Abe, 2000-2011

This was a sad day! One of my two Springer Spaniels, the male Abe, died this morning. For six months I knew he had a liver disease, probably Cushings, and that his time was limited since there is no good treatment. He was 10 1/2 years old. His litter mate, Bonnie, is in good health for which I'm thankful. Here are some of my favorite pictures. He certainly will be missed!

Rocky's 81st Birthday

Rocky's 81st birthday would have been March 4, last Saturday.

Here's a poem I wrote to remember and honor him.

Smile down on me from the moon beams,

Smile up at me from the Caribbean seas,

No matter where your spirit is

It's your smile that emergizes mine.

Smile up at me from the bloodroot, the coltsfoot, the may apple,

Smile down on me from the mist and the rainbow,

I feel your warmth and wit always

Hugging me around my shoulders

Like your old grey sweater 

On a chilly day,

Smile down on me,

Smile up at me,

Smile at me across the land,

Smile at me from wherever you are,

So I can smile.

                                                                                      Mimi Rockwell

                                                                                      March 4, 2011

My New Journey Begins

     Today is June 1, and I opened my copy of Rich With Years, Daily Meditations on Growing Older and discovered June 1 was turned down with a dog ear. Evidently, I had been impressed with it last year and wanted to note it and had no pencil available. Here's part of what it says: "I want to keep trying, take risks, keep going, experiment with life, undertake new ventures, and find fresh challenges."


     Well, that doesn't seem to be the PROPER thing to do while mourning! But I put PROPER aside way back in the '60's. Rocky made the observation about me once that I like challenges. Oh, not sky diving or getting a medical degree, but problem-solving or organizing or producing a new group, a new venue, a new story. Some fresh interest; some fresh insight; a new friendship. I think he was right.


     But I do have a background in social work so I realize that taking care of myself now involves expressing all the emotions I currently have and not allowing new challenges to distract me. I am choosing no time table and making no big decisions. And no obligations other than feed my pets and pay my bills. I want to have plenty of time available to deal with the grief that I feel and will continue to feel for awhile. 


     Writing in the Caring Bridge journal was very therapeutic for me, but I am finished there for now. This Blog and my own personal Journal (the one on my word processor that no one else sees) become my current writing outlets. 


     However, I feel there are some loose ends to be tied up before this Blog will feel complete for me. And those loose ends involve some pictures, so let's see if I can upload them into the blog and not have to put them in a side-bar. 


     Of course, Rocky's illness and death account for much of the time away from this Blog, but during that time and especially in May after his death, Castle Yonder and I had several visitors. The first was my niece, Rosalie from Ohio, and her daughter, my Great-Niece Annette from Michigan who came to visit the last weekend of April. 

Rosalie and Annette

April 25, 2010

     On May 5, Rocky's son, Geoffrey, arrived from Georgia and stayed through May 23. Here he is with his son, our grandson, Christopher who is all dressed up due to a concert in Lynchburg, VA that Geoff and I took time out to attend.

Geoff and Christopher

May 21, 2010

Our grandaughter, Jessica, was there also sitting next to me and in my thoughtless state of mind I didn't turn and snap a pic of her!

     Of course, the Celebration Of Rocky's Life (in lieu of a funeral) brought several of our family members from Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Boston and Philadelphia. I don't have a lot of pictures yet as I took very few that day. Here are my two sons, Alan and Eric, flanking my nephew-in-law, Leslie.

From left, Alan from Philadelphia;

Leslie from near Toledo; and

Eric from Boston

May 23, 2010

Me with my nephew, Marv, who is from North Carolina.

Marv had a stroke about 3 years ago which has 

very much altered his life as a successful businessman.

My son-in-law, Armas, and son, Alan. 

May 23, 2010

     I just realized that these photos that I did take are all of males! Hmmmmm!

There were a lot of female worker bees keeping the hors d'ouvres and punch flowing from the kitchen out to the carport where the tables were set up. They also prettied Castle Yonder up by supplying their own garden flowers for flower arrangements. My best friends, Jean and Molly, and my niece, Rosalie,

did most of the work. Molly also constructed a Power Point presentation of Rocky's life in old photographs that could be viewed in the carport. Her husband, Wayne, transported guests from the parking lot of the church one mile away from us back and forth on our one-lane curvy road leading to CY.

     There's no picture here of my grandaughter, Jessica, although I did see some that were taken by Alan on his Flip video camera. He left them for me on my computer's desktop but I haven't taken the time to import them into my photo software so I can access them singly.

     My VASA friend, Norris, from Virginia Beach drove over for the Celebration and then stayed on with me for a week. Here she is:

Norris at Castle Yonder, May 26, 2010

Norris is wonderfully easy to have as a house guest. One of my other friends calls her an "angel," since she goes where needed and is always ready to help. All of my friends, both male and female, have been angels for me and Geoff through these past two months. They are:

Jean, Molly, Rudy, Leigh Ann, Jack, Rosalie, Diana, Paul, 

Organizations that fall into the "angel" category are first and foremost,

Wellmont Hospice House staff and Don McGregor, Bereavement Counselor

Susan Early, Social Worker, Bristol Regional Medical Center

J. R. Gilmer, Elder, Beulah Land Baptist Church

David Wilson, Director, Goosepimple Junction Adventure Camp

Pitching in to be part of the Celebration Of Rocky's Life Memorial service was

Leon Overbay, Isaac Freeman, Pat Musselman, Molly Catron, Paul Conco, 

Bill Marburg, Tineke Labrie

And then, how interesting LIFE works out. My best friend from Garrett, IN high school, Sue and her husband, Wayne, were attending a conference in Knoxville and drove two hours north to Bristol to spend just about two hours visiting me on May 25 and then they drove two hours back to Knoxville. How sweet it is, and here they are:

Sue and Wayne at Castle Yonder

May 25, 2010

Attendees at the Celebration said they felt like Rocky's spirit was all around  Castle Yonder during the day.  I think he visited us the next day, too!

Rainbow Over Castle Yonder, May 24, 2010

"Until we meet again, Rocky!"

Mimi

          

R.I.P. Grousy

This is one of the last pictures taken of Rocky's pet grouse, named variously Bird, Grousy, Gomer, and Lover Boy. I may have written about him before. To summarize, in March 2008, this grouse, untrue to its nature, showed no fear of Rocky's truck, then generalized it to other trucks. Rocky started feeding him right away and for almost 2 years now has taken millet, one of the bird's preferences to scatter under a tree near the creek. Another of our friends, Jay, has been feeding him corn. Rocky was able to cluck for him and he would come out of the woods. He would make little clucking sounds when he ate and Rocky felt like they were having a conversation, in grouse language since Rocky couldn't understand it. Rocky could even take a twig and scratch Grousy's chest with it, but the grouse wouldn't tolerate anyone touching him with their hands. He didn't tolerate the chipmunks who came to eat the bird seed either, and would take aim and peck them on their heads.

Unfortunately, this past Monday Rocky was driving down our lane to feed Grousy and saw him running down an embankment and before Rocky could stop the truck, the grouse had run right under its wheels. I wondered why Rocky took so long to come back home. He was grieving, I am sure, because the grief continues. Needless to say, he is devastated and "can't get over it." He salvaged 11 gorgeous tail feathers before he buried him and gave them to me for my feather bouquet--I was always asking him to get a feather for me, but I really didn't want to get one this way.  

MimiRock at Castle Yonder