Letters to Mom

Our Red Hat group - Grub Gulch Gals - Queen Lynn, myself, Janine "Doc", Mama, and Chris. The group drifted apart after we left California and contact was kept up through emails and phone calls.  In October my emails to Doc began bouncing back. We found out that Doc passed away peacefully October 2nd. Doc, you were an amazing woman. One of four Jewish girls in a Catholic highschool, becoming a medical doctor at the beginning of WWII and kept your license active until your early 80s. Always with a book in hand, a quick wit and caring heart. Love and honor you, Janine "Doc" Roberts. Mom; Another loved one has joined you at your table, Mom.

To our family and friends - love and miss you. Hope your year is wonderful and dreams are fulfilled. Sending love Barb (Aravah) & Jackie

Hey Ma, we finally picked up White Christmas in a package deal: Blu-Ray, DVD and a Christmas music CD. The clarity on the DVD is amazing. Can't wait to see it on Blu-Ray. We also picked up Casablanca/The African Queen and The Nightmare Before Christmas. I just saw the scene that always made you choke up, when the spotlight hits the general and he realizes the place is packed.  You always wanted a VHS tape made of the best feel-good endings, Ma, the ones that made you tear up: the ending of Shenandoah, Without a Trace (Kate Nelligan), The Searchers, White Christmas.... what were some others, Mom? Not the ones that make you sad but the ones that made you cry "for happy"? (I would add How the Grinch Stole Christmas if I was making a list) G-d, we miss you, Mom.  Maybe I'll get through How the Grinch this year.

Missing you, Mom. Fall never lasts long enough. I love fall decorations, I love horror movies, I like pulling out the winter clothes and wearing flannel and I love the changing of the trees around us. I dislike anniversaries You were an amazing woman, Mom. All the stuff you went through and that we went through is amazing and it was a hard life at times. You were so strong. We miss you  January 2010 Mom and me in 2003  w/Stewart Crammer 04 03 2011 larger life 06 09 2011 - this was a hotel in G-d knows where on our trip from California to Georgia.  It was a hard trip and everyone was exhausted after 2 days on the road. It also wasn't uncommon for Mom to fall asleep with her glasses on. This is Mom and Nyx

11/30/14 Not doing totally well today, Mom. Not sure if I'm getting/having a sinus infection and getting sick or just depressed. I miss you, Mama. I'm trying to eat better and I'm starting to take a muscle relaxer during the day. If they suggest surgery, I may take it. I'm having more and more bad days with the issues relating back to the spinal damage that throws me into emotional and physical distress, talk about flashbacks and throwing me into PTSD crisis!  Jackie and I haven't talked about it, I think her way of dealing is to ignore whatever is upsetting her.   Two years, Mom.  Fall and winter are hard without you. 

11/27/14 Two years ago Mom was in the hospital and we had just gotten the news she had aggressive small-cell lung cancer and we had maybe two months, probably less.   We were reeling from that blow after she had gone into the hospital.   She was very determined to be home for the holiday.   We had David and Serena’s oldest boy here, Chris.   He came up from his training at the Naval station in Florida.   In 1988, right before Thanksgiving, Grandma went into surgery for a heart valve angioplasty.   We thought it was something of a routine hospital stay for her, she had a few before that and they didn’t anticipate any problems, she didn’t come through the surgery very well.   The surgeon came out and Mom went into the operating room and asked Grandma if she should call George and should we have them try to fight for her.   Grandma nodded her head. I didn’t fully understand what a decision that was for Mom.   I know that Jackie and I were numb right then.   When the sur

Jackie and I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving again. I can't tell you how grateful we are for you. Two years ago today Mom Kathy Carr Jones fought hard to get out of the hospital to be with us and we lost her on the 1st of December so holidays a bit hard for us still. We're sending wishes of warmth, love, happiness, health and, for our California family and friends, rain. Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

 Alannah  Alyssa  Evie  Gypsy  Gypsy  Oscar with his eyes closed Oscar slaying a dreaded paper towel roll

The challenge? Write 50,000 words before the end of the month. I topped 50,000 at noon today! First time I finished the challenge.  I worked on an autobiography and a fan fiction and have a long way to go on the bio and a bit on the FF so, I'm still writing away This proves to me I can discipline myself to write every day

Hey Mom; Got the link to the pictures from the VIP meeting with Alice from the concert last week. We both scored! One really cool thing was that I gave him a wristband from Cool to be Kind and asked him to read about it and, if he approved, grab a photo of himself wearing the wristband and send it on.  He put it on right then and I got three shots of us. I just sent one to Anthony Head/Cool to be Kind - yes! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cool-to-be-Kind/1423664051182395  Cool to be Kind on wrists - awesome  signing my flask - he thought it would really be funny if the picture had been from "The Last Temptation"  My Dept of Youth armband - the first one he's every signed!  He called us the "Top Hat Twins" and thanked Jackie for dressing up. LOL note the sour skittles boxes - his first Halloween candy on the tour! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RWC3eUh7jb8" frameborder=&

