Calling all Angels

Happy Birthday, Grandma Miller.
You were the most important person in my life for many years and I loved you with all my heart and soul!
I think of you often and thank you for loving me unconditionally and for making me feel really special.
RIP, sweet angel.

Ottilie Miller
1900-1963

Lyrics to Calling All Angels :
Jane Siberry with k.d.lang

A man is placed upon the steps, a baby cries
And high above him you hear the church bells start to ring.
The heaviness, the heaviness of it settles in,
A mother starts to sing.

Then it's one foot then the other as you step along the road
Steppin' on the road, how much weight, how much weight?
And it's how long and how far and how many times,
Oh, before it's too late?

Calling all angels, calling all angels.
Walk me through this one, don't leave me alone.
Calling all angels, calling all angels.
We're trying, we're hoping, but we're not sure how

Oh and every day you gaze upon the sunset
With such love and intensity.
Why it's almost as if, if you could only crack the code
You'd finally understand what this all means.

Oh but if you could, do you think you would
Have traded all the pain and suffering?
Oh, but then you would've missed the beauty of the light
Upon this earth
And the sweetness of the leaving.

Calling all angels, calling all angels!
Walk me through this one, don't leave me alone
Calling all angels, calling all angels,
We're trying, we're hoping but we're not sure

Calling all angels (call all angels)
Calling all angels (call all angels)
Walk me through this one
Don't leave me alone.

Calling all angels, calling all angels
We're trying, we're hoping, we're hurting, we're loving
We're crying, we're calling,
But we're not sure how this goes

 

Party Weekend

I attended two celebrations this past weekend: 
Donna's daugher and new husband's wedding reception
and my sister Beth's 50th birthday party. 
Enjoy the photos!


the happy couple

Donna and Larry at their wedding reception

Chelsea and Whitney were married last month down in Florida.  This was an opportunity for family and friends to share in their joy.

 

cousin and friend Kathy

fathers-in-law

 



a little rain did not spoil the fun



a plethera of pastries :-)



Donna and her kids




Beth is the last of our sibs to reach her
milestone 50th birthday.
Yes, we are all ARP eligible and working the senior discount programs!

Roy and Blaze kept it a secret and Beth was caught off guard,  to say the least...
she thought she was going to an Indian's game and was all lathered up in sunscreen!
Jan and family traveled all the way from Tiffon, Nic and family up from Atwood Lake, Renee and Billy down from Lakewood and Lois, Chris and I just drove the 5 minutes to The Pub to gather in her honor.



Beth at bar with friends

 

 

 

Aunt Lois , Kim and Jen

 

Grandma Diane

 

Beth partied with friends til the wee hours of evening



Roy managed to surprise Beth!!

Birthday Brunch

We gathered together yesterday to celebrate Donna's birthday at Franklin Circle in Chagrin Falls.  Thank you, Harvey and Cindy, for treating us to mimosa's, a selection of gormet delights and a "happy birthday" chocolate moose.

The beautiful birthday girl

Twins!  (Harvey and son Andrew)

presents!!

cindy head of buffet

best friends for 45 plus years!!!

The Radius restaurant

Closeness isn't always measured in distance;  friends can live many miles away, but the bond of love formed long ago always keeps them close at heart.



Through all the lies and sad goodbyes.  The things we hide, the tears we've cried.  Through odds and ends, we've been best friends.  The times passed,
the memories will last.  Always remember, we'll be friends forever.

braving the weather for a cruise

Summer Catch up

Renee's 30th Birthday

30 degrees!!

Renee and Lois celebrated their birthdays on Mother's Day... May 12th.

It was FREEZING (literally) but our hearts and laughter kept us all toasty warm.

We celebrated at Lake Sippo with family and friends.

Trevor: the masked man

Lake Sippo

I drove down to Ashland and enjoyed the hospitality of the Starkey's on their pontoon boat.  

Cindy, Harvey, Donna, Larry and I spent quality time together and made another happy memory.

Chef Larry at the grille

Donna's beautiful yard

garden paradise

Nature on the lake

Larry's yard work supreme

And, finally, I adopted a dog- for six days!
Sadly, she was far too active (very high maintenance) for this almost 64 year old to keep up with.
Her name was Lexi. She was a 7 month old yellow lab that had spent too much time caged and untrained.
I feel guilty and will think long and hard before I allow myself another impulsive mistake.
Sorry, Lexi.
Forgive me.

Bella and Lexi chilling... for 15seconds!

then non stop play

the calm before the storm

Good bye, little Lexi...

Another Mother's Day without my mom...

