my mom and were not close. I know she wanted to but couldnt bring herself to have mother/daughter talks with me but in her own ways she made me feel special since I was her only daughter. She took me shopping and bought me things. She trimmed my hair.

The day she finally told me she loved me was on my fathers funeral. I will never forget it as that is all I ever wanted was to hear her say it.

As she got older in the nursing home, I would paint her nails for her or clip them. I complained to the nursing home if her room wasn't clean enough to my liking.

At the end when she couldnt speak much, I remember it was just me and her in the hospital room and her food came and she looked at it like she couldn't feed herself so I fed her. We just looked at each other as I fed the spoon in her mouth. I wish I knew what she was thinking at that time because she looked like she didn't know me.

When she was unconscience and waiting for her to pass, I couldnt leave her side. I held her hand every chance I could. I didn't want her to leave this world without me there. I was there holding my fathers hand when he passed and I wanted to be touching my mom as well.
I almost went home the night she died but I couldnt go and that is the night she left me. My hand was on her chest as she drew her last breath and it is a gift I will never forget and always cherish.
I wear her cross necklace that she wore and had on when she passed.

I miss her and think of her all the time. I am happy that she is no longer suffering and she is with her family at last.

I love you mom. 

  I love this picture because she looks so happy in it. She was very hard of hearing towards the end. Her mind was still sharp though. She would call to remind me about something that I would forget sometimes.
  As you can see to her right we got her a small dry erase board to see if that would help out a little. She was always in a good mood though. Very seldom would she complain about anything, so if she did you knew there was something wrong. 
  She was quit a women to last as long as she did with all that she went through..
   
   Kiss and Hugs Mom... 

  This was the first time she went out of D'yuville Pavilion in a long time!
I was so surprised she wanted to come share my Birthday in July that year.
It was such a hot and humid day that day too. We strapped her down on her wheel chair , did not want her to fall off.
  I have that hat now and wear it every summer when it gets very hot outside and I have to mow the lawn and stuff..
  That was also the year she passed away. Its funny that is the last thing I remember of her waving to me as we were leaving the Hospital before she had her many strokes..That is exactly the way she was waving at me on the hospital bed!

  Love you Mom!!
  

      I remember she was always concerned about her children. Since its close to the Holidays. I remember one time just before Dad passed away. They were pretty low on cash. Could not afford anything really I found out after my Dad passed on. She wanted Sandy to get the grand kids a little something for Christmas. She wanted to give us Five dollars for each of them to get a little something. Sandy was handing the money back to Mom and said she didn't have to get them anything. 

    My Mom broke down and started crying saying" but I want to do this"! I just about lost it myself seeing her like that. We took her money like she wanted we got what little five dollars could get in those days.

     That's the kind of person she was. Did not want the Family to be broken up. Loved every one of us the same.Looked forward to the visits at D'Youville Pavilion from the Family. She new how long it was to when one of us haven't been over in a while.

     Her memory was still very sharp . She would remind me of stuff from the week before that  I completely forgot about. 

     I miss her very much, her phone calls to remind me to bring her cookies. She loved those cookies. 

      Love you Mother..........

As the years went by I found it uncanny how much Blanche started looking like my mother, her sister, Magnolia.

I guess that happens to all siblings as they get older.

I don't really have any poignant stories that include Aunt Blanche although Uncle Roger always seemed to be an interesting figure to me.  I, as a kid, looked at Uncle Roger as a sort of skinny Jackie gleason character. Very funny, sometimes loud but entertaining and a memorable character. He seemed a great lover of life and his family. I guess that's about it for now. These people seem somehow more vivid to me as I get older as I think back among those times in a different way I did when I was younger.