There is an ache behind my right eyebrow.

There is an ache in the center of my chest.

One is a headache.

The other is heartache.

Sunday night’s two hour viewing where 50 people came to pay their last respects to my mother and share copious amounts of hugs with dad, me,  my brother, and my sister was exhausting but good.  Many stories were murmured amongst the guests.  Stories of mom’s joie de vivre which touched many, how she was 2nd mom to the neighborhood teenagers, how she taught macrame to some of us girls to get us away from the boys, and on and on.  People told me about telephone conversations with mom during the last year or so where it felt like they had a spiritual renewal after conversing with her – her trust in Jesus was so strong.  There was laughter.  There were tears.  There were many good-byes and even a few hellos.

Today was the funeral Mass.  Prior to the start of Mass, the family met in the funeral home to say our last good-byes.  Since the funeral home is next door to the parish, we processed out following the casket into the church while the church bells tolled.  Mom would have loved it!

Fr. Murphy, the priest of St. Dorothy’s Parish, gave a wonderful message about mom and her deep faith.  It was a blessing.  At the end of the service during the last hymn, the tears finally came and came and came.  My sobbing echoed through out the silent building.  Leaning heavily on the hubster, with my cousin behind me ‘just in case’, I walked out.

My heart aches, literally.  There is an ache that goes right through me.  Tonight I will sleep.  Tomorrow is a new day.  Healing has begun.  Like with any injury, it hurts when it starts to heal.  But eventually the pain passes with time.  I know this will be the case.  But for now – everything aches.

But I will remember my mom’s words…

My Jesus, I trust in Thee.

Margaret Mary fell asleep in the Lord about 6:25 a.m. today.  May her memory be eternal! (Photo taken May, 2009)

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV)

For the last several days I have debated whether to write something about the events of the last week.  After reading Pithless Thoughts and St. James Kids recent words on death…well…sigh… ~

Many of you, my gentle readers, know my mother has been battling lung cancer since mid-February 2006.  You have been most faithful in your prayers for her and my family.  You have cheered her on, given her hope, brought her smiles and warmed her heart.  Please accept my and my family’s heart-felt thanks.

Today mom is being moved to hospice care. Her condition has deteriorated rapidly in the last seven days.  She is in the end stages.  She is journeying the last days this side of Eternity.

Death is ugly.  Death is hard. There are just no two ways about it.  Through the fog of morphine and sedatives the words are gasped out with less and less strength, “I did not think it would be this hard.”  As the disease permeates more and more of her lungs, the heart takes over the lung’s function, working harder and harder to pump oxygen to the necessary organs.  It is hard work.  It is tiring work.  It is damn ugly.  It is bloody hard to watch.

Where is God in all of this?  Where is His mercy?  Where is His love?  Why does He allow this to happen?  What would I do faced with the same thing?  Is the choice of receiving chemo, or any medical treatment for a fatal disease, thwarting God’s will?  Especially if we believe that all things are allowed by God without trampling on our free will?  And why all these bloody philosophical questions at a time like!?  Further, do they matter?!

Meh.  I don’t know.  Right now, I don’t care.  What I do care about is that Mom be made as comfortable as possible and that God extend His Grace and Mercy upon her – taking her Home sooner rather than later…and it is already later as far as I am concerned.

Where is the Benediction in all of this?  Where are the miracles?  Mom has not been healed of her cancer.  She is dying, minute by minute, as I write this.  To those who would suggest that there have been no miracles due to a lack of faith I say, “Bah.”   The miracles abound in unbelievably numerous ways.

1. That her hospice house is right next door to her doctor so he will remain caring for her until the end.
2. That my dad is really happy about this because he likes this doctor alot.
3. That all of us children have been on the same page through out this entire week.  That alone is miraculous.
4. That God gave me strength and courage enough to have the hard talks with my dad.
5. That I read a blog which provided a link to Walmart’s caskets.
6. That my dad was willing to look at the link.
7. That my mother has said, “I am ready.  I am tired.  I want to go.”
8. That my dad let her say that, and accepted it, deeply painful though it was.
9. That every grandchild has had the opportunity to visit mom and tell her they loved her.
10. That she has received last rites, absolution and Holy Communion from her priest.
11. That there are literally hundreds of people praying for her, that’s how many lives she has touched.
12. That there is peace and calm within my heart.
13. And I could go on.

