She lived a full and long life...an active life. She was still hiking the trails in the high mountains of the Rockies well into her 80's. It bugged her no end when she had to stop.
There will be a gathering of the clan in Denver over the next few days. I won't be attending. I no longer travel. She'd be fine with that. My cousin is fine with that. I just spoke to her, my cousin...the eccentric one of us [which is saying something, believe me]. She always makes me laugh even in her pain she makes me laugh. At the moment she's dithering. It's one of her more accomplished talents__dithering. My aunt would allow her to dither for just so long and then she'd snap out some sharp statement meant to to get my cousin to refocus. It rarely worked. Watching the two of them was like watching a comedy.
Today my cousin is cleaning what is, I can assure you, an already spotless apartment in preparation for all the influx of relatives and visitors.
'I just realized I can put a plant in the middle of the table now."
"Ok."
"No you don't understand. I couldn't before. It might scratch the finish on the table."
"Ok."
"You're still not getting it."
"What?"
"It's my table now.
"And the cookies."
"What about the cookies?"
"I don't have to hide them anymore."
"Maybe you should still hide the cookies."
"Why?"
"Well, because you might burn some calories looking for them."
"Do you hide Your cookies?"
"Yes."
LOL.
And that is funny because she was crying/laughing while she was saying this.
I asked my aunt [in my head] what she wanted me to do for her funeral. Flowers? No__don't spend the $. I went through a short list of other things. Finally I was left with 'Call your cousin.' I have and I will continue to do so. My Aunt__She was the last of the old guard.
Wonder what she thought of the storm?
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss
ReplyDeleteThanks, Craig
ReplyDeleteMy condolences Wonder Bird. Some should just live forever, unfortunately...
ReplyDeleteYour cousin sounds like she might be lonely, or maybe the table got her by that part by now. That happens, too. Keep in contact with her, she maybe giving something away that you could cherish.
MT C
I've already been warned there are things coming my way. I'm pretty well certain the old photo of all of us as children at Devil's Rock that has been hanging on Betty's wall for forever is going to be winging it's way east and whatever else she used to torture my cousin with will either end up here or in Ca. or Ore. with one or the other of us. [I'm teasing about the torture, mostly].
ReplyDeleteThank you for your condolences, Cowboy.
I am sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was a wonderful woman. Stay tight to your cousin.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is when I was getting ready to go thru that surgery last August she called me and said she knew something was up. I told her what was going on. She made me promise to let her know how things turned out. I said I would. "Good. Because I don't want to find out you died and didn't bother to tell me beforehand." LoL
DeleteOh man! You know she's ticked, too, that she wasn't able to get that last call in to you! She sounds like a great person...somehow, I lost all my family about the time I was 20; none of my cousins were close enough to talk to, even. If I didn't love you, I'd envy you that... I think it's why I cling so close to y'all... You're my family.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's exactly right. Ticked. Complaining all the way that she didn't get that last call thru. LoL
Delete(((hugs)))
This made me smile. ... and I don't mean that insensitively ... just laughter at the saddest moments, is the best laughter ...
ReplyDelete*hugs*
*smile*
ReplyDeleteIt's the way we do it in our family. When my grandfather died, my aunt's father, we had a wake at the local pub. We sat and told stories and laughed and cried...but mostly laughed.How better to celebrate a life well lived?
Would you tell us more stories about your aunt? She reminds me of someone.. oh! YOU.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds wonderful. She died thinking of you. That's nice in a way. She sounds like a lovely person, and I'm sorry for your loss. I think I had best start keeping an eye out for your cousin.
ReplyDeleteShe sounded like a great lady who we all would have loved. You were blessed to have a relationship with her. Lot's of hugs and thoughts to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteWay back [she'd laugh at that] Betty was a runway model...an international runway model. My uncle was a jazz musician who played horn with some of the better known bands. They traveled all over the globe. It was a glamorous life. Europe, South America, Mexico, Cuba [before the embargo]. When they started a family all of that changed. I think my uncle had a hard time settling into the domestic side of life. When I was a kid he'd get more than halfway into his cups and prop his horn on his stomach and play music while he was stretched out either in the livingroom or on the patio. It would drive my aunt batty. LoL. They had an interesting dynamic. Add in the herd of ravening beasts tearing thru the house [us]and you had chaos set to tunes. I'm surprised she had any sanity at all.
ReplyDeleteShe had a soundtrack! :)
ReplyDeleteIndeed__:)
ReplyDeleteHugs, and do what your Aunt wanted. Keep calling your cousin. Maybe it's time for you to take up where your Aunt had to stop. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a wonderful relationship with your Aunt. Blessings and keep remembering to good stuff.
Oh, I'll keep in touch with my cousins. I think the major breakthrough came last night when I got e-mail addresses. LoL.
ReplyDeleteYou make me smile and laugh and cry. I can't think of anything I like better in a person. It's not a wonderment that you were formed by strong women... you are such a one yourself.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that it amazes me how well you can make me see other people. That's amazing. I am sorry for your loss, but glad for your life... all of yous. (I am thinking you understand that, even though I'm a bit convoluted tonight). *HUG* Love you, Flaming-o!
*smile* Thank you, Miki
ReplyDelete