Archive for April, 2008
What’s with all the Mormons?
NOT that there’s anything wrong with this, but since I’ve been blogging I have met many many Mormons. Growing up in the rural Midwest, I kind of vaguely knew there was a religion called Mormonism but never actually met a real live one before. But the Blogosphere seems to be BLOOMING with them! And they […]
Published by angelawd on April 29th, 2008 tagged Just Sayin' | 7 Comments »
At least she’s not naked.
Another miracle has occurred here in Illinois, and my daughter cleaned her bedroom. Angels wept for joy. So did I. She left this note on the message board on her door:
Once she was finished cleaning, I seized the one moment that her bedroom floor was cleared to shampoo her carpets. You can see how awful […]
Published by angelawd on April 28th, 2008 tagged Abnormal Motherhood | 14 Comments »
What you need to know before your next family gathering
1. No matter how old you are, you’ll still be called by your childhood name. My mom, Kathleen, is 65 and they still call her Kathy. One of my second cousins has had the nickname Dolly since infancy; I don’t even know her real name.
2. Gatherings are fantastic times to air out all those old […]
Published by angelawd on April 24th, 2008 tagged Just Sayin' | 8 Comments »
Notes from a Funeral
One person can collect an enormous amount of possessions in a single one-bedroom apartment. It was hard to clean out my grandma’s home; we didn’t know the stories behind many of the little mementos and personal items we found. “Why on earth did she keep a shoebox full of prayer cards?” We’d ask. “Do you know […]
Published by angelawd on April 23rd, 2008 tagged Healing | 8 Comments »
She’s gone.
My grandma passed away early Tuesday morning. I am so thankful that she’s no longer in any pain. I keep wondering what she is seeing now and experiencing. What is her afterlife like?
Now I really am going to Minnesota. Joe and I are staying the week to help clean out her apartment and donate things […]
Published by angelawd on April 16th, 2008 tagged Joyful living | 10 Comments »
The Daffodils are Mocking Me.
Time in my garden heals me, especially when I have the opportunity to…um…take myself less seriously.
Last fall I decided to dig up a bed of daffodils and spread them out in other flower beds. I spent an entire afternoon digging a hole big enough to bury my teenaged daughter, just in case she continued to annoy […]
Published by angelawd on April 14th, 2008 tagged Healing, Joyful living | 6 Comments »
Tick, tick, tick…
The news is grim. My Grandma’s vital organs are failing, and the family has decided to let her pass her last days without pain, rather than trying to repair a failing body. This means she is rarely awake and coherent, but eased along by powerful pain relievers. I realized that to drive up there now would be […]
Published by angelawd on April 12th, 2008 tagged Healing | 6 Comments »
I’m not in Minnesota.
My Mom and stepfather have traveled to MN with my great-aunt Joan, someone so close to my family that I’ve always called her my own aunt. I realized that in this situation, it’s much more important that my grandma have time with her sister and daughter than with me, especially if she’s still in intensive […]
Published by angelawd on April 11th, 2008 tagged Daily Christianity, Healing, Joyful living | 5 Comments »
Going Back to Minnesota…
This afternoon, I’m headed to Minnesota with my Mom. My Grandma is fading in and out of a coma, and they don’t believe she’ll last the day.
Those of you who have followed the story of my last visit, in which the Benton bar was a badly needed respite, can imagine the turmoil I’m feeling now. […]
Published by angelawd on April 10th, 2008 tagged Joyful living | 6 Comments »
Traffic Lessons 101
I’ve noticed lately that drivers are becoming a little lax in proper driving skills; some people, dare I say, have subjected basic traffic protocol to personal interpretation. Now before somebody says, “I have the right to drive the way I like and if it’s right for me, then no one can say anything about it”, […]