Martha's Daughter's Diary - 2004

25 September 2004

It's weird how two years went by without my writing a word on the web site. My daughter, Heather Rose, cleaned it up a bit in the interim, but I haven't written anything despite the fact that seven year's after Mom's death, I am still grieving -- still missing my mother, my best friend. In everything that happens, there is a bitter component to the sweet. My granddaughter, Morrighan Leigh, would have absolutely adored my mother and vice versa. They would have spent endless hours playing house and doing crafts and laughing those secret laughs that Mom and I and Heather and Mom and Heather and I used to laugh. Morrighan would be another generation called "Lizzie Tish" or "Tizzie Lish" depending on Martha's mood for the day. Recently my good friend Char lost her mother, tragically and sadly. I wish I was a better friend, but her grief is nearly more than I can bear. Her mother was so sweet and loving, she welcomed me into her home years ago and made me feeled so loved and so special. It's so sad to lose your loved ones and especially your mom. I won't tell Char's story here or Miss Ellen's -- it's their love story and Char should be the one to tell it. In these years I've learned how to do some decorative painting and improved my scrapbooking. I still haven't mastered the piano or even come close. I love to spend time with the family and have added nearly 1,000 family members to my family tree. This summer I went to a family reunion of people I do not know who share the same name and heritage as me. It was fun and mysterious and kind of kooky, but a good time was had by all. I went to Bedford, VA to the reunion and also to visit my dear friend Suzie who lives nearby. I went to King of Prussia, PA to take my One-Stroke Certified Instructor Certification and met two of my heroes -- Donna Dewberry and Carol Smith. Then I spent the day after that with them and Marc Dewberry in Ronkonkoma. And I finally made it to QVC and to Las Vegas (Lost Vegas as my granddaughter calls it!) and to the Grand Canyon and the Mojave Desert. And I went camping solo for the first time, tent and all. Lots of travel and plenty of good times. As always, I pray that they will continue -- and that peace and good will conquer evil and bad. I wanted to update this. It was time to. For people who check in here and email me occasionally. I like that -- people who email me about my mother. And people who email me about their mother. It's kind of neat -- this thread that holds us all together. May you find peace today. And goodness. And time to remember your mother -- or for the luckiest among you, time to spend with your mother. Treasure that time. Make it special. And never, ever take it for granted. Annie