2:15 p.m. - 2007-08-28
The finale
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
OATMEAL & KISSES - THE FINALE
From about 1989 through 1993, Patricia had embraced her poetic nature and began writing poems. She had always written little limericks for some of her coworkers and now she wrote some poems for her ballroom dance newsletter. She also entered some local contests with the newspaper. Since there were usually restrictions on the number of poems you could send in; Patricia used pen names. A few times, she won in different categories under the various pen names.
*****
CHRISTMAS WALTZ
Music is playing and couples are swaying
In a Christmas Waltz.
You�re here tonight and I'm filled with delight
As we Christmas Waltz.
Snowflakes are falling and my heart�s recalling
The joys that we once knew.
At this time of year when I�m with you, dear
I admit it�s always been true.
Won�t you promise me this as our lips softly kiss
In a Christmas Waltz.
I promise my heart and that we�ll never part
As the years go by.
And we�ll dance once again to the lovely refrain
Of our Christmas Waltz.
*****
LUCK OF THE IRISH
They say if you should chance upon
A busy, hardworking leprechaun
Your wishes three are his command
And he�ll heap gold in your waiting hand
He�ll shower you with health and joy
Enough for any man or boy
And ask that you obey his law
And not tell people what you saw
And tell them NOT where he was found
For if you do, then he�ll be bound
to take away your treasure trove
And once more he�ll be on the move
Until one day, some other eyes
Will chance on him with glad surprise
And he�ll enrich their lives as well
If only they promise not to tell.
*****
Easter Lilies
Easter lilies, tall, pristine
In regal splendor so serene
Calm our spirits as we pray
The Lord God be with us today.
Keep your vigil, bright and true
As we find our peace in you.
Bless the heart of everyone
And dispel the thoughts that block the sun.
by Kiki Von Vietinghoff *
******
DEATH AND TAXES
Death and taxes
Two things we can�t ignore;
And when old April rolls around
We have to pay once more.
Death and taxes
The inescapable two;
I�m glad I�ll be around to pay
The second that it�s due.
For if we ever had a choice
Between money and our death,
I�m sure we�d choose to live and pay
Until our final breath.
Death and taxes
Two things of which we�re certain
And we�ll pay an annual income tax
Until our final curtain.
By P. J. Hill*
*****
AN AFTERNOON IN JUNE
The church was overflowing
And the organ would soon begin,
There was laughter among our many guests
And the assembled kith and kin.
Your mother was happily sobbing,
In her place-of-honor pew
Then came the handsome groomsmen
Escorting bridesmaids dressed in blue
And soon I saw your lovely face
Your proud father at your side
My dream, my future approached me
My sweetheart, you...my bride.
Many years ago, but I remember
Our wedding and honeymoon
And never have I had cause to regret
That afternoon in June.
*******
CURE FOR THE BLUES
When dining out, I�m inclined to look
For things I�d never want to cook.
Like turkey roast and golden yams
Or succulent clove-studded ham.
My desserts are creamy, mouth-watering pies
With whipped cream filled up to the skies
And chocolate cake, fit for a king
Or any calorie-laden thing.
But my kitchen duties are swift and sweet
A mountainous salad, a bit of meat
But when I go out to dine
It�s a 7-course dinner, replete with wine.
So when I�m sad or have the blues
I go to a restaurant and start to choose
Pizza supreme - my favorite food
It�s guaranteed to brighten my mood.
When you get depressed and out of sorts
Go to a place that serves course after course
Follow my head, come on and try it
Dine in a restaurant and forget your diet.
*****
THOUGHTS
The children have come home
Dragging their suitcases and their broken dreams
Behind them in a careless pile.
"Oh, what�s the use", they loudly rant
And hope that I can put it all to rights
As easily as picking up a fallen tower of blocks.
But when�s my time?
When I can lock the door on others' needs and wants
And spend my days and nights in sweet pursuits
Of my own pleasures and delights.
*****
A QUESTION
People say there is nothing like a day at the zoo
To gaze at the animals and have them stare back at you.
Camels question you silently with a grave solemn face
As though they are asking "why are you in this place?"
Apes placidly go on with their eating or rest
And smugly convey that their life is the best.
No high-level meetings, no desire to compete
Just pass the day peacefully till it�s again time to eat.
So when hung up in traffic or the victim of strife,
Just ask yourself sadly...
Who�s really got the best life?
****
NURSE AND PATIENCE
When #302 rings again
Demanding another pill.
You sympathize and realize
the woman is feeling ill.
Perhaps #304 declared each day
How awful is her diet.
You pat her head, whether blonde, brunette or red
and coax "Come on, hon - just try it"
When #327 messes her sheet
In the middle of the night
You shrug , "Oh well, what the hell
It's really quite all right."