Life will be different.  The last holder of the memories of the maternal side of the family is dying.  Those memories have been transferred.  What has been forgotten is gone forever.  So be it.  We’ll make new ones.

Life will be different, but it will go on, despite my desire to stand on the roof top and shout to the world, “HEY!  MY MOM IS DYING RIGHT NOW! WORLD, YOU NEED TO STOP TWIRLING FOR JUST A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS!

That happened for only One Person, Jesus Christ.

Christ is risen from the dead,

Trampling down Death by death,

And upon those in the tombs, Bestowing life!

Khristos anesti ek nekron,

Thanato thanaton patisas,

Kai tis en tis mnimasi

Zo-in kharisamenos!

Bestowing Life – in Abundance!  Glory to Him for all things!

As promised, gentle readers, here are only a few of the 1000 pictures the hubster took.  He did a fantastic job!  I hope you enjoy the photos.  I encourage all of you to visit this beautiful area!

Montezuma Castle:  This relic has been preserved by the National Park Service.  It is where Native American cave dwellers once lived 1,000 years ago.  Built into a limestone cliff and accessible by ladder only.

Sedona: This small snapshot gives just a tiny glimpse of the magnificent red rocks surrounding Sedona, AZ and which could be viewed from our hotel balcony at the Amara Resort & Spa.

Grand Canyon National Park:  A view from the South Rim.  As the sun made its journey across the sky, minute by minute, the Canyon’s beauty changed as the shadows moved.  Breath taking.

A view of the Canyon from the helicopter.  Definitely a unique view but I did not feel I got as spectacular a view from the air as I did from the Rim.

Canyon Sunset:  I love this picture especially due to the sun’s rays bursting forth above the clouds as it sets over the edge.

Red Cliffs Lodge, Moab, UT:  This is the view of the Colorado River from our backporch/yard at the Lodge.  Three days were spent here.  We were nestled in the Valley, surrounded by the red cliffs.  Spectacular!

The red cliffs backdrop the Colorado River.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park:  Here I am!  After a 1.5 miles hike into and up to this Arch.  I did not high the last couple of hundred yards to it because of the sheer drop of the cliff.  But if you are able, notice the people (and how tiny they are) to my right (your left, dear reader).  Just follow a horizontal line from the black shoulder strap on my right shoulder, across.  They look like ants!  This gives an excellent perspective of how huge that arch is.

L-R:  Chris (Disney Tour Guide), the Hubster, Me, Mike (Disney Tour Guide) at Delicate Arch.

Yours truly, dear Reader, and the hubster on horseback in the outback.  Let me tell you, I had an interesting time getting off of that horse and then walking!  YIKES!  My horse was named Lucky.  The hubster’s was Snoopy.

When our tour ended, the hubster and I went on to Glenwood Springs, CO to view the Rockies.  But before we went “up”, we went “down.”

We took a tour of the inside of a Cavern in Glenwood Springs, CO.

Mt. Sophris, Colorado

Cottonwood tree which grows only near water.  So if you see a cottonwood tree somewhere on the mountain, you know there is a spring nearby.

Yours truly shivering in the cold and snow 12,095 feet up!  Brrrrr!

The curving road we had just climbed to get to the top of the mountain!

What we left behind!

God in His creation!  Glory to Him!

Twelve days in the southwest of the US revealed breath taking views and created many, many memories.

We began our trip with Adventures by Disney.  Traveling with a tour group we learned the joyous feeling of not having to think about anything!  Itineraries were set up for eat day, we knew about them the day before and each day was well balanced with activities and personal down time.  We barely had to lift a finger!  This is something we will definitely do again, I can assure you!!!

We started off the trip by being picked up in Phoenix, Arizona.  A quick motorcoach ride to Sedona took us to a lovely resort hotel where we stayed for 2 nights.  The red rocks in the area are stunning!  We also saw Montezuma Castle where cliff dwellers lived.  We took an open jeep ride into the back country with a bunch of cowboys complete with whips, spurs and “Yee Haw”s!  It poured rain while we were in the jeep but each time we got out the sun came out and shone bright.  We laughed so much our sides hurt!!

