Yesterday morning, my Mother who had lived with us for 2 years passed away in her sleep. She was 90 years old and had told me good-bye 2 nights earlier. I guess it just took a little while for her body to catch up for her next journey.
I will be taking her back to Missouri as soon as possible, hopefully this week. I had planned on driving, but since John will be doing chores by himself, I will go ahead and fly, although I'd rather drive. It would take 4 extra days to drive, and even though he'll have someone to pick up poo, just the feeding and medicating gets old in a hurry for just one person.
What is really interesting is we won't be racing until the 26th of July. It's almost as if she planned it this way. She was always interested in how I did and up until a few years ago, went to the races and sat in the bleachers with me yelling and screaming if anyone touched, John, Rod or JR. Lately when we'd come in from the races at 2am, she always woke up and wanted to know how it went. She really liked seeing a trophy. Unfortunately she never got to see me race, well she did 30 some years ago, but not lately. She had already decided she couldn't climb the bleachers when I started racing again.
As an only child we were close, certainly not because we were alike. I think direct opposite would be a description of our personalities. But she never stood in my way of anything I thought I might want to do or try. She wasn't a risk taker, but seemed to accept that I was. I guess you could say I was a Daddy's girl. She must have liked Daddy's "style", because she remarried him after being divorced for over 35 years, after my stepfather died. I always said I didn't know how they ever dated, let alone, got married and then did it again. As the person in the middle, I saw both of them warts and all, and they definitely went thru life on a different track. She was lucky to find 2 good men to share her life with.
We had been having a women come and stay with her when we went to Tucson or to the races for quite sometime. We could tell she was passing into a different phase of life, but Anna was willing to stay with her, so we went racing Friday night. Anna had taken care of her mother and mother-in-law, and everyone involved agreed us being here wasn't going to change anything. Anna had instructions of what to do if the worst happened, get in touch with the Hospice nurse.
I actually had a good night, finished 4th in the heat race, so had to start back farther than I'd like. After a couple of incidents of "bumping and grinding" I finally got loose and managed to finish 3rd. I almost got 2nd, in fact everyone thought I did, but last year's champion pulled me by a couple of inches I guess. Coming into turn 4 on the last lap, I moved him up on the track a little bit, trying to get under him. But he's raced long enough he knew how to get out of it. I told him later I thought he looked like he needed to be running a higher line, so I was trying to help him get up there. For some reason he didn't believe me, said something about if I did that again, he'd get me. That's OK I have video of him "nuzzling" my back bumper in earlier races, just not going for the checker flag.
We were suppose to race again last night, drove thru rain to get to the track, and it was sprinkling when we got there. That was at 5pm and they were suppose to have fireworks, so they weren't giving up the idea of going ahead with the races, if the clouds would stop dripping water. At one time they had us on the track trying to get the mud worked in, and it was still raining. They finally shot off the fireworks and around 9:30 called the night. Said make up races would be today at noon. When we got home, about midnight, a friend called and said after we left, they decided to not race today. So except for the fireworks the night was a total bust. Management just couldn't seem to make a decision, which isn't all that unusual unfortunately. Now they have fans and racers all upset and unhappy. I guess some of the racers from out of town, went and got motel rooms to stay over until today, before the decision was made to cancel. Doubt if some of those racers will ever come back.
Luckily the doctoring is down to just Cisco and Boaz, so hopefully John won't have any surprises while I'm gone. Pepper has hurt his bad knee and isn't getting around too good. There isn't really anything to do for it, the knee is just worn out. He still goes out and does his thing, I just saw him a few minutes ago, hobbling up to one of his favorite scratching limbs on a mesquite tree and really getting a good scratch on his neck.
What is really interesting is we won't be racing until the 26th of July. It's almost as if she planned it this way. She was always interested in how I did and up until a few years ago, went to the races and sat in the bleachers with me yelling and screaming if anyone touched, John, Rod or JR. Lately when we'd come in from the races at 2am, she always woke up and wanted to know how it went. She really liked seeing a trophy. Unfortunately she never got to see me race, well she did 30 some years ago, but not lately. She had already decided she couldn't climb the bleachers when I started racing again.
