Author: Susie

Hello dear friends. Just a day or two ago… I was writing and singing merrily "on the first day of Christmas" and now… Christmas is packed away, and hats, noise makers, cups, and plates have replaced green and red stuff in the keys house. A visit to Miami yields lots of party dishes, deviled egg trays, warmer trays, etc etc which I pack into bins while Chuck takes down the Miami Christmas lights and so we go happily and merrily packing more bins to take to the Keys house. Tomorrow I’ll visit the Cardiologist for a final report. When I had a stress test he reported my heart is fine… "being well lubricated and pumping nicely with no extra beats"… and so I will look at him tomorrow and ask him if he can rule out a broken heart… All of us have suffered a great loss at one or many times and we know about "broken heart syndrome" but why don’t doctors take this into account? of course when my weight and b/p, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels are all too high with accompanying chest pain…. I guess the doctor isn’t just going to go "sniff" and say, "Yes, take an aspirin and get over the broken heart." He’s going to demand exercise, weight loss, and cutting out sugar and fat. I told my sister Donna I had chest pain and I cried a lot when I was with her… She too had the same pain, but we knew Mom was going to heaven which is a wonderful "knowing" that the Lord gives to us. Death still hurts. For example, when I do things I know Mom would love to hear about, like when I go to church to be a Eucharistic Minister, but move to lector because the lector doesn’t show up, and then move to the choir when the lector arrives huffing and puffing, when I am singing with all my heart, I think, "Mom would love to hear about this!!!" So I whisper a prayer, "Thanks Mom for sending me out and encouraging me. Thanks for life and for talent." God bless our families. Chuck and I will be celebrating New Year’s Eve with about 20 neighbors and one couple driving from Miami! You too, be safe, and have a very Happy and prosperous New Year. God bless. Say thanks.

Begin to celebrate the martyrs. Isn’t that interesting? Jesus gets a wonderful 24 hours and then we turn our faces to Saint Stephen who was the first martyr after the death of Jesus. Stephen was just too passionate and truthful about who Jesus was and what we do to reject Jesus. Stephen angered some pretty prestigious people including a man named Saul who nodded, "Yes" as men threw their cloaks at his feet. "Yes, go ahead, be angry, be petulant, be vindictive against a man who speaks against you. Yes, pick up the first stone. Throw it at his head. Get him in his brilliant mind; get him in his loving heart. Kill him for he is not with us." How bitter that death must have been for the first disciples who had just chosen Stephen as a Deacon, full of righteousness, to care for the poor among the new Christians. On Saturday of this ending year, we celebrate the Holy Innocents, the children whom Herod killed trying to kill the Babe whom the wise men looked for. "If I can only get rid of the noisy little kid, he won’t grow up and take my throne," thought a vengeful, very sick, Herod. Actually, Herod killed his own son because the man thought the kid would take his throne. Makes me wonder what I’m clinging to and who I would kill to keep it. What or whom have I shoved away as I strove to get what I thought I needed? Jesus threw Saul off his horse when Jesus had enough of Saul’s ruthless ignorance. "Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?" a merciful Jesus asked. "Now man get up and learn something from those who know Me, and then get out there and teach!" So let us get up today and go out there and teach of the mercy that we know is our God. Have you had a bad time lately? Are you blaming God? Get off that horse and start praising him for the abundant blessings he has given to us, his people. God bless us all and Merry Christmas.

