Time........

Well....here I am...it's been SUCH a LONG "time" since I was here. John and I didn't sleep well, at all last night. Don't know why. He went in to work and I was happy that I didn't. I rolled over... grabbed the dog and cat and nuggled in for a long winter's "nap". Hopefully.
I slept, albeit fitfully....had some weird dreams. Then, the phone rang. It was my Laura.

Her: Hi Mom, How are you?
Me: I'm exhausted, didn't sleep well at all last night.
Her: Oh sorry, I'll let you go back to sleep.
Me: No....what's wrong? ( I'm her Mom, I can tell when something is awry....don't even have to see her)
Her: I'm at the Cemetary....at Gramma's. I hadn't been in a long "time".......

She is sad and quiet....two pretty unusual things for my Laura to be. We all miss Gramma/ Mom...so much. It is almost unbearable for us. The years and the passing of the "time"....does not get easier as they and it passes. Laura loved the Candy Cane wreath that John and I put at the Stone, for Mom and Dad. I thought that it would be nice to "switch it up" a bit from the usual "Wreath" that we would get and decorate for them each year, since they have been gone. Laura loved it. We reminised about how much that Gramma loved Candy Canes and Christmas.....how she always would decorate everything so cute.....Mrs. Claus, herself.

Me: Telling Laura of.... when I was little and how that my Dad would still be opening his presents, (My girls and he....they never had the pleasure of meeting one another, he unfortunately "passed" before that she and her twin, Julia were born.) and looking at all of the things that our wonderful, loving...."Mrs. Claus", had given the rest of us....
Daddy: To one of my brother's....ummm where did you get those?
( Drooling over a new pair of wonderful Wool Socks or a pair of Mittens or Gloves ?) Nice....he'd say...I'd like some of them too, Toot (his affecionate term of love for her). Of course, needless to say.....his wish was her command. Most likely, by the next day....he'd have "his""some" too. Oh the wonderful memories of those happy "times".

My parents were very "simple" ( if you could call them that.... people). The smallest (or the biggest , depending on how you look at it) things in the World would make them happy. One of the toppers of their list....ANY Family "Gatherings"..... around the Trees... filled with the ornaments of yore and elemetary pojects,( from all of their children and Grands.... that they would not of traded or sold for anything in this World , tables....filled with food galore, that they together, had made for all of us to share and enjoy...they were THE BEST cooks) Camp, front and back yards.... to have a cook outs in........or....the "times" being just around each and every one of us. That's all that mattered to them. Now....these too, have become my favorite things. Thanks Mom and Dad.....for loving your children and loved ones and wanting to share your "time" with us.

Always, Heather