January 2011 -- A Month to Remember

Never could I have imagined a month like this one. It is certainly one to be documented in my journal and personal history for review over and over again.

A year ago, I did a blog post on my mother's failing health. Little did I know then that things would transpire as they have. Mom passed away a week ago, Saturday, January 22, 2011. Needless to say it has been a rough week! It may take me some time to get this post completed, but I wanted to make sure I got it started before the month's end.

My mom was my very best friend in the universe, and I miss her like you will never know or understand. I talked to her every day, at least once. I took care of house cleaning and other stuff every Saturday, for years. I saw her at her best and in the frailest stages of failing health. She had most people fooled about how sick she really was -- but not me. I just hoped and prayed deep down inside that she would live forever because I knew it would be so difficult for all of us to accept her loss. I bought her new pajamas only a week before her passing and a new outfit as well. I know she wore the pajamas but the outfit -- she tried it on if that counts for something. We had some great expereinces in the 56 years I called her "Mom" -- and I must say most of them were positive, but we did have our ups and downs. I think what is most upsetting about losing Mom is that her mind was good -- in fact, her mind and spirit were trapped in a rickety old body that couldn't see or hear or maintain oxygen. The last week of her life, she put up a good front -- one last trip to Sam's, one last doctor's appointment, a few last birthday catalog orders, one last attempt at balancing her checkbook, one last time to fix Dad Sunday dinner, and more . . . Mom kept living until the very last breath and then her body died and her spirit moved on.



In addition to my mom's passing, I lost another dear friend, Judy W, just a young woman compared to my mom.

Elvis Lives (or Lived) or Lives!

You know what I am talking about -- Elvis. Is he alive, is he dead, where is he, what happened to him? Too many questions and not exact answers! All I know for sure is that he was born -- Happy Birthday, Elvis -- January 8, 1935. You [Elvis] would be an "old duffer" if you were still alive. So, I will continue to remember you as one of the "dreams" of my youth.

We used to go to the Saturday matinee at the Gem Theater on Magna Main Street -- every Saturday. Most movies were 25 cents (Disney movies were always 35 cents). Mom would give us admission money and 15 cents for treats. My sisters and I saw every "kid-approved" movie in the 1960's. Our favorites were Elvis movies!

Flaming Star - Blue Hawaii - Follow That Dream - Kid Galahad - Girls! Girls! Girls! - It Happened at the World's Fair - Fun in Acapulco - Kissin' Cousins - Viva Las Vegas - Girl Happy - Harum Scarum - Frankie and Johnny - Spinout - Double Trouble - Clam Bake - The Trouble with Girls

I think my all-time favorite is Blue Hawaii. Elvis' name was "Chad-baby" in this film, and it was filmed many years before politically correct actions and words were used with women. When I watch it now, it makes my feminist side cringe, but oh well! I love the music and especially Elvis' dark black silky hair and the wedding scene at the end of the movie. My second favorite is Viva Las Vegas -- co star Ann-Margaret. Modern movies just can't compete with the singing, and the dancing, and the clothes, and the cars, and flying over Lake Mead in a helicopter!

A few years ago, I was at a meeting in Las Vegas. I stayed in the MGM Grand and there was an aura of Elvis in every area of the facility. He rode with me on the elevator, his music was soft and subtle. He was in the restaurants and in the lobby. My meetings were in the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Las Vegas Hilton. To get to the Hilton from the convention center, I walked through a long sky walk decorated with amazing photographs of the stars who had some connection with the Hilton. Needless to say, Elvis was alive and well in living black and white on the walls of the sky walk, every turn, every corridor. Amazing photos . . .

Elvis was born the same year as Uncle Bevan. If still alive, he would be 76. I am choosing to always remember Elvis of the 60s! And yes, he lives and will always live in the dreams of my youth (and in my over 55 adulthood)!

Girls and Boys

I grew up in a family of 10 -- 5 daughters, 3 sons, 1 mother, 1 father. The girls outnumbered the boys 6 to 4.

We (1 mother and 1 father) have a family 3 children -- 2 daughters, 1 son.

My daughters are married -- 2 sons-in-law.

I have 2 grandsons.

I have 1 granddaughter.

The boys outnumber the girls -- 6 to 4.

Just something to think about.

Happy New Year!

My camera has been broken for a few weeks, but I finally got it back into operation. I glanced through all of the 2010 photos saved on the memory card and realized that it had been quite a year. Mostly, it was a year of blessings and opportunity.