Cooper and Zoë on the way to get haircuts!!My mom would have found today both infuriating and funny. Today, Cooper and Zoë were taken to the groomer for their grooming appointment. Nothing gets those two happier than the word HAIRCUT…except maybe w-a-l-k. I’m even afraid to type that one for fear they can read. They will mow me over for a chance to go out on their leashes. And the car?! Forget about it. Those two would love nothing more than a long road trip with the windows down!!
Sometimes, when the feelings start to creep in, you need to take a deep breath.
EXHALE
I release my feeling of sadness. I will no longer feel weighed down by my losses. I will rejoice in celebration of love and life and memories.
My Dad at my wedding: this smile complete captures his personality.I have always been a Daddy’s girl. There are stories of when I was a baby when I would watch TV curled up in my dad’s arms completely content. Apparently he was the one who could get me sleep. My dad is a pretty awesome guy. He is patient, kind, and oh-so-generous. He is always willing to help his family and friends no matter what the problem. I remember him calling me when our home was flooded telling me he was standing in our living room. He was the first one in the house after the terrible flood. You could hear the compassion in his voice as he viewed the destruction.
When strangers first meet they shake hands–an affirmation that the meeting is welcome. When we are in the midst of our final goodbyes, we hold hands to comfort our souls.
Mom’s Birthday 2009 Wildfire: Oakbrook, ILBirthdays PM (post mom) pretty much suck. I had my 37th birthday a mere 3 weeks after my mom died. I wasn’t exactly in a celebratory mood. I remember my dad asking me if I wanted to go out to dinner. I told him that I just wanted to make dinner like a regular Thursday and forget the day had some sort of significance. Honestly, with exception of my wedding, honeymoon, and very few other joyous events, I would have liked to have forgotten that my 36th year even existed. I wanted a redo.
The last day of school is always bittersweet. Every teacher has those kids they would take home if they could. This year I was lucky enough to have a couple. I also had some very challenging students as those in my line of work often do….the bitter with the sweet.
I want nothing more than just a little extra time. I want nothing more than to hear her voice and see her smile. NOTHING.
I know. I know. It’s not Monday. But the week was a busy one and it pretty much feels like Monday.
My mom was a sucker for a casserole. It stretched a buck and hid a variety of veggies even the pickiest of eaters could enjoy. Better yet, it was easy to add rice or pasta so that even if one of the neighbor kids stayed for dinner, there would be plenty to go around.
In the last 10 years or so, my mom wasn’t much of a drinker. In her younger days, she stayed sane by enjoying a bottle of wine with the neighbor. But as she aged, she stopped drinking pretty much all together except for an occasional Kaluha and milk. She did, however, love her McDonald’s Diet Coke or Sweet Tea, especially when smuggled into the movies in giant ziplock bags shoved into my Mary Poppin’s purse.
Karyn In The Kitchen 