Did you ever get hungry for turkey when you were visiting a loved one at Forest Lawn? Here is what greeted me this morning!
Kind of reminds me of all those wonderful Thanksgiving meals my Mom made. Now I’m hungry for her pumpkin pie. Yum!
I remember the first time I saw turkeys here. There was a flock of about 25-30 of them. This was after my Mom had died so I had to call Aunt Marge and tell her about it. Pretty cool!
My brother has been acting strange ever since he had his hernia surgery last year. Well, no that’s not true. He has always acted strange because I’m pretty sure weirdness runs in our family. He has been slowing down since his hernia surgery. He’s starting to act like an old man. At age 64 as a marathon runner, I would think he should move a little quicker. He gets in and out of my car like Uncle Bob who is 87. He also has trouble getting up from my sofa. So these concerns along with concerns of his friends are prompting me to take him to the doctor. I need some support here. I’m feeling fear and I don’t like that! I feel like I’ve inherited a kid. Thanks Mom! You better come help me with this wherever you are.
Jules is the dude on the left. Notice Grandpa Elder in the background (refer to yesterday’s post). I wonder how old he was then?
UPDATE: ** I just received a call from my brother confirming our appointment with his doctor. He doesn’t want anybody to know about this, so if you happen to run into him…forget you saw this. (I am here only to be truly helpful.)
Yesterdays lesson in A Course In Miracles: All things are lessons God would have me learn. Today’s Lesson: I place the future in the Hands of God. That about says it all…
Stay tuned for my upcoming post: Let’s put the “fun” back in funeral. Don’t say “goodbye” say til we meet again. Or do what I do and converse with your loved ones by calling them up on the spirit phone like Red Earth (one of my greatest teachers) taught me.
Have a great day and thanks for visiting My Blog!
What do you think the chances are that I would go into a strangers home to discuss pre-need cemetery planning for their Mother and see an angel that was about 4′ tall. Love it. I tried to take a picture and my phone/camera was full. Who knew you had to delete stuff to make room! Oh well, next time.
Grandpa Elder loved a good joke. The only problem, if there was one, was that he told the same ones over and over and over. Didn’t matter if your were a stranger on the elevator or one of his beloved grandkids. We use to go to Minnesota a lot to go fishing in the summers. That was the best time for his joke:
What did the grasshopper say when it hit the car window?…I’ll never have the guts to do that again.
Then there was his favorite golfer joke:
Why did the golfer where two pants?…in case he got a hole in one.
Then, of course, whenever we drove past a cemetery:
How many dead people are there?…they’re all dead!
I never saw Grandpa do any type of exercise, but he would sit in his chair and lift himself up and say “How old do you have to be to do this?”
What a great time we always have reminiscing about his jokes. I had the privilege of spending a lot of my childhood at Grandma and Grandpa’s house over the weekends. Probably my parents often needed a break from me? Who knows, they’re not here now for me to ask so I can only imagine that I might have been a handful. My other Granny called me “high strung.” I remember looking that up one time and it meant easily exciteable. I’m sure I was/am! So back to Grandpa. He use to come up from behind me and play with my hair. Just gently teasing me. Now when I feel that same sensation and I think there is no one behind me, I smile 🙂 and know that Grandpa is sending me a sign.
God bless you for taking the time to read this post. Have an awesome, joyful and fun-filled day full of belly laughing. I know I will!
