces, Nancy, Brenda and Becky. Plus my dear friend Izzy, with the clipboard survived the trip.

After the last few weeks I am so pleased to have come across these and many more pictures and will enjoy scanning them in to forward to the girls.

honor

Today Al and I were honored to stand flag line for SSgt. Vincent Bell at the funeral home.  It was a cold crisp day but we felt lucky we could honor this hero.  Tomorrow his memorial service will be at 11 am at the Renaissance Unity Church in Warren, MI.  Unfortunately it will be too cold for me to be outside tomorrow, so we were glad to be able to go today.


The United States Flag will be lowered to half-staff in honor of U.S.
Marine Staff Sergeant Vincent J. Bell on Monday, 12 December 2011. Flags should be returned to full-staff on Tuesday, 13 December 2011.

Bell, 28, of Detroit, Michigan died 30 November 2011 in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan while conducting combat operations.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Pendleton in California.

Bell joined the Marines in 2001 and was serving his second deployment.
He was a two-time recipient of the Purple Heart, awarded twice the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Navy Unit Commendation, three Marine Corp Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, three Iraqi Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.

A wake will be held on Sunday, 11 December 2011, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the United Memorial Funeral Home in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, 12 December 2011, at the Renaissance Unity Church in Warren, Michigan.

        GOD Bless and Semper Fi!!!!! 



Some of the men and women that also stood for him...
Thank you all.








Rest in Peace SSgt. Vincent Bell and Thank you.