Sunday, April 3, 2011

A Beautiful Day

Today has been windy but beautiful. A day to work out in the yard, visit with the neighbors, cook some pork steaks, and sit on the porch with your love one and watch the birds.

We take it all for granted that it will be there to do again tomorrow, next week.

I few of you know my cousin is seriously ill. He is the first one of our generation to be ill.  There are 8 of us cousins. My brother and I are the youngest, the two oldest are girls who live in Indiana and the next 4 live in the Chicago area. I am the baby of the group.

here is my brother, dad and I with the Chicago cousins.

We do have pictures of all 8 of us together, but they are few and far in between. It seems, one of us is always missing. When my Mom died two were missing, when my Uncle died there were two missing, when my Aunt died my brother couldn't make it.

so there were 7....

me, John, Marty, Mary, Tom, Donna and Deb
When I bought 1515, I dreamed of us all together again on the front porch
Oh but there was 4 of us........
John, me, my brother and Tom

What about when Grandad was sick in the hospital?
Oh there was 7 of us, John was in Vietnam

Well.....3 of us
Grandad, me, Tom and Deb

Like I said when i bought the house, I had hoped. The 8 of us have not been together, but 7 of us have been and stayed at 1515. The best visit was when my cousin Tom and his wife came in Nov 2009. Tom and I stayed up late, he told me stories about Grandad, about the house, about my Dad, he gave me a ledger Grandad had to pay bills with. I will never forget that visit, it was just the 2 of us and it was so precious.

Buying 1515 has brought us all back together, maybe not all at once but we find we are there more for each other. It is not just a funeral when I see them. It is now a birthday family reunion. We text, we email we talk and I feel like I know them all over again. It has been a strange pull of fate.

The next picture was taken the week I took possession of 1515
Here is my cousin Tom and his wife in front of 1515 where all the family has had their picture taken since 1926. We were all so happy, telling stories, laughing.........

A week later the diagnosis came.

Now my cousins wife has let me know it is time to come to Chicago to see Tom.  Tom the middle cousin, the one who like me pays attention to family history...especially when it comes to my Grandad's Railroad activities.

So my Indiana cousins will be headed up there next Sunday. There will be 4, Mary, Marty, Tom and me. But I think it will be a time we will never forgot, nor take for granted

I ask for your prayers.........

8 comments:

Susan Freeman said...

You have my prayers Ann.

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Rebecca said...

I love seeing all the pics of the cousins-but so sorry to hear about Tom. I'm glad some of you are going to see him. That's the best gift we can give-our time-to create memories that last. I know you of all people realize that!

PS-(do people do that anymore?)-1)saw your ceramic bunny-very similiar 2) the barn probably won't be open till sometime in May-If you saw something in the brocton pics-let me know-3) Trellis is my personal one(at least for the time being) 4) Hope that's all

DearHelenHartman said...

What a touching post. Am from a family of 18 cousins raised so closely we rent a lodge every summer for vacation with our kids and now their kids. It's a special bond. Sending prayers from my family to yours.

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry to hear about your cousin, Ann. Will keep him and all your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Ann from On Sutton Place said...

Be safe traveling. My prayers are with you...~Ann

Lottie said...

You can really see all the love in the photos. Thank you for sharing them. Treasure today.

I am so sorry about your cousin. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Claudia said...

I'm so sorry about your cousin's illness. I will be keeping him and all of your family in my prayers.

xo
Claudia

Michelle said...

Ann,
Since I'm new to your blog I have been enjoying going through older posts. This one in particular is very touching. I'm so glad you went to see your cousin. You'll never regret that. I just made a trip to see my grandmother in January and she passed less than a week later. I was so glad to have had the chance to visit with her. Family is everything and you are blessed to all be so close!
Michelle