Every time I get in Daddy’s car I pray. Things like God help me get safely to where I’m going. Make sure all my fluid levels are OK. Make sure there’s air in the tires. All that important stuff. So this week I took “Blue” in for a much needed oil change. My oil change ended up costing me $277 due to the occasional noise it was making that I was ignoring (and praying about instead, of course). Praying mainly that it would stop making that weird not normal sound. Luckily I have the greatest mechanics in town (Lantz Brothers). They told me it was a MIRACLE that some serpentine belt hadn’t broken. I said “Of course not, I pray over it all the time.” I’m pretty sure they’re still rolling their eyes over that comment. 🙂
Dad gave me his car in 2004, the year he turned 80. He had decided he was too old to drive. Whatever that means. So I was happy to chauffeur him around. It gave us “bonding” time kind of like when Kyle
was 15 and wanted to drive me everywhere. So the car had about 28,000 miles on it at the time. Now I’m not the type of person that cares much about cars. I just want to get from point A to point B without any hassles. Is that asking too much? I really am not a car snob and I drive cars almost forever. Well it seems that way when I finally trade them in. Daddy’s car is special to me. It makes me think of him whenever I’m in it. Very shortly after he died, I remember opening a can of diet coke that sprayed everywhere. I’m pretty sure I’m still cleaning up from that disaster. I guess it was “Blue’s” christening. So we’ve been thru a lot together. Oreo 
and I have driven to Texas several times and straight thru to the panhandle of Florida. We have history with that car…about 114,000 miles worth so far…
My friend Kay shared this prayer with me today so I wanted to be sure and post it:
PRAYER BLESSING FOR MY AUTOMOBILE (print this and keep it with you in the car) from Rev. Chenoweth
Dear God, I ask you to bless my automobile,
Touching it and all of its parts,
With your Divine presence of strength,
Order and efficiency.
I ask that you will adjust all of its mechanisms,
Making them strong and safe.
Dear God, surround this automobile
With Your perfect protection and light
And make every journey a safe trip.
I pray that you will make my automobile
Visible to other drivers.
I pray that this automobile will always be a blessing
Instead of a problem in every traffic situation.
I dedicate this automobile to God,
For the safety of its drivers and passengers.
I pray that this automobile will be a sacred place,
In which to feel and be aware of,
The comfort and protection of God.
Dear God, I pray that the driver of this automobile
Will always have your Mind working through their mind,
Helping them to see in advance,
Any difficulty in the road ahead.
Dear God, bless my automobile with serendipity,
Help us to travel to destinations that bring joy to all.
I pray for joy in all travels,
Expected and unexpected.
Dear God, the driver of this automobile is never alone,
Your presence will infill, make alert, and bring confidence,
Everytime behind its wheel.
This automobile, drivers and passengers,
Now and in the future are blessed by God.
I travel with God.
AMEN
Now that just about says it all.
God bless you for reading this.
Dear Friends,
I thought the following information might be helpful.
PRE-PLANNING – THE KEY TO PEACE OF MIND
If someone in your family dies tonight, do you know what you will have to do tomorrow? This tough question is one that we would rather avoid. Avoidance, however, does not make the problem go away. Rather, it creates a burden for someone else.
PEACE OF MIND IS A PRECIOUS GIFT. It applies to all areas of our lives. Our actions show how we care about someone else. You can give peace of mind to those who you love through your actions. KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO PEACE OF MIND. Knowledge is an understanding of what must be done in a given situation. My role is to provide knowledge to you so you can provide peace of mind to your loved ones.
It has been documented that the primary reasons why families overspend on cemetery and funeral arrangements are 1) Lack of understanding as to why they need to purchase various products and services associated with funerals and interments, and 2) A reliance on life insurance proceeds which are originally purchased to protect the spouse and/or children.
For simply taking a few minutes of your time to meet with me, you will receive the following valuable information without cost or obligation:
1. A $1,000 Certificate of Credit for Cemetery arrangements at Forest Lawn Cemetery. (If you don’t already own cemetery property at Forest Lawn.)
2. A copy of our “Family Estate Planning Portfolio.”
3. Information on specials and family protection plans.
4. Comparison of cost savings Pre-Need vs. At-Need.
5. Information on ground burial, cremation and mausoleums.
It will be my privilege to be of service to you. Please call (402-250-4555) and let’s set a time to get together and discuss the options available.