I certainly hope that we can’t overdo Christmas if the beauty of the mystery of God’s gift in the Incarnation is on our heart. Last year I covered the Keys house that we winter in with Christmas decorations culled from Loretta’s and Trudy’s treasures. Chuck hung up as many lights as the little Keys house can stand, and we used Loretta’s small illuminated tree, and it was just fine. This year, we have decorated the Miami house with outside lights and some inside decorations, and we are leaving Miami December 5 planning to begin our winter stay in the Keys. I have just put 4 bins of Christmas decorations and 2 bins of lights in the van. As I pulled out nativity characters, cups, table coverings, a shower curtain with Santa and his reindeer, ducks, bears, little seats for the bears to sit on, and etc …, I began to wonder where I am going to PUT all this stuff, and is it too much? If you hear of a house on Big Pine Key sinking into the waters of the Caribbean… it’s mine, but I’m not overdoing it! God bless you this season of Advent. May your heart ponder the mystery of God tearing off the best part of himself, making it human, and coming here to "pitch his tent among us." May you be filled with joy and WANT to decorate and get ready. God bless our families.

Our faith tells us to believe the words of Jesus who promised that he is preparing a place for those of us who believe he is the Son of God sent to redeem us. So while Mom and I waited and prayed, and after I left her November 1, I was anticipating the wonderful new home Mom will have with angels and rocking chairs for Mom to rock babies, right up front in the Light of God.

Mom went to heaven in the early morning of November 25 and I imagine the dancing in heaven as angels sang: "Come Grace, let us go. Your work is done here. You have taught your girls and sons and grands to pray and to go to church. Your children will be fine because they have an abiding faith because they saw you believing, praying, and serving your church. Come! and see our Blessed Mother who will hug you and take you to Jesus. Glory! Glory! Grace is home in heaven! Praise God in his angels and his saints. Thank God for bringing his daughter Grace home!"

I thank Mom for giving me birth in a time when so many Moms choose not to give birth. I used to call Mom every year on my birthday to thank her. Mom inspired me and she was my biggest cheerleader. She loved what I wrote, and she was always asking "what are you writing? and where are you speaking next?"

If you are a Mom or grand mom or if you teach little children, take the example of the great woman who was my Mother, and give thanks to God for blessings, and then turn and teach the little ones.

My favorite memories of my mom stretch over the years from watching her polish her nursing shoes with the bottle of white shoe polish with the nurse on the label and starching her nursing hat… I used to starch my school uniform skirts with spray starch and polish my shiny Mary Jane shoes with Vaseline! !!! Mom taught me to be particular with how I look. She worked very hard and expected her nurses to work hard too and look the part. She used to study at the dining room table so as a little girl I spread out my books with her, and do it today. The dining room table is the study spot of choice. Mother prayed constantly. There are about 10 Rosaries in her room and often one under her hand in the morning! She wanted us to go to church and to pray… Mother loved her food served HOT!!! and so do I. Mother told me when the colors in my paintings were dark and muddy so now I am very conscious of dark and muddy. Memory goes on and on. She taught us how to mother others and how to hug. God bless Mom and God let Mom see his face.

My dear Mom has been pretty much sleeping since I left Lagrange November 1. I have been praying for angels to take care of my Mom and my sister who cares for her, and all my family, and I believe we are taken care of. I ask for prayers for myself often too… I think I’ve finally succumbed to the ravages of "worrying for others" and had an occular migraine after some dental work. If you ever get light flashes or a geometric light show in your eye you MUST pay attention to it! My light show only lasted for about 4-5 minutes and it ended as I was on the phone to my favorite Emmaus sister eye doctor, Saba (she shares my grandmother’s name). Saba saw a thickening artery in the eye and recommended I see a cardiologist (arteries don’t thicken unless there is a reason – so I’ll have my carotid poked and prodded in the next 2 weeks)… and so I have begun the round of preventative visits and will probably (hopefully) get a clean bill of health, but will probably be taking cholesterol meds before the end of the year… I’ve been ignoring "stress related" chest pains and a climbing cholesterol number for several years. I think old time he caught up with me!!! So my dears if you have been ignoring "symptoms" get them checked out. Winter, when things quiet down, is a good time to make the visits and give a little blood to the Quest Diagnostics people. I wish you hope and health!!! God bless you.

