Remembering Yesterdays

Yesterday (Friday) was a sad day. It will always begin with the memories of my Dad who passed one year ago. I dreaded calling my Mom as I get weepy at the drop of a hat. We did talk and didn't fall totally apart.

My Mom did have a happy story to tell, one that didn't involve a contractor ripping off a widow. You see, my Dad did all the repairs and handy-man chores around the house. So when the roof needed shoveling due to the large amount of snow and the expectation of more snow and freezing rain in the next few days, my Mom was searching her brain for someone she could call. She remembered a distant friend who had a construction company. So she took a chance and called, he was glad to refer her to his grown nephew who did snow plowing and those type of jobs during the winter. The nephew agreed to come and give my Mom an estimate. He called my Mom while she was getting off work and said he was at her house. Here's the short story; he shoveled off the entire house and garage roofs, shoveled the pathways and the pathway to the fuel tank, cleared off the decks and spoke to my Mom in a very nice, very respectful manner. He even took time to tell stories about my Dad that his Dad had told him. And then he gave my Mom an unbelievably low price for doing all the work. What a blessing to have a happy story on a day that she needed some cheering.

Here's what else happened, sharing our memories....

I drove home trying to be in "Merry" spirits as no going back to work again until Thursday - yeah!!
I drove around the corner in view of the empty lot next to us where the new owners are going to build a home (was the home of our dear neighbors) and with much of the lot clear, I didn't expect any new changes. There (were) two large citrus trees to the front/side of the lot that we have watched the fruit ripen and enjoyed so many times due to the generosity of our old neighbors. Well, now both trees were bull-dozed over, uprooted, killed. In addition to thinking of my Dad and all, I started bawling. Thinking of the good memories with our neighbors. What a waste. We do not know our new neighbors and they would not understand our sentiments. Our loss.

When I arrived home several boxes had arrived and so I had fun opening them. Of course, I started crying AGAIN, when we opened the box from Tom & Wendy. They were a local family in the same FCC Waiting Family group and Wendy got pregnant! So after a move out of state and the difficult decision to stop their China adoption, they sent us two shirts we loved seeing them in. Her shirt, which is now MY shirt (actually, she had two and now I have one) is so cute. It has the Baby with an arrow pointing to "mommy's stomach" with the word China. Ford's new shirt has Ba Ba on it. We thank them very much for thinking of us and passing on some of their personal adoption journey memories to us. We'll wear them proudly! Thank you!!

Another box had a CD in it with no name of the secret giver. The CD is Crimson Bridge, Common Bond. I hope someone will come forth and let us thank them! We had suspected friends had sent CD but found out who right after Christmas! Update - Sister Mia and family visited with us after Christmas and she sent the CD to us! Yeah, secret solved. Thank you!
It was a great day to receive so much thoughtfulness.

Lastly, we drove around our little town and looked at the Christmas lights to wind down the evening (of course Salty Dog was with us). We went to Spring Park and looked at the "parade" of Christmas trees. Each year it gets bigger. Lots of decorated trees honoring the military and various other groups and individuals.

Saturday (today) was a great day with haircuts and a baby shower and more boxes arrived (more on those later). Christmas guests are on their way and all is well. Merry Christmas Everyone!!