Then we went to the Grand Canyon and stayed at the Thunderbird Lodge right in the Park.  As we were going around a bend to enter the area, the collective gasp of everyone on the coach at the first site of the Canyon was really cool!  The huster shed many tears as he viewed the Canyon from the South Rim’s rail.   I got to sit in the co-pilot seat of a helicopter as we flew over the Canyon.  My first ride in one.  Whew!  Talk about nervous, especially after the pilot said, “Don’t touch anything – especially the stick in the middle!”  YIKES!!

The view…simply breathtaking! A moonlight walk showed stars too numerous to count, a couple of moose elk (12 points!),  mule deer and their babies.  I smelled them before I saw them.  They are HUGE!!!!  We also got a private tour around the park into areas not permitted by tourists.

Then we took an off-road tour of Monument Valley, Utah which was hilarious!  We laughed and oohhed and aahhhed so much we were hoarse by the end.  We stayed at Red Cliffs Lodge until Friday, nestled in the valley of the Red Cliffs in Moab, Utah.  We were right smack next to the Colorado River.  The night sky was so clear I could see the Milky Way AND  shooting stars!  Unbelievable!!

We took a horseback riding tour into the back country one morning – I could barely walk when I got off!!  LOL!  That afternoon, after lunch, the group went down the Colorado in a raft.  Thanks be to God the water was as smooth as glass for the 7 miles trek.  We hit a few bumps and got wet which made it fun!  We also toured Arches National Park where most of our group (me included) hiked to Delicate Arch.  One part of the climb was 400 feet in elevation in a 1/4 mile!  Well worth the sweat equity and breathless climb.

A week ago Saturday ended the tour so, after getting dropped off at the airport in Grand Junction, Colorado, the hubster and I rented a car so we could spend 3 days in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  There we wandered around the area, shopped, soaked ourselves limp in the natural hot springs pool (talk about relaxing!!!) and took long, slow drives through the Rockies and various national parks.

Tuesday we took the long route to Denver so we could drive over Independence Pass and stop at the Continental Divide (12,095 feet) for picture taking in the snow!  Breath taking views!!  The hubster and I must have stopped every 100 feet to take a picture!

In Denver we spent the night at the Hyatt Regency where the Head Concierge is a childhood friend of the hubsters.  We were spoiled by the great company and a delicious dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant.

We had so much fun!!!  It was a wonderful way to celebrate this momentous year – college graduation, 25 years of marriage and 50th birthday.  Now we are back in ‘reality’ and adjusting to the east coast’s rain and chill.  <smile>

It was fun to go away.  it was nice to come home too.  AND I am soooo glad I cleaned the house before I left!  How nice it was to come home to clean stuff, fresh sheets and towels and NO dishes!

Now on to plan the next adventure!

Pictures to come on the blog once the hubster is done editing them.

If  you have not, you need to.

If you have, good on you.

Significant Talk

…being said by a young middle aged woman, “I’m not accepting applications for friendship. I’m just too busy.”

Tongue-in-cheek?
Serious?
Only the hairdresser knows fer sure!

Gentle readers, may I commend to you for your reading and laughing pleasure Moo the Turtle’s blog. 

His personal description written in a most recent blog entry, “I’m part of a class of reptiles called chelonians, which includes turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.”

Yes gentle readers, Moo is developing a fan club of which I count myself.  AND he answers fan email!

Won’t you visit Moo and say “HI”?

LONDON – It’s an unprecedented find that could revolutionize ideas about medieval England’s Germanic rulers: An amateur treasure-hunter searching a farmer’s field with a metal detector unearthed a huge collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver artifacts.

The discovery sent a thrill through Britain’s archaeological community, which said Thursday that it offers new insight into the world of the Anglo-Saxons, who ruled England from the fifth century until the 1066 Norman invasion and whose cultural influence is still felt throughout the English-speaking world.

“This is just a fantastic find completely out of the blue,” Roger Bland, who managed the cache’s excavation, told The Associated Press. “It will make us rethink the Dark Ages.”