St. Louis, Missouri

Over the past two weeks,  I was able to travel out West to visit with "the Missouri bunch".
My journey began in South East Missouri (Millersville) with Uncle Gerry and Aunt Judy.  Door to door, it took 12 hours and 5 pit stops.
My GPS was apparently in a scenic mode as it took me on all kinds of unexpected diversions and side trips through back country roads that were NOT in the Mapquest directions!
We spent our time together playing games, having Bible Devotions and reminiscing about the "good old days" of yore.

Aunt Judy's chex mix

Despite three touch down tornado's in the area and a colonoscopy procedure, the week was filled with good food, good stories and good times.  And we got to watch the Cardinals play some good baseball as well:-)

new family on Uncle Gerry's pond

my pretty tootsies

I next drove the 2 hours up north to St. Louis to spend the day with Aunt Ruth and family.
She treated me to a childhood deja vu experience at Grant Farm/ Anheiser Bush.  I felt 6 years old again!
It was 81 degrees and sunny and we rode trams around the park and saw elephants and the charming
Anheuser-Bush Clydesdales (draft horses).  *more photos at bottom of page
The two in photo behind white fence are so used to being attached to each other that they stood perfectly still for hours, as if they were harnessed and ready to pull a wagon!  It was  amusing yet rather pathetic, really.



Then westward ho to Kansas City. The drive was approximately 4 1/2 hours.
 I spent quality time with Uncle Lowell and got to see cousins Lowell, Jr and Jeanette as well.
He wined and dined me to the point I had to permanently open the zipper on my jeans.
Quite possibly the biggest four meals I have ever eaten!
We got to tour a "no kill" shelter that he supports in Kansas.  It was spectacular and NO ODORS!!  Sadly, I found at least four candidates for the next replacement pet in my home.  Wish I could have them all...
I also got to visit Aunt Marian's grave site.  He memorializes her with many beautiful photographs around the house and keeps fresh flowers always in her honor.
The weather dropped as low as 29 degrees during this visit.  Good thing I brought a variety of clothes to accommodate the drastic range in weather conditions.  From 20's to 90's, depending on the time and place!

Friends Joe & Sandy, Jeanette and Uncle Lowell at a delicious fish restaurant.  Check out his favorite waitress in back left side of photo!

Joe created these windows in Uncle Lowell's front room

Julie and Lunar

yes, my foot again!

Oops... while in Millersville with Aunt Judy, I got to see Joel and Julie.
I also got to visit Jeff and family in Illinois during a fun day trip to Athens.

Joel and girlfriend Bree

*These photos are out of order, but I can't seem to maneuver them into proper sequence.  Sorry.

cousin Mark

Aunt Ruth's cancer medal

Herm and Patti

Cousin Patti and husband Herm treated me to an evening at an elegant restaurant.  Our visit was enjoyable but way too short.

Grandma's house

the new garage on Pernod in back alley

most popular line in town

cousins Brenda and Sherry and family

second cousin Brian, wife Debbie and Turbo the dog

I drove the 4 1/2 hours back to St. Louis and Aunt Ruth's home.  I stayed again with her and cousins Ruth and Rebeckah.
We toured Grandma Miller's old neighborhood, ate fudge sundays at Ted Drewe's and I was able to visit with "the cousins" on Dad's side of the family.
The day before I left, I was able to spend the afternoon and evening visiting the Miller cousins. What wonderful people.  Cousin Sherry is an angel and her husband Jim is a saint... one of a kind!!!  He still works for Uncle Warren's ham company.
I also got to talk with cousin Ron via a Skype phone connection and was surprised by a special visit from cousin Brenda and her son Bryan and their families. And the meal was fabulous, as is the Miller tradition established by Aunt Justine with her infamous home made meals.

Jim and Sherry

Erin and Maddie

I can't believe it has been three years!?

Uncle Lowell and Tex

cousin Lowell, Jr 

Karen in new kitchen

Aged to perfection (the wine and Uncle Lowell!!)

Lowell, Jr. is chronicling  the Miller history and has an astounding collection of information and photographs.  Anyone who wants to share their photos and stories, please contact him!

Jeff & Dawn and family

Michael, Dawn and Aunt Judy

cousin Rebeccah

Clydesdale baby

The happy couple

in the kitchen again

my favorite... stuffed cabbage  (Halupki)

Cousin Jeff sang the theme from Hee Haw! "(Doom, Despair and Agony on me...")  when he drove home in his truck and saw us all rocking on the old front porch !

Now does that look like an 80 year old?!?

LONG lines and beautiful trees

 
It was a great vacation filled with lasting memories.
A big thank you to everyone for your hospitality, generosity and love.


Spectacular sunrise over downtown St. Louis with the Arch in foreground as I left at 0600 to make the 10 hour drive back home.

As Arnold Schwartzenegger says in The Terminator, "I'll be back!!"