Finally made it, Ma - we got to meet ALICE COOPER! It was beyond amazing. You know how much of a fan I've been since 1977.  I still can't believe this happened. He is so personable! I totally understand being nervous, excited and emotions I can't describe. We're still flying high from last night. We live on Disability and I never thought I would actually get to meet him except maybe by accident. We had things signed and chatted. He is beyond amazing with the fans and the concert was fantastic. New songs, Sheryl as Nurse Rozetta and the band is fantastic! Jackie fought hard and won the push-me/pull-you match for one of the necklaces he throws out and she got some ribbon shot out into the audience for the last song Of course I wasn't in my 4th row seat, I was up at the barricades and I got another dollar bill from Alice's sword. Alice said that he has never signed a "Dept. of Youth" armband (from the 1970s) so he signed it an

 Ear Loving within minutes of getting out of the cage ignore the floor - that's what we found when we ripped up the carpet. We have tile we're going to put down. Presenting Alycia and Alayna (foster mom named them - we're thinking of keeping the names) Both girls are extremely loving and are medium haired and totally black (which was making them hard to place in a home). Whatcha think, Ma? Don't they look like Fripper and Oliver?

Hey Mom; The sukkah didn't last the week it was supposed to because of a major storm they're predicting coming through tomorrow and Tuesday.  I decided to be safe and pull the tarps, the loose limbs and everything down.  Wish you were here, Ma. You loved fall so much. http://aravahsproject.blogspot.com/2014/10/sukkah-coming-down.html

http://aravahsproject.blogspot.com/ Hey Mom, we got the sukkah up today - last day I could do it and be observant, sunset marks the beginning of Sukkot.  We got the tarps and branches up, the cot for me to sit and sleep on and even a light for reading. You loved to help me decorate it and always encouraged and supported me in my religious seeking and finding of Judaism. Miss you, Mama.  We found an old disk with pictures on it from on the Aegir's Feasts at Big Sur.  The first one was of you before the trip.  Brought tears to my eyes instantly.  I've decided that it is time for me to write my story.  I think its unusual and fascinating, also tragic and sad.  I'm going to focus on this for the National November Writing Month challenge.  Just type or write down memories as they come and whatever tangents they bring up.  No going in order and starting with my birth onward, just random thoughts. It's a bit scary, I'll admit.  I was suffering from PTSD when

RIP SuSu Mama, you had a a dream of a scruffy looking little black puppy and knew it was one of your "destiny" dreams.  The next day at Vons you went to check out the bulletin board while I grabbed a cart. I remember that yell, clear across the store for me.  There was a notice of 3 free puppies, pug/shitzu mixes, two brown males and one black female.  It was your dog. This is losing a part of you, Mom. FB post We lost Mama almost 2 years ago and SuSu bonded with Jackie and was a big part of the family and in helping us in our grief.  SuSu took sick Friday afternoon with what we thought was an upset stomach.  When she didn't begin eating again we grew worried. Yesterday there was blood in her urine. We rushed her to the vet this morning and x-rays and blood work showed a huge calcification in a kidney and she was losing function totally.  The only real options were to let her go or try surgery in Atlanta and we weren't sure that would keep the othe

my cousin and band!

Hey Mom; I got up, swept and mopped the floor (as usual) and made orange rolls for Jackie for her birthday a couple of days ago.  I then tried to make challah but the oven on warm was TOO warm and I ended up cooking the rising dough instead of it rising.  ARRGGHHH Okay, fine, I'll make gluten free shortbread instead.  That went okay.  They are incredibly dry and not a lot of flavor.  Need to work with recipes and find ones that work. Then I made Kathy's Casserole with Italian and sage seasoning in the meat.  Didn't turn out too bad and Jackie was very surprised and touched that I cooked it just for her.  I also got some banana pudding for her dessert. For her gifting..... she's been saving some money and bought tickets to the solo Alice Cooper concert here in Georgia.  We saw Alice last week with Motley Crue - this one is a solo gig which means 1:50 minutes of Alice!!!  And something special I'm not mentioning yet. Row 4 next to the speakers.  Please, plea

Hey Ma; Got to see Alice Cooper again last night along with Motley Crue (they were headlining, it should have been Alice but it was their farewell tour so, it was cool) It helped with the depression yesterday. Today I'm crashing a little.... okay, a lot.  I know some of that is because rock concerts are exhausting, we give back almost as much energy as those on the stage are putting out. No voice, ears are ringing, my neck is sore and my body is stiff - and we were on the lawn this time!  Killer sound system, even way up in the back my chest was vibrating from the music. A young "family" woman/girl next to us spotted my vest and top hat and asked if I was major into Alice.  Jackie laughed.  The girl was more into Alice than Crue and we rocked heavy! Another woman slightly behind us leaned forward and said she could tell I was listening to every beat, every note and every movement and she appreciated that, she is mega into Bon Jovi and is the same way. It was har

I can't believe the news, Mom.  Robin Williams apparently killed himself.  I sometimes wondered what it was like living with that mind that was always in overdrive.  The world has lost an amazingly talented man. as quoted in Dead Poet's Society O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Ca