Back in Rainey Illinois

This has to be a record, blogging again so soon, I mean!

Where to start? Firstly, I am in Illinois now where the sun has decided to shine for only the second day since I came here six days ago! If there is anything I would miss the most, if I ever left Arizona, it would be the 355 days of sunshine and beautiful blue skies, which are so prevalent where I live in the 5200 ft elevation in the mountains of the high desert in northern Arizona and the oh so fresh, clean air.

Went to my sister's memorial service in Pekin, Il last Saturday. I was telling her daughter that Ruth and I used to chat about the big party I would give her for her 70Th birthday, which she would have celebrated last May if she hadn't passed away. Well, we did have a BIG gathering for her, not to celebrate her 70Th birthday, which would have occurred on May 29Th, but to celebrate her almost 70 years of physical life on this Earth. Even though she was not there physically, she certainly was there in spirit and I am certain she was so very proud of how almost her entire family came from many corners of the U.S., including Hawaii, to add to the celebration in their own special ways. Yes, that is how I feel about that day. I feel, we truly celebrated her life and what she meant to our family through the different family member's talks of what she meant to them. It seemed unbelievable, what is so impressionable in little children's minds and thoughts and how those thoughts never seem to go away as we grow older. Mostly happy memories of Ruth were mentioned and then there were some comical memories, too! Kudos to her daughters who labored long hours, I am certain, preparing for the event, especially her daughter, Deb, who lives in Pekin and carried most the responsibility.
I know Ruth is very proud of all their efforts.

It was great to reunite with family members I hadn't seen in years and to meet for the first time some of my great-nieces and nephews that I had never met before. Wow, do I ever feel old when I see my grown-up nieces and nephews. My granddaughter's husband said to me at one point, "Let me see, you are Tim's mom and he is Shana's dad and Shana is Aubry's (his daughter) mom. Wow, that makes 4 generations, doesn't it?" "Yes, I said. All I have to do is stick around for about 20 more years, 'til Aubrey has a baby and then we will have five generations!' "That's doable," he said!

The bad part of the day is that it had to end and we were not able to spend more time together. It is sad that, in my family's case anyway, it seems that we only get together for funerals. What is wrong with that picture?

During this next week of my visit here, I am looking forward to happier times, celebrating my daughter, Jacque's, birthday and my granddaughter, Stephanie's, 16Th birthday, before I head for home on Monday.

Last night I babysat my 2 year-old great-granddaughter for about two hours. What a little whip she is. So bright and intelligent...as I walked by the Jonas Bros pictures on the wall while holding her, she started telling me their names and pointing at them! Unbelievable! She is such a happy and beautiful little girl...YEA to her parents for the gentle and loving ways they have exposed Aubrey to these first two years of her life.

Larry is at home planning his life for the next six months away from me.:( He has accepted a contract with the military and his first assignment will be in Kentucky for six weeks and then on to Florida for who knows how long. It will certainly be an adjustment for us, but I am happy that he will have these new experiences and, also, that he will be there to help our military families, as they go through these traumatic times. God bless our soldiers for keeping us safe and their families for the daily sacrifices they make living without their loved ones!

O'Bama is holding his own! God be with him and protect him and his family. We are praying for him daily.

"Til next time"..Yo mama, yo Grammie and Great Grammie Nana, yo sister and
yo friend..Kathleen