Freedom
We meet you everywhere. We go to the strangest places to have fun with you! Today we all met at Cogbill to let you know we celebrate Independence - our nation's, our own, yours.
Our new little partner is Lou B, and she is so much fun. If you had lived to be 80, you would be like her I think. Carol is working full-time again, at the hospital. Jean keeps herself as busy as possible, being retired like you were, but without her Travelin' Buddy to run around town with and do errands. She knew you the longest, having lived in the same rooming house just out of college.
Jean called me the morning of this visit and asked if I had a tall vase for a July 4 arrangement. I thought I did, but did not find one in either the Little House or the garage (Mustang Stable). She recycled flowers she and Carol had used before (which Paul threw away, and which Jean made me go get out of the trash barrel at the cemetery!), and one of the white carnations had a red hat in the middle of it. Red, white and purple. The colors of freedom and of us - our "old lady" colors combined with our nation's. Jean dug around the base of your monument (I can hear you say, "What the heck are they doing up there now, digging around?") with her dual spade/fork and placed the arrangement in the dirt so it wouldn't fall over. It was tied to a brick for stability. She had also brought her clippers and attacked the longer grass the grounds keepers couldn't reach with the mower. She thought of everything. Watching her clip the grass reminded me of the cold January we were there and all of us using little spades to spread the dirt around - every little clod had to be broken up and made all smooth. It's the least we can do.
Carol wanted to see a particular spot near where her mother and brother are buried so we walked the short distance. She wanted to know what an alley is and I told her. It's just that - an alley of five feet between a section of graves (there are 8 in a plot). Well anyway, that's all I know about that. But she thought the alley she wanted was already taken, that you had already checked into it when you were the cemetery manager. "Who do I call about that?" I told her Paul or Theda either one.
Jean wanted to see their plots, too, so we drove the short distance to the curve; Lou couldn't walk that far. (She is taking chemotherapy now, not for the first time.) The B's plots are shaded by a cedar tree and I told her I was glad someone has some shade! All 3 of those TBs are within "shouting" distance of each other. (As if there would be a lot of shouting going on. But I do know one shout that will be heard! At the Ressurection!!) Paul and I need to get our spaces before all the plots are gone in that vicinity - Teri's in an alley and there is room even on the other side of her, but Paul said no double occupancy in the alley... Gee whiz!
The sound of the mowers, the sound of our occasional laughter, the sound of the breeze - we hope you know, Sweetheart, that we visit you, that we love you and miss you.
God bless you in your Freedom.
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