I visited with my Mom, sister Donna and Brother in law Lee for a good visit, and finally, I had to go home. I kissed Mom goodbye and told her I love her, "love you too" sleepy Mom answered. "Pray for me" I asked. Mom prays a lot!!! Chuck picked me up on Friday, November 1, and we drove straight through to Miami. It’s a long haul… For Chuck it was a 12 hour drive (he had to drive over to LaGrange to pick me up.) But once the van was headed south, we both felt the urge to "get home." Or was it me tugging the van south? Whatever. We arrived safe in Miami at the lake house and have unloaded the van, done all the laundry (I think – unless a bag of dirties shows up), gone grocery shopping, and gone to Home Depot for fertilizer and weed killer, and generally I am putting things away indoors, and Chuck is putting things away in sheds and hunting gear into the storage that only he can manage. The weather is not autumn. Today was a record hot day at 89 degrees. I felt it, having been in autumn since we left Canada (2 months ago?). We’re back on our Miami schedule including watching UM football (2 undefeated teams, UM v Fla State are playing tonight) and in just one half (I’m writing during half time) in just one half, one team will go home with a defeat. God bless us all.

I’ll always remember a song called Sunday mornin’ comin’ down… Originally by Johnny Cash and then picked up by Kris Kristofferson (maybe written by Kris???) anyhow… Sunday has always been special for so many ways. It’s a day when you wake up from Saturday night and realize God is waiting…. and so you slouch or drag off to church and there find? a singing priest? yes at Donna’s church in LaGrange, Father Patrick (grandfather from the shores of Ireland)…Singing from Fiddler on the Roof, "If I were a rich man"… it’s tithing Sunday (the final in a three week request for time, talent and treasure.) Fortunately Donna’s church here in Lagrange has no building debt as many churches do, and the roof was replaced courtesy of the insurance company for hail damage… of course, as Father was quick to remind the parishioners, we paid the insurance premiums.) So I sat there, 11am Sunday and drank in the smell of candles and listened to the too slow organ and the somewhat cranky guitar and thanked God for giving us Sunday morning. Then I had to stop and pick up a chicken. Was your Sunday one that you expected a roasted chicken? I seem to remember that ours was. Always a roasted chicken for Sunday dinner. I’m making a boiled chicken soup. I still smell of cut up vegetables (the scraps of carrot and celery went to the bunny who resides in the front yard…. escaped from some neighbor’s pen? we feed the bunny). Meatloaf was reserved for Tuesday or Wednesday. And Football … my dears, Sunday afternoon this time of year is reserved for football. I was naughty this morning and greeted one of the ushers with "Ah! your’re wearing an Auburn sweatshirt? do you want to go there? yes! He answered, I advised him I think Auburn is a fine school, but "I’m a Hurricane," I said flashing him the "U"… As I said, naughty. So, with a chicken in the pot (I’m making chicken soup as Mom might enjoy that… with lots of vegetables.) And I’m off to watch Sunday afternoon football with Tom Brady and his pals and other teams too. God bless you.

