It has been a little unusual around here.

 

Hopefully, by Thursday I will be able to get my fall decorations out.

Mr. R’s mom passed away last week.  She was a wonderfully sweet lady – though I only knew her for a few short years.  (We have been married three years ago last week.)  There is no doubt what a loving Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grand and Great-Great Grandmother she was.  I can truly say, I never saw her without a smile.  At our wedding, she walked into the fellowship hall for the reception and said, “Oh, my.  Someone is having a really big party.”  She was 101 1/2 when she passed last week.  Slowly, her body just stopped working. 

She is celebrating her 99th birthday in this picture.

We had the Memorial service here in town on Tuesday and then she was buried at home in Nevada, Ohio on Thursday.  She is with Milton, the love of her life; her Mom and her Dad and other family members.  It was a sad day but there was joy, too.  She always wanted to go home and now she is there. 

As with all family situations like this, you get to see people that you haven’t seen in years.  In my case, I finally got to meet some of the family and friends that I have heard about for the past 3 1/2 years.   So now, when Mr. R mentions Barney and Nancy, I know who they are.  When he talks about walking down Morrison Street to school or going to his Grandpa Miller’s grocery store,  I know where he is and the direction he is headed. 

I did not take many pictures.  It was very sad for Mr. R. The little town was not the pristine memory he had had for so many years.  Houses that he lovingly remembered were run down or torn down.  I do have one picture of the church.  It was a beautiful Lutheran Church.  I did not take a picture of the Methodist Church.  I don’t know why.  This is a town of good Irish and German ancestry.  Swartzkopfs and Millers and other names were prominently displayed on the tombstones. 

Ohio is different from North Carolina (well, duh???).  I will always think that North Carolina is the only place in the world to live.  Ohio caught me though. We stayed in a little town called Bucyrus. They have some absolutely beautiful murals.  The town appears to come straight out of a late Victorian picture book.  But, I must say, that I was gobsmacked when I asked, “Is there a knitting shop here?”   I was told, “No”.  Then I asked where the  Goodwill was located and was told they didn’t have one of those either.  Now, those are the two most important stores a town needs.  Back to Ohio…….As we were looking at old family farms, I noticed how much the area reminded me of the Cotswalds of England. 

Ah, that’s another day…….

See you in a few….

Madelyn

P. S.     Life goes on now.  Jimmy (Mr. R’s brother) and Gail are back in Florida.  Roger, the boys cousin, is in Peru, Indiana.  Nancy and Barney are driving to town in their Cushman scooter.  And, we are still running around like chickens going to church and classes and to the grocery store.  Just living, I guess you would say.