The treasure trove includes intricately designed helmet crests embossed with a frieze of running animals, enamel-studded sword fittings and a checkerboard piece inlaid with garnets and gold. One gold band bore a biblical inscription in Latin calling on God to drive away the bearer’s enemies.

The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes who invaded England starting in the wake of the collapse of the Roman Empire. Their artisans made striking objects out of gold and enamel, and their language, Old English, is a precursor of modern English.

The cache of gold and silver pieces was discovered in what was once Mercia, one of five main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, and is thought to date to between 675 and 725.

For Terry Herbert, the unemployed metal-detecting enthusiast who made the discovery on July 5 while scouring a friend’s farm in the western region of Staffordshire, it was “more fun than winning the lottery.”

The 55-year-old spent five days searching the field alone before he realized he needed help and notified authorities. Professional archaeologists then took over the find.

“I was going to bed and in my sleep I was seeing gold items,” Herbert said of the experience.

The gold alone in the collection weighs 11 pounds and suggests that early medieval England was a far wealthier place than previously believed, according to Leslie Webster, the former curator of Anglo-Saxon archaeology at the British Museum.

She said the crosses and other religious artifacts mixed in with the military items might shed new light on the relationship between Christianity and warfare among the Anglo-Saxons — in particular a large cross she said may have been carried into battle.

The hoard was officially declared treasure by a coroner on Thursday, which means it will be valued by experts and offered up for sale to a museum in Britain. Proceeds will be split 50-50 between Herbert and his farmer friend, who has not been identified. The find’s exact location is being kept secret to deter looters.

Bland said he could not give a precise figure for the value of the collection, but said the two could each be in line for a “seven-figure sum.”

Kevin Leahy, the archaeologist who catalogued the find, said the stash includes dozens of pommel caps — decorative elements attached to the knobs of swords — and appeared to be war loot. He noted that “Beowulf,” the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, contains a reference to warriors stripping the pommels of their enemies’ weapons as mementoes.

“It looks like a collection of trophies, but it is impossible to say if the hoard was the spoils from a single battle or a long and highly successful military career,” he said.

“We also cannot say who the original, or the final, owners were, who took it from them, why they buried it or when? It will be debated for decades.”

Experts said they’ve so far examined a total of 1,345 items. But they’ve also recovered 56 pieces of earth that X-ray analysis suggests contain more artifacts — meaning the total could rise to about 1,500.

The craftsmanship was some of the highest-quality ever seen in finds of this kind, Leahy said, and many British archaeologists clearly shared his enthusiasm.

Bland, who has documented discoveries across Britain, called it “completely unique.” Martin Welch, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon archaeology at University College London, said no one had found “anything like this in this country before.”

Herbert said one expert likened his discovery to finding Egyptian Pharoah Tutankhamen’s tomb, adding: “I just flushed all over when he said that. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.”

The collection is in storage at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, where some of the items are to go on display starting Friday.

It’s unclear how the gold ended up in the field, although archaeologists suggested it may have been buried to hide the loot from roving enemies, a common practice at the time. The site’s location is unusual as well — Anglo-Saxon remains have tended to cluster in the country’s south and east, while the so-called “Staffordshire hoard” was found in the west.

In the meantime, archaeologists say they’re likely to be busy for years puzzling out the meaning of some of the collection’s more unusual pieces — like five enigmatic gold snakes or a strip of gold bearing a crudely written and misspelled Biblical inscription in Latin.

“Rise up, O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face,” reads the inscription, believed to be from the Book of Numbers.

Also of interest is the largest of the crosses, which experts say may have been an altar or processional piece. It had been folded, possibly to make it fit into a small space prior to burial, and the apparent lack of respect shown to such a Christian symbol may point to the hoard being buried by pagans.

“The things that we can’t identify are the ones that are going to teach us something new,” Leahy said.

For England, a country at the edge of Europe whose history owes an enormous debt to the Anglo-Saxons, the find has the potential to become one of its top national treasures, according to Webster.

Caroline Barton, assistant treasure registrar at the British Museum, said objects over 300 years old and made up of more that 10 percent precious metal are only offered for sale to accredited museums in Britain, so the collection will not be leaving the country.

Associated Press article posted on Yahoo News.