Patricia

Around 11 am Tuesday morning my cousin Patricia was found dead in her recliner in front of her TV. Age 55. Cause of death undetermined at this point. The family is in shock and grieving greatly. The autopsy should be complete early next week. Her two dogs and her cat were with her. Service arrangements haven't been made at this point. I am going to try to go down for the service.

I didn't find out about Patricia until last night.

Christmas at the Waukula Spring Lodge was very nice. Nancy, Bert and Nancy & Mark B. and I sat at a table set for 6. The empty place a reminder of people not there. For both Nancy B. and Bert I'm sure the spot was empty of his first wife and her mother. I don't know Mark well enough to know of his loses, but I'm sure there are some. For Nancy, I'm fairly sure the spot was empty of Daddy first, her friend Poppy and Mother and she's had other loses, too. For me, I felt the loss of families first, but most immediately the spot was empty of Mother. And, I know that was the foremost thought of each of us there.

The food was fantastic. A gazillion salads and a gazillion desserts! The buffet was awe inspiring! Turkey, fried shrimp, oyster dressing, primerib, stuffed pork chops, lamb, collards, green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravies and sauces...unreal! I tried, of course, to try some of 'most everything. I failed. But, I tried! I think I'm still stuffed this morning!

Before I left Monticello yesterday, I drove through the car wash. Six dollars to drive through! But it did do a pretty good job, didn't get all of the love bugs, but cleaned her up pretty well. I didn't realize that the wall looking things on either side of the car would move back and forth, so the entire wash I sat with my foot on the break and most of the time with my eyes closed! That was the funniest feeling, it really felt like the car was moving!

Then I picked Nancy up for the trip to Waukula Springs. Usually she drives, but a week ago she fell in her shower and fractured 3 ribs and she has a horrible cold with deep chest coughing and sneezing. Both of which tear her ribs up! So, needless to say, she's in no shape to drive. However, she is a fantastic back seat driver!

The weather was quite overcast, but very warm, 77/78 degrees. I just wore a nice white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some jeans. I mean, it is a lodge! There were people dressed in every thing from jogging suits to their Sunday best!

Christmas 2008 will go down as a most memorable Christmas in my book of history! I think history is what each of us actually experiences. Everything else is hearsay.