2Homes*2Lives

http://maxattenborough.co.uk/ Photos from http://thefarmchicks.typepad.com/

Left to right: Matilda Wren, Malissa, Malissa's husband Jeff, Linda, Michael, Mackenzie, Mitchell, Grandma Besse, (family friend) Monica, George Oliver. (Friend Linda used to write reminders on her hand, so the tattoo artist who did her image included a message on her hand...this is so Linda. Linda died due to a tumor or cancer in the brain...we have not been told what happened.) How do I say good-bye to my friend Linda? For 13 yrs. we shared our highs and lows. And in that time her five kids Malissa, Michael, Monica, Mitchell and Mackenzie, her 90 yr. old Hungarian mother Besse , her son in law Jeff and two grandchildren Matilda Wren and George Oliver were family to me. Linda had been divorced since her children had been toddlers. She had raised them all by herself in a Bohemian household filled with love and artistic creativeness. All of her kids had been on Homecoming Courts, all beautiful and each a part of Linda. Malissa had her mothering skills and was nurturing to the grand...

Bob is definitely one of those "they broke the mold when he was born". He's obcessed by cars and food, and weird things in this world. Always on the go, hyper diaper as they come. The other night he went to bed early and I asked him, "Big day tomorrow?" Half asleep he replied, "Yup, I have 10 lap dances to do in my bunny suit". He actually does have a big white bunny suit he bought at a garage sale for $5. It's like living with a little kid as he is show and tell every day about things he buys or things going on with him. His mother always told me not to ever take the kid out of him...His humor does get me through many a dull day. LOVE YOU, Bob. ***I showed this to Husband Bob and he said I should be careful what I say about him, in case he wants to run for public office one day!

(Photo is from a Scottish Site)

I don't know whose baby this is, but I could stare at this picture for hours. Someone sent it in an email with baby poses. My weakness is babies. They are so innocent and beautiful.

(Photo by grandson Jake) Lose a mother, lose a sister, go on with life. You have no choice. You live for seeing them again in heaven, but concentrate on today.

(Picture above was by a 7th grade student I'll always remember..Beth Barger.)

"Hey Bob..." Congratulations Tatum and Barron....Beautiful wedding, Pat and Bob! Cheers!!

Husband Bob hates wallpaper. I would LOVE to have a yummy room like this one with wallpaper by Anna French of the UK in her Wild Flora collection. Saw it highlighted in a post by Holly of Decor 8 (see links). Reminds me of pastel butter mint creams.

My boys...Evan age 3 Jake age 8... When they are good they are very very good. And when they are bad, they are, well you know... Proud Grandma Gaga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSzuAx3BE94&feature=related My sister Martha loved the music of Cat Stevens. Her life was celebrated with a slide show of 70 of her hundreds of photos, the song above, comments from some of the approx. 100 people at her funeral. Afterward we had a luncheon at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church. The day flowed and gave all closure. Now life moves on, one day at a time, but always with Martha in us. Love you, Murt!

My sister Martha's 1969 HS Grad pic. Martha and Me (In Spiro T. Agnew shirt!) in 1970's "Martha, My Dear, You have been my inspiration through the years..." (Paul McCartney). My younger sister Martha went in to a hospital with back pain in October 2007. She was diagnosed with stage 4, metasticized breast cancer. By October 2008, after going through chemo and radiation, the cancer spread to her brain and it was all over. She was in Rose Arbor hospice facility for about a month. The staff there was amazing and I will cherish them forever. I was with Martha the night she died, on my birthday, 11-23-2008. I feel honored to have been her sister. She is inside of me now. I want to drink a little, get back to golf in the spring after so many years of not playing, and just enjoy life the way she so wanted to do herself. Her funeral is Dec. 6 th in our hometown. There will be a visitation with some of her many photos on cd , a Memorial Service with comments about...

Last night I prayed for a miracle for my sister Martha and asked for an angel to be over her as she slept. This morning an email arrived from Gerry who does my hair up north at the cottage. She had no idea what I prayed and when I opened it my mouth fell open in response to the words and picture she sent (below) ...do you wonder why I believe in GOD? God has seen you struggling, God says it's over. A blessing is coming your way

Martha is climbing one more mountain in her fight to beat metastic breast cancer. Daughter Errin and Martha could use prayers from all of you. I believe in the power of prayer and that life is to be spent in happiness. Love you, Martha!