Remember when a relative visited and got confused over who’s who; or your Mom got angry at you and when she called you were "sarah, donna, susie"… And the guilty party tried to hide behind the other sisters and give Mom the old, "Not me… she did it" in hopes Mom will make a mistake and get the wrong wrong-doer. Well it’s happening here. I’ve been "Donna-Susie" since I arrived, but this morning, Donna is Sarah. Mom wants something she says, "Donna-Susie" (that’s me) or "Sarah" (that’s Donna). Donna and I laugh and just say "yes Mom!" So I’ve now started calling Donna Sarah too. I’m not sure Mom has to call me anything, and I always answer, "I’m here, Mom" and I’m pretty certain that I’m Susie. I once read a story by a New York Madison Avenue business woman who took a leave to take care of her elderly Mom and she said that she was able to sleep next to her Mom’s bed, and care for her, and within a week she was shuffling all around the nursing home in pajamas, robe, and slippers. Mom has not been sleeping at all between midnight and 6am so I’ve been grabbing 3 hours of sleep say between 6am and 9am then I wake up. Mom and I are getting a bit zombie-like from lack of sleep, but I am able to shake off the brain fluff and function. When I wake up I quickly shower and put on clothes, underwear, shorts, tee shirt, socks, slippers before 11:30 when I turn on Mother Angelica’s Rosary and start Mom’s breakfast. By noon, Mom is in her chair eating breakfast and we are watching the Mass on TV. I have my notebook open with pen in hand to catch a bit of wisdom from the homily about the Saint of the day or a point about the Gospel, like when Jesus commissioned the 72 and he wanted no one to carry purse, things, or anything, and the point is that Jesus wants us to know that it is not by our good looks, the clothes we wear, the things and money we have, or what we do that gets the word out. It is the Word itself that moves people. The things we carry are just distractions. Leave everything. Keep focus on the gospel. So today (Friday) after a full night’s sleep (praise God) interrupted only several times by Mom’s need to go to the toilet, (we pause as we walk to the toilet a lot to remember what we are doing in the middle of the night, to catch breath, and sometimes to put her hand on her chest and just stand thee) ("yawn," said Susie) anyhow… on this day, I discovered I was watching Mass still in my night shirt and bear feet. I can’t find my slippers let alone socks. I need a shower and it’s 12:30 in the afternoon! The cat sleeps up against my thigh, Father Anthony Mary prays on the TV, Mom is eating oatmeal with cooked apple that I made for her, and as best as we can do it, all is well. God bless you

Mom sleeps very well … during the day. For instance today she woke up starving for breakfast and wanted "an egg, potatoes, 2 pieces of toast… and make sure it’s hot." "Yes Ma’mmm," I said, and so I delivered. Within an hour she had an amazing belly ache that lasted all day and between her alternately groaning and sleeping… we had an interesting day. I have asked Mom not to groan as it makes me worry, and in the past I have tried to enforce a "no groaning ordinance" with Chuck and me… it can become a habit. I have encouraged my sister and her husband to go out and "play" while I’m here… yesterday they went sailing and had a good wind, and today was shopping in Columbus Ga (about 1 hour south with … "oh my gosh!" malls.) LaGrange is a sleepy college town with a Belks and a JC Penney. That’s it. So anyhow… I finally woke mom up for dinner and she ate but has another tummy ache. I’m praying she will sleep tonight as she did not do a great job last night. Nor do I sleep well as Mom is up and down all night… "wandering" and I’m like half awake listening and watching for when she gets up to take a walk… My sister has to be exhausted, but that’s what we do while we protect, defend, and care for the very old and the very young. Mom and I listen to EWTN television and pray a lot and I have been reading all day. So… SALPF (Say a little prayer for) a good night’s sleep! God bless you!

On June 26 I flew into Atlanta and Lee, Donna, their grandkids Abby and Nathan, and my Mom picked me up at the Atlanta airport and brought me "home" to their home in LaGrange.  Chuck picked me up July 25 and the "trip" began.  It’s all in the blog and believe me, we’re going to have to go back and read it again and look at all the photos to really believe it.  This morning we had planned to help Mark and Karla one more day by taking Mark to the doctor, but the very busy doc had to cancel the appointment… so we packed and left a very sad golden retriever herein previously called "dog."  Her real name is Jessie and I looked into her very sad eyes and told her I loved her and "we’ll see you again" and we left.  At 6pm we arrived in La Grange at "our" best Western hotel where we get pancakes for breakfast at the I Hop… then tomorrow morning Chuck will drop me off at Donna’s about 9am so I can go with them to visit with Mom’s heart doctor down in Columbus.  And my trip with Mom and family will begin.  Chuck will head south to Tampa and then hunting, etc etc.  Life goes on and we thank God for taking care of us and bringing us safely to the end of this great circle… where we will begin again tomorrow!!!   God bless you. Susie