The Adams family..

While it's been difficult doing this blog challenge while my mother's health has lead us to the end of her life. I have been able to find some pictures a little easier since we were already getting them out for a photo tribute to Mom. Day 26 is to post a photo of my family. The photo that I have was taken at my brother's wedding a couple of years ago. What a wedding it was. Instead of a limousine (my family used to own a limo service) we opted to use the hearse. (scroll to the bottom of the blog to see photos of that) We did behave ourselves long enough since we were all together and we managed to get a few shots of my parents and all of their kids that they had together. It doesn't include my brother that was from my father's previous marriage. But everyone else made it. Can you spot me?

http://www.brightergrave.blogspot.com/

10 songs

Day 25 of the 30 day blog challenge ask of me to put my ipod on shuffle and tell the first ten songs that come on.

The truth is that I'm too cheep to own an ipod. I do have an mp3 player though. However, it doesn't have an option of random or shuffle. So I have to pick out my own music. I guess the question is then; what do I pick?

As you can imagine, I don't usually get much time with my mp3 player. I'm most often trying to relax when I get it out. I've got a CD that I transferred on to it that I picked up when we were on Cape Cod two summers ago. It has soothing music mixed with sounds of the seashore. It reminds me of the trip and of relaxing in the hot tub at the Brass Key Inn, sipping on some red wine.
To get me moving, I love me some ABBA or a British band "Westlife".. A recent addition was Katy Perry and Adele and for a blast from the past, I like some BB Mak. I've also got the soundtrack from Priscilla Queen of the Desert- the movie and the Broadway play that we saw last summer in my favorite city, Toronto.

Like most people, songs remind me of certain times, places and people at the time I first heard them. I like to submerge myself in good memories and using this play-list, I come away from my player refreshed and ready to face the day.

Something I've learned

It's Day 24 of the 30 blog challenge. I'm to tell about something that I've learned. I've learned a lot quite frankly and much of it probably beyond my years. I could write about any number of things with this one. Considering the circumstances in my life right now, I will tell you about something that I learned just tonight. (It's now about 1am) After only a few hours of sleep, I went to work last night. When I got off work this morning, I went to the nursing home to visit with my mother. Her condition is deteriorating rapidly. She can no longer open her eyes or even speak. As we see it, she may be gone by morning. (We'll see) The papers that we received from hospice state that she can hear us, even if she can not respond. I've always felt that this was something they put in there for the grieving family more than the person that is dieing. I could tell that my father wasn't buying it either. To humor myself and to keep from having a breakdown, I kept talking to and joking with my mother all day. Yes, I was there from 8am to about 11:45pm. At one point, everyone else had left the room. I told Mom that I would be there for her no matter what. And that I would keep taking care of Dad. At that moment her face winced and whole body shook as a tear came from her left eye. She tried so hard to say something. Her frail body just couldn't do it. I know that she was telling me, as she often does, that she loves me and didn't know what she would do without me. And that she is scared. Fighting back the tears myself, I told her that it would be all right and that I know what she was trying to say. And that I love her too.

So what is it that I learned tonight? I learned that they can hear you. That is your opportunity to say what you need to say. And that in the end, Love is all that matters.

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Favorite Vacation(s)

Day 23 of the 30 day blog challenge calls for me to tell about my favorite vacation. Now that's a tough one. Do I pick one of my many trips to Toronto? Or perhaps Provincetown? The unforgettable cruise that I took my parents on last year? What an amazing camping trip last year too. Or was it driving across the country with my family to see my uncle. As a child my mother would throw us all in the car and we'd disappear to somewhere on the spur of the moment. Then there was my summers spent in Arkansas on my grandfathers farm. As a young adult, I would travel to visit my sister wherever she happened to be living at the time, like Williamsburg, Virginia or Los Angeles. Then there was the trip to Mackinac Island with my husband, good times indeed. It's tough to choose my favorite.

Minors Castle before the 2006 collapse

For some reason though one comes to mind that stands out. That was the week that I spent with my niece, Tammy. We climbed in my two seat convertible and took off. We took the ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin and headed North from Green Bay. We stopped at so many waterfalls along the way that we lost count. We traveled up into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and toured old copper mines. Our travels took us to the very tip-top of the state to Copper Harbor and across the U.P. stopping at Minors Castle in the Pictured Rocks National Shoreline of Lake Superior. And eventually to Tahquamenon Falls near Paradise, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie ( or "the Soo" for short ).

Tehquamenon Falls

Then it was across the Mackinac Bridge to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and eventually back home to where I was living in Battle Creek at the time.


We had a little pop-up tent and a small convertible as our only protection from the elements and would camp wherever we could find. Sometimes right on the beach and other times in the woods. It was an amazing trip that we both still talk about. One of those trips when you really start to discover yourself. I think that's why it stands out as my favorite.

But I've enjoyed all of my travels. I really love to discover new things and experience all that life has to offer.

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