Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Well it is Mother's Day today and for the first time I am without my mother to celebrate it with. It seems as though we are made aware of it being Mother's Day everywhere you look; on the television, on the internet, in magazines and in the newspaper. It hit me while I was shopping one day last week how absolutely commercial Mother's Day has become. Yes, it is nice to give a gift for Mother's Day, or Father's Day...to celebrate your love for a parent, but can that not be done with a phone call, handmade gift or card? I guess I never noticed it before.

Mom, we miss you. I miss the daily phone calls. I miss you stopping by with a couple of donuts for me and Pumba when you would also drop off newspaper on your way to visit Gramma Kelsey. Last month I used that last bundle of papers from your visit the day before you left us...I shed a few tears as I untied the jute rope, knowing I'd never get papers tied in jute again. As I used some of those papers to line one of the dog crates I saw that you had done the crossword and word scramble in that paper. It is silly, but seeing those puzzles really got to me and I have saved the page.

I have so much to tell you! I hope you don't worry about Tissy and Cricket (dog and cat), they are with me and doing very well.

We are finally getting to fix our roof, and last week I even moved our pool to the back yard and made flower and vegetable Gardens where the pool had been. Of course hauling all those wheel-barrows full of sand and loam made the fibromyalgia in my back really flare up, but it was so nice to be outside without a coat and being able to work in the yard with the warmth of the sun.

Frank and I have added a few more birdfeeders to our "bird area" and we are now up to 17 feeders and a bird bath. We now have a red-bellied woodpecker that comes by several times a day and the hummingbirds are coming by, too many times to count. Last week we even had a wild turkey walking through the yard!

Frank is enjoying his new job, I know you would ask how he was doing. I don't see him as much as I'm used to, but at least he loves it and we don't ever have disagreements now since we are apart so much.

I was so scared when I heard you had gone, I didn't know what I was going to do. I know you would be worried about me and about Johnny and his boys. We are all doing well. We talk about you each and every day. So many times I've gone to the phone to call you only to get halfway through dialing to realize you aren't there.

I hope you would be proud of this site and not be mortified by all the attention. I've been fighting to get Parker behind bars for as long as possible and also to hopefully make the laws stronger so people like Parker don't have a chance to get behind the wheel and kill someone else. I will continue to be in the courtroom each time he appears. I will make a victim impact statement during his trial. We will never forget you. You were such a great friend to so many people and we all miss you so much. I hope you are with Lloyd, Grampa, and baby John. Actually, I especially hope you are with baby John. I was lucky enough to have you as a mother for over 4o years, but he only had you for 10 months...it is only fair that he be with you now.

So Happy Mother's Day Mom! This morning wasn't the same without you there for me to call early, so I could be the first one to wish it to you. We all miss you so much.

I love you!

Sue