Sincerely,
Karen Montague
Memorial Counselor
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
7909 Mormon Bridge Road
Omaha, NE 68152
Thank you for taking the time to read this. This is a work in progress so please be patient with me:) My “history” with Forest Lawn will be different than yours because it is my journey. I’ve always found it to be a very peaceful place to be. The spectacular scenery, the rolling hills, the trees, the birds calling to me, the interesting monuments…I can go on and on. Mostly it is a wonderful place for me to go to contemplate life and be at peace. For a more detailed history, please follow the link below.
http://www.forestlawnomaha.com/history.htm
My Mother was a dear sweet angel. There is not a day goes by that I don’t think of her and honor her in some way. The last year of her life in 1999 was full of angels, miracles and mysteries. My Dad would say “there’s a lot of mysteries we don’t understand.” And he was right. Shortly after Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, I started hearing poety in my head like it was being dictated to me. The first time this happened was one night while I was trying to sleep. I kept hearing a voice say “My Mother has cancer on this Mother’s Day. ” All night long I kept hearing this and finally at 7:00 AM I said “alright already I’ll get up and write it down.” Here is what I heard:
My Mother has cancer on this Mother’s Day,
Pancreatic cancer is what they say
With spots on her liver that won’t go away.
Surgery is not an option or best
Chemotherapy is what they suggest.
She might lose her hair,
She might even get sick
It seems like her cure might not be too quick.
The Doctor has said this cancer will not go away
But Mom taught me faith and I believe
MIRACLES happen every day.
For this we ask everyone to pray!
written 7 AM 4/25/98 by Karen Montague
Now please understand, I had not been known to write poetry. So who knew…my Guardian Angel is a Poet and I didn’t even know it!
Here is a poem I wrote on 4/3/99:
EASTER POEM
My Mother is living with cancer this year
Showing lots of courage and nothing to fear.
The days can be long and full of tests
Now we’ve made it to Easter and know we’ve been blessed!
It’s been a year since the diagnosis we heard
We’re not really sure if she’ll ever be cured.
But Dad is ever watchful at her side
Giving her pills and taking it all in stride.
He protects her and takes care of her in every way
Filled with new strength from God every day.
Faith plays a big part of the overall plan
You can do anything your heart says you can.
Please join us as we give thanks and pray
“Thank you God for each and every new day.”
There are numerous others I’m not going to post right now. Except this last one written the day after she died.
Written on 4/27/99 at 6:45 AM
DOROTHY’S GONE HOME
Her name is Dorothy and we all loved her so
She wanted to stay but knew it was her time to go.
The last few words we understood her to say
Were “I’m going home” but it wasn’t that day.
I answered her “Yes you are Mom, go to the light”
I’m sure she had our Lord clear in her sight.
Angels came and showed her the way,
She was at peace when she left us that day.
I thought I was thru crying until the shock set in
Then a flood of tears came out again.
I know she’s watching me from above,
Sending me lots of comfort and love.
Now I’ll try to stop crying again
I’m waiting for her to send me a sign when she’s all settled in.
We’re not really so very far apart,
Because those we love will always be in our heart.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. May your day be filled with many blessings!
BTW: She has sent me lots of signs 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1571742522/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_tdfhob0BV5FEY
Mostly for peace of mind for you and your family. If you have ever had to make arrangements at the time of a loved ones death, you know what I’m talking about. You are not thinking clearly. Emotional overspending usually occurs. You will start to question, am I making the right choices? Is this what he or she would have wanted?
By making decisions ahead of time, you will be able to do it together and avoid making mistakes. You will also save money long-term. None of us like to pay full price for anything…do we? Most people have an idea of how they want to be memorialized. We all want to know that we mattered and that we made a difference.
My parents purchased their cemetery spaces in 1960. They paid $400 for 4 spaces by putting $40 down and paying $10 a month. Today those spaces are valued at $1,200 each. On the average, every 7-10 years the prices double.
So I have always known where my final resting place would be (next to my parents). I feel good about that. My son won’t have to make that decision. Now I’m working on my funeral songs. I’m not sure he will agree. I want one of them to be “I’ve got one life to live…unless the Hindus are right!” I have a few more I’m thinking about like “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf and “Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkle. I want my death to be a celebration of a life that was lived to the fullest.
Thank you Dear One for taking the time to read this. May your day be filled with love and many blessings!
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