The four Ironside kids... Younger brother Bob, Me, Older brother John and Younger sister Martha. Forever friends. We grew up just a couple years apart and have always known that there was someone there with our best interests in life. Family is the most precious gift in life. No one else knows you better than a sib. The grandkids... Jake, Grace, Carly, Davis, Isaac, Evan and Hayden. Missing from picture that day...cousins Mackenzie and little John John. I think the youngest is 2 (JohnJohn) and the oldest is 13 (Hayden)? Can only hope they will remain friends throughout their lives and carry on the family traditions. 24 of 32 from the Ironside Clan. And there are more cousins from Mom's side of the family.... Hello to all the Storkan family! Husband Bob's side has only his one brother Mick, presently living on his sailboat in Hawaii...Hello Mick!

I retired from teaching in June 2008 and it was the best freedom I have felt since my childhood. No more mornings of getting up at 5 a.m. -- No more late days after work where I tried to finish up the day, get ready for the next day, or was just too tired to get out of my chair to go home. No more missing shows or being tired the next day if something came on TV the night before. And, no more short weekends where Sunday night felt like it was closing in on me with the work week ahead, or during the summer break when I started counting down the weeks left as early as the middle of July. I know the public feels teachers are pampered and don't need those summers off, but they would be ready to "kill" if they were in an enclosed room with 30 teenagers, five days a week, for nine months, with only a half hour lunch and minutes between groups. Some kids were a joy as were their families. Others it was obvious were only at school because their parents could not trust them at ho...

Remember when your mother took you to dance classes and it ended with a dance recital on stage? I danced as a fairy around a big fat ferry Godmother...I can still see that heavenly body sitting plop in the center of that stage, and all of us girls on our tippee toes encircling her. My glittered star fell off my dowel stick so my mother put gum on it to hold it on for the performance. The picture of me shows a girl feeling so pretty. I loved the silver of the sequins and the trim. It was only afterwards that we realized I had the costume on backwards! Fast forward to today when I received an email with the attachment of Mackenzie, daughter of Eric and Kelly, my nephew and his wife . Her smile is contagious and in living color she appears to be walking the red carpet as compared to my old dance photo. She has real star quality. But it did bring back memories of what it is like to be a little girl in this great big world of ours. Thank goodness parents let girls be gi...

2-14-08 I used to call Mom birdie because she ate so little when she was done making sure everyone else had what they needed and finally sat down to dinner with the family. She was laid to rest on Valentine's Day. It was a simple funeral that centered on what a wonderful mother she was, though she would have been the last to let others know. The funeral was at Girrbach funeral home on the corner, a half block from our old family home. Those who were a part of our past filtered in and we mingled. Rev. Kathy Brown from the Methodist Church conducted a gentle service about love, and especially love of family and how Mom showed it in everything. My husband isn't a fan of women ministers, but even he was impressed! To say Mom looked lovely in the casket sounds silly, but even she would have been pleased. We requested donations to the hospital fund, in honor of Mom's having worked there, but there were a few flowers and a cast stone angel that my sweet daughter in law's famil...

A gracious lady has walked among us and left an imprint that will long be remembered. As the second daughter born to Artie and Glen Densmore on January 29, 1919, in the Coats Grove area of Barry County, Audra grew up on the family farm during the prosperity of the 1920's and depression of the 1930's. Farm life taught her a persistent work ethic and a caring for those around her. She attended the Woodland Public Schools and had a keen interest in writing and music. Her writing skills were recognized as a finalist in a State essay competition. Along with her mother on piano, her older sister, Margaret on violin, and Audra on the traps, the Densmore Orchestra regularly provided entertainment at local venues. The family moved to Hastings when Audra was entering her junior year in high school. She graduated from Hastings High School in 1937. Audra was accepted to Oberlin College where she studied music and became an accomplished musician on the piano and organ. After college, she re...

Our mother Audra passed on 2-08-08. I arrived in Michigan late Friday. Stopped by younger sister Martha's on the way to have her go with me, but she was still in her pj's and had just woken up..she said she would go on Saturday instead, as she had been with Mom the night before and she was stable then. Mom had last rights earlier Friday (priest, minister?) before I got there. Younger brother Bob was waiting at the door when I arrived at the rest home and said Mom had taken a turn for the worst. I held Mom's face in my hands, stroked her hair, put cream on her one exposed arm. She was on her side and you could hear the water in her throat as she was unable to swallow. I thought how cruel it was that she was drowning in fluids, but they had tried to drain it and she bit down so hard that they were afraid she would break the plastic. They had put patches behind her ears to dry the fluids. The oxygen had been removed. She was only at 80% and should have been at 90%. After a...