Easter Sunday, 1955

Bob, Tom, Jim, Easter Sunday, 1955, Shrewsbury, MO.
Our Mother's time on earth is finite. As I have posted before, a heart valve she had replaced several years ago has become calcified and is not sealing properly. Last week she had a succession of TIAs and yesterday, she suffered a significant stroke that immobilized her left side.

Fortunately, my brother Tom and I were at her house when the stroke occurred and we were able to get Mom out of the bathroom and into her bed. Tom's daughter Stephanie called the hospice nurse. When he arrived, he asked if we wanted him to call an ambulance to take Mom to Cox. We told him, "No, just keep her comfortable."

We had talked about this before with Mom and she has a durable power of attorney with Tom, our sister Jane and I as decision makers. Planning it is easy, doing it teared me up. But I'm ok now.

Mom and Dad had ten children. (Our Dad died on October 31, 2003, quickly, at Cox South Hospital.) Bob, 1947, who lives in Tampa, Florida; Jim (me) 1949, I live in Springfield; Tom, 1950, he lives in Marionville; Mary Catherine, 1953, she lives on an island in the western Pacific; Mary Carole, 1954, lives in South Georgia, Mary Jane, 1955, lives out by Wilson's Creek Battlefield; John David, 1959, lives in Naples, FL; Edward Joseph, 1960, lives in Daytona Beach, FL; Mary Ellen, 1962, lives in Naples, FL; and Mary Joan, 1964, lives in Panama City Beach, FL.

She has lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After Dad died, Mom sold everything and moved to Florida. The humidity was too hard on her breathing so she moved back to Springfield. She moved into a nice little home about a mile from us, just behind the Pricecutter on South Campbell.

After the January, 2007 ice storm, she took ill and never was able to bounce back to where she was before the storm. While it may not have been the direct cause of her current health issues, I will always believe the ice storm was a contributing factor.

When a little stone house two doors down from us became available last March, Mom moved into it. Which was a good thing. Trey and Austin (her great grandsons 10 and 8) lived next door, there were nice neighbors all around her and she was frequently out walking the block, pushing her wheeled cart, observing the flowers and trees and visiting with whomever was out in their yard.

Yesterday evening I spoke over her back fence to the young neighbors, Charles and Alexis. For some reason, Mom thought his name was George and that is what she called him. Charles told me he learned to answer to "George". (She called our red-headed Austin, "Kevin" more often than not. I asked her who "Kevin" was, she said he was that little red-headed boy who played hide and go seek with her.)

Our son Jim and his wife had a baby girl, Sophie Grace, last June. Kristin brought Sophie down to my Mom's yesterday afternoon and set her on Mom's bed. Mom rubbed Sophie's leg and foot. Sophie gurgled and talked baby talk. I think my Mom enjoyed Sophie's visit.

Been going through some of our her photo albums and I found this photo of my brother Bob, my brother Tom and I in our grandparents front yard in Shrewsbury. Granny and Man (we called our maternal grandpa "man" because he worked for American Car and Foundry and travelled a lot, when he would come home, my brothers Bob, Tom and I would ask, "who is that man?")lived at 7536 South Murdoch Avenue, Shrewsbury, MO. They had a huge double lot with driveways on both sides. And they had one of the first televisions in the neighborhood. We lived on the street behind them, 7530 Nottingham Avenue.

So, here is a picture in the front yard from 1955, Easter Sunday. ST. Michael, The Archangel's Church was right up the street. This photo was probably taken after Easter Mass and before the egg hunt. I base this on the empty Easter egg basket and clean clothes, we still have our ties and jackets on.

I don't remember the name of the man and woman who lived across the street in the brick house, but there was a vacant lot next to their house that was perfect for playing army and having rock fights. They disagreed and we were told to stay on our side of the street.

To all those who ride the bus: I'll be back soon with my hard hitting base line news, witty commentary and sarcastic outlook on local stories. Meanwhile, I am using this blog as a means to communicate with my out state brothers and sisters.