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Showing posts from October, 2008

Mourning cows

I am in Michigan enjoying the last of the falling leaves. Got here on Thursday and found things pretty much as I left them but my mom seems more weak and more fragile. She turned 80 yesterday and in this small town where only about 13 people show up for the Methodist Church Service, they sang happy birthday to her. Her brother and his wife came over and brought a cake and Siggie made roast beef and mashed rutabagas and mashed potatoes. I actually cooked a chicken on Saturday and am making chicken noodle soup this afternoon, much to the surprise of my sister who didn't know I had any cooking abilities. My sis knows my brother is not the most careful person in his construction projects but for some reason still lets him do things like put on a new storm door today. Then they started fighting because he didn't do it right. I think she feels bad for him and he wants to help her and they both have too high expectations of each other and it goes on from there. I have decided t

My dad is whole

Today when I called my mom on the way to work she told me that she saw my dad. This is not good, since my dad died two years ago. She seemed to be of sound mind and I had read a lot of books about death and seeing dead people before you die (which worried me) so I said, in my most therapeutic voice: "Was it a good feeling or a bad feeling? Were you scared?" "It was a good feeling", she said. "He was whole. He had both of his legs (one leg had been amputated just before he died because of gangrene). I started to say something to him and then he was gone." "What do you think it means?" I asked. I thought maybe he was coming to get her since many dying people report seeing dead people who perhaps are coming as escorts. "I don't know. Maybe he wants me to know he is okay". This whole thing is weird but who knows? One thing I do know is that my dad didn't do many thoughtful things for my mom while he was alive, and I suppose

a rainy St. George #14

It rained for the first time in 26 years on Saturday when I ran the St. George Marathon. It was my departed running buddy Bob's fault, I am sure. This was only the second time in 32 years that it rained and it was the first time in my 14 years of running it. I had told Bob to give me some kind of sign to let me know he was there. I am sure the rain was his doing. It rained the morning he died and it rained on all of us in 2007 when we did the Boston marathon with him in his earlier stages of Lou Gehrigs where his voice worked although it was softer and his arms worked but his lungs weren't the best. His disease was slowly eating up all of his muscles, but we finished. I think he knew I would like the run in the rain anyway. After all it was St. George - my favorite marathon of all. Anyone can run when it is sunny and beautiful. And as my spouse says, I may not remember any of the other 13 St. Georges I have done, but I will remember this one. I met Suzanne at 4:45 AM by the co