Random Notes from the Sandwich Life
1. It is amazing how quiet a hospital room can be after you shut off all the machines.
2. Last night Owen remembered that Mom was not only reunited with Grandpa and Judi but also her cat Abby. He was thrilled. He's also pleased that they will be able to be with Ernie's parents as well. He kind of made it sound as though they might for coffee sometime.
3. When the funeral home called me they delicately asked if my mother practiced the Buddhist faith as my sister had. Somewhere Judi is laughing very hard. I got a chuckle out of it as well. And I must note the Sandwich Life's funeral home of choice is definitely Renner Wikoff. Lovely, lovely people. When my father died we used Owens Funeral Home and perhaps they were o.k. but the fact that to get my mother into the place in her wheelchair we had to use the open lift they used for coffins? Uh, I don't think so. Renner Wikoff is definitely the way to go---and they were wonderful accommodating the Buddhist requirements for Judi.
4. The boys are out of sorts. I'm not doing great with them----a little while ago I asked Ernie if he could take over all parenting for the evening as he was doing a much better job.
5. We were all supposed to go to Sophie's birthday party yesterday afternoon. I planned to but somehow everything just kind of hit me and I begged off. Being by myself in the quiet of the house has was lovely. Not that I would have been doing anything different if they were here but sometimes it's nice to just be alone and at this stage in my life it's a very rare occurrence.
6. I have been overwhelmingly touched by the comments, emails and phone calls I've received. I can't tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of them----from dear friends, people I know just through the blog and people I've never heard from----they all mean so much. And I know that if this all touches people it's because it's a stage of life that we all have to go through....and even though we KNOW it will happen....it's just not real sometimes until we actually have to face it. So thank you for facing it with me.
7. And on a brighter note. Ray Wylie Hubbard....yes, that's right....RAY WYLIE HUBBARD is playing at my beloved Rosebowl in Urbana in May. I've already ordered my tickets.
Here he talks about the song he's probably best known for: "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother." Very funny.
Snake Farm...you just gotta listen to it....
And something from his new album. We just picked it up yesterday at Exile on a whim. Had read great things about it and must agree----really like it....
8. And so life goes on. Ernie just left with Owen for Convenient Care as this morning found him throwing up with an earache and a rash. Of course as soon as they left I found myself going to pick up the phone to tell my mother. That will take a long time I imagine.
9. I feel the urge to hear live music. I always do of course but more than ever when I hurt. We're going to try to swing a trip to Columbus, Ohio in April to see my beloved Kane Welch Kaplin. i KNOW that seeing Kevin, Fats and Kieran would be good for our hearts. Mavis Staples at KCPA the end of March. And so it goes.