Cuz

     I think about you often. I miss you deeply. Sometimes i think you are just down in Florida, then it hits me. I can't believe it has almost been a year. Time goes by so fast. You are up in Heaven with all my other angels, looking down at us, and watching over us. I bet you and Darcy are up there hanging out, and waiting for me to join you 2 one day. You always got along with ole Darc. I miss and love you Cuz. Until We Meet Again!   

                                                                                        Your Cuz,

                                                                                            Wha-Wa

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS SINCE JUNE WITH NO AVAIL. THOUGHT I COULD DO IT ON SUNDAY BUT NOPE...HERE IT GOES.

I REMEMBER TELLING MY MOM YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND. MOM SAYS KAREN ANN IS YOUR COUSIN...I SAY...SOOOOO SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND!
MOM SAYS....OKAYYYY!!...

I REMEMBER...YOU TEACHING ME TO SWIM AT THE ALLGOODS..FOLLOWING YOU AROUND LIKE A LOST PUPPY..BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS AT YOUR HOUSE..HANGING IN YOUR ROOM "ACTING OUT" LEADER OF THE PACK..YOU AND GENE FIGHTING..YOU GETTING IN TROUBLE FOR GOING TO THE QUARRY..YOU MOVING RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME...(I WAS IN HEAVEN)..YOU TEACHING ME HOW TO SHAVE MY LEGS IN YOUR COOL BATHTUB...GENE ALWAYS TEASING US THAT HE WOULD LOOK IN THE WINDOW ABOVE THE BATHROOM DOOR..COMING OVER AT THE BUTT CRACK OF DAWN AND WAITING FOR YOU TO GET UP!...HANGING AT THE APT ON MEADOWS AND PLAYING GAMES..WATCHING TV...AND THEN TO PEORIA WHERE WE WERE REALLY COOL...PLAYING POOL AND LISTENING TO MUSIC AND WELL SOME OTHER THINGS BUT THOSE ARE FOR US ONLY! HAHA...STAYING WITH YOU AFTER YOU HAD NIKKI...STAYING UP ALL NIGHT DOING OUR VERSION OF "FAME"..DRINKING BEERS AND DRYING JEANS BY THE OVEN...MY FIRST BIG GIRL OUTING WITH YOU ON MAIN ST. AND A GUY NAMED "JACK DANIELS"...THAT ENDED MY ASS ON AUNT HELEN'S COUCH..(HANGING MY HEAD)...IM SORRY I WORRIED YOU!.AND THANK YOU AUNT HELEN....MY FIRST ADULT VACATION TO FT MYERS...AND IT RAINED THE WHOLE TIME...THATS OK..WE FOUND BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN SUN SAND AND SURF...A PARTY AND A RATHER INTERSTING NIGHT CLUB WITH ASHLEY..LOVED HANGIN WITH YOU AND JANICE AND NIKKI..'YOU GO TO BED'!!...THE GAMBLING BOAT AND DINNER AND ALL THE VISITS YOU MADE BACK TO ILLINOIS... AND OUR MOST RECENT VISIT FOR AUNT HELENS 75TH..NOT SURE WHO WAS MORE SURPRISED..YOU OR HER! YOU GETTING TO MEET MY "MINI ME"
 I WILL CHERISH THOSE MEMORIES THE MOST I THINK...OUR POOL TIME AND DINNER AND JUST SITTING "REMEMBERING"...AND OUR DINNER AT GENE AND PATTIE'S...THE MESSAGE I GOT WHEN YOU RECIEVED YOUR BDAY BLANKET..AND THE BRIEF CHECK IN MESSAGES TO SAY "LOVE YOU CUZ"...AND THEN THE "CALL"...I MISS AND LOVE YOU!  PROUD TO HAVE HAD  YOU IN MY LIFE. I WILL MISS THAT SMILE AND THE LAUGH TO GO WITH IT!.. SEE YA LATER ALIGATER...AFTERWHILE CROCIDILE!     

For the people that have known Karen for a long time, this story will be no surprise, but for the ones who haven't known her as long, this is basically her nature. Karen had been down to Florida to help out with mom's medical procedures about 4 different times through a couple of years and when I say help out I mean she would sit by her side in the hospital almost constantly, stepping out only to get something to eat or take a shower and come back and sit. When mom got home, Karen waited on her hand and foot and watched over her which is a good thing because after a knee replacement procedure, mom had been home only about a week when she started having all the symptoms of a heart attack. Karen rushed her to the closest Emergency Room and after getting stabilized the Cardiologist said she needed 2 double by-passes and that she was lucky that Karen got her to the hospital so quick as the EMT's would not have gotten there and got her back to the hospital in time to survive. We spent a couple nights seeing her at the hospital before the surgery and on one particular night, Karen and I were in the parking lot late at night talking and getting ready to go home when I noticed a young guy hobbling on basically one leg as he was favoring the other and he would stop occasionally to rest and then begin again trying to reach the Emergency Room entrance from the parking lot, obviously in a great deal of pain. Karen didn't see him as she had her back towards him and I said it looked like that guy was not going to make it. Karen turned around to take a look. I am a helpful person but not unlike alot of people, I take a moment to discern whether or not I should get involved such as it could be a con to get someone to come over and help and then they rob you or the legal ramifications of trying to help someone and end up making it worse and getting sued. Yeah, not Karen, as soon as she saw him she was halfway there with me following behind. She grabbed the guy's arm and told me to get his other arm and we held him up and asked what his injury was. He said he woke up with his right leg in extreme pain and drove himself to the hospital. Karen told me to hang on to him and she rushed into the Emergency Room and got a wheelchair and brought it out and we put him in it. She wheeled him up to the Nurse's station and she waited until she saw he was getting care before we left. And that is how she always was with anyone needing help. It didn't matter what color his skin was, if he was young or old, rich or poor, big or small, clean or filthy or male or female, she would just react to help someone in need and she was the same way with animals. She was a Guardian Angel then, and she is a Guardian Angel now, I am sure of it.