As an only child we were close, certainly not because we were alike. I think direct opposite would be a description of our personalities. But she never stood in my way of anything I thought I might want to do or try. She wasn't a risk taker, but seemed to accept that I was. I guess you could say I was a Daddy's girl. She must have liked Daddy's "style", because she remarried him after being divorced for over 35 years, after my stepfather died. I always said I didn't know how they ever dated, let alone, got married and then did it again. As the person in the middle, I saw both of them warts and all, and they definitely went thru life on a different track. She was lucky to find 2 good men to share her life with.
We had been having a women come and stay with her when we went to Tucson or to the races for quite sometime. We could tell she was passing into a different phase of life, but Anna was willing to stay with her, so we went racing Friday night. Anna had taken care of her mother and mother-in-law, and everyone involved agreed us being here wasn't going to change anything. Anna had instructions of what to do if the worst happened, get in touch with the Hospice nurse.
I actually had a good night, finished 4th in the heat race, so had to start back farther than I'd like. After a couple of incidents of "bumping and grinding" I finally got loose and managed to finish 3rd. I almost got 2nd, in fact everyone thought I did, but last year's champion pulled me by a couple of inches I guess. Coming into turn 4 on the last lap, I moved him up on the track a little bit, trying to get under him. But he's raced long enough he knew how to get out of it. I told him later I thought he looked like he needed to be running a higher line, so I was trying to help him get up there. For some reason he didn't believe me, said something about if I did that again, he'd get me. That's OK I have video of him "nuzzling" my back bumper in earlier races, just not going for the checker flag.
We were suppose to race again last night, drove thru rain to get to the track, and it was sprinkling when we got there. That was at 5pm and they were suppose to have fireworks, so they weren't giving up the idea of going ahead with the races, if the clouds would stop dripping water. At one time they had us on the track trying to get the mud worked in, and it was still raining. They finally shot off the fireworks and around 9:30 called the night. Said make up races would be today at noon. When we got home, about midnight, a friend called and said after we left, they decided to not race today. So except for the fireworks the night was a total bust. Management just couldn't seem to make a decision, which isn't all that unusual unfortunately. Now they have fans and racers all upset and unhappy. I guess some of the racers from out of town, went and got motel rooms to stay over until today, before the decision was made to cancel. Doubt if some of those racers will ever come back.
Luckily the doctoring is down to just Cisco and Boaz, so hopefully John won't have any surprises while I'm gone. Pepper has hurt his bad knee and isn't getting around too good. There isn't really anything to do for it, the knee is just worn out. He still goes out and does his thing, I just saw him a few minutes ago, hobbling up to one of his favorite scratching limbs on a mesquite tree and really getting a good scratch on his neck.
7 comments:
What a beautiful lady! My sincere condolences in your loss. You were fortunate in getting to keep your Mom around for a long, long time.
I am sorry for you, I am an only child and it really leaves an empty place when both parents are gone. I am 69 and sometimes feel so alone, even with a great husband, two kids and grandchildren. I lost my parents at an early age and found that life goes on. Be safe in your travels and again I am sorry. Your Mother was a very pretty woman.
Your Mother was a neat lady and lots of fun when she still felt up to going to the races. She might not have been adventuresome herself but she probably got more than her share of thrills watching you and John and her grandson and great-grandson burning up the dirt : )
Yes I was lucky to have her so long. I tried to get her to go in the race car a time or two, but wasn't going to happen.
She visited us in Alaska one summer and we took her camping in a tent trailer. She always liked to fish, so we were going to a well known fishing area. Unfortunately, the road in was horrible and took over an hour to get there. When we did, the camp looked like it had been struck by a bomb and there was a guy standing around with a 30-06 rifle. He said a grizzly had come thru. That was it, we had to turn around and drive back OUT......!! When we did camp that night, she insisted John sleep out under a picnic table with his rifle. Early the next morning he woke up to the sound of something digging around in one of the trash barrels. He was afraid it would be a bear, but it was only ravens thankfully. She would have tried to get John to shoot it. We have lots of fun memories, playing in to her neurosis, but she could be tough as nails if needed.
Janet, I got your message in my e-mail, but it isn't showing up here, don't know why.
Good to hear from you, what have you been up to, it's been awhile.
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I hope to get out there soon to help again with the donkeys. I've been job hunting and may have found something in Sierra Vista. Take care.
Janice W.
They'll be glad to see you.
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