Yes, a nurse's life is a tough one
Sometimes it couldn't be worse
Except once in a while, you get a smile
and hear a whispered, "Thank you, nurse".
****
BLESS YOU
Bless those who enter sick and ill
Bless everyone who helps to heal
The aides who answer every bell
And ask us how we really feel.
Bless ward clerks, volunteers and all
Doctors and dieticians
Interns, orderlies, student nurses
And skilled x-ray technicians.
Bless you who are always at our side
When pain must be endured
And bless the families, who welcome us home
When we are finally cured.
******
July 13, 1993
The telephone rang in the darkness of the early morning. Terri�s husband answered and after a few words, hung up. He told Terri that Patricia had passed on. He was going to the hospital to officially identify her body, sign the release papers for the funeral home to pick her up and to retrieve the few personal items she had left at the hospital. Terri went to her sisters, waking them, to pass on the news. They all were in shock but relieved that Patricia�s terminal illness was finally over and she was at peace. After Terri�s husband returned home, he asked what plans they had for the day.
Terri was going to the funeral home to make the final arrangements and invited her sisters to go along. She wanted them to feel part of the process even though she was the Executrix for her mother. She would also order flowers and get the announcement in the newspaper. They also discussed trying to contact Ginny. Terri�s husband suggested they call Ginny�s husband�s office. He was a doctor in the Chicago area. Terri did not have a home phone number and was not even certain where Ginny and her husband lived. A secretary at the office agreed to call Ginny at her phone number to contact Terri. Within an hour, Ginny called Terri�s home asking what was wrong.
She said she would like to come back for the funeral. She got a flight and the other three sisters met her at the airport. She agreed to stay with her sisters at Terri�s home. It was good to have all four sisters together even though the reason was so difficult to accept. There was some awkwardness because Ginny had chosen to withdraw from the family for several years. The other three wanted to break down the barriers in the hopes that Ginny would become part of their lives again.
Mary�s husband flew in with their daughter, Anna. Uncle Tom, Uncle Mike and his wife and Aunt Kathleen came into town along with Patricia�s twin brother, Jack and his wife Florie. There were only a few relatives left from Patricia's family. There were many friends from Patricia's former jobs, her church, the ballroom dancing group and the Battell Center ladies along with some neighbors.
Terri suggested taking several photos and the poems that Patricia had written to the funeral home to give people something to look at and enjoy. Two of the poems were printed out for people to take as mementos. There was a huge crowd of varied people who had been in Patricia�s life and the pictures and poems were well received. There was even yellow roses with a card signed..."from a secret admirer". Yellow roses had been Patricia's favorite flower.
At the funeral, Terri asked the minister to read two poems. Oatmeal and Kisses was the most special and seemed to touch many hearts.
OATMEAL AND KISSES
Oatmeal and kisses mean Mother to me
Both were a part of my childhood, you see.
Each morning at breakfast, there would be a big bowl
And Mother would say "Eat it--it'll keep out the cold."
Whenever the family was sick or got hurt
She'd kiss away the soreness and wash away the dirt.
Her kisses were tender and sweet on my face.
And I'd lovingly hug her as we shared an embrace.
Oatmeal and kisses - the best part of my youth.
The best kind of medicine and that's God's sure enough truth.
Oh how I'd love to go backward in time
And share oatmeal and kisses with that mother of mine.
But she's up in heaven - probably passing a bowl
And telling an angel, "It's good for your soul."
written by Patricia Gregg
1990
*******
Patricia passed away on July 12, 1993......69 years and 6 months and one day from the day she was born. Although she never got to meet her birth father and her older brother again before she died; she did get reunited with her twin brother and they had nearly 3 years to get reacquainted.
******
JULY 15, 1993...
The sisters were in the limo, riding out to the cemetery. They were talking about their mother and started laughing about some of the memories they shared. Then, Terri said "We ought to be ashamed of ourselves, our mother has recently died and we are laughing and making jokes. The funeral limo driver must think we are terrible!"
Terri�s son was sitting in front next to the driver. He turned and said "You know, Grandma would think this was great and she would have loved it. In fact, you ought to write a book about her life but maybe you would want to change the names"
and so it began.......
They were all sitting in the new, freshly waxed, very luxurious black limo thinking to themselves.
Then Terri spoke, " Damn, I just broke another fingernail."
And then Ginny said. "Well, I can see I will have to get a better manicure when I get home. There certainly aren't any experienced or even licensed nail shops here."
Bonnie thought , "Boy, if nothing else goes right, at least my nails always look great."
and Mary said softly, " I wish I could let my nails grow but they just get in the way when I am working."
******************************************
On July 28, 1993 (15 days after Patricia has passed away) - Donald - her first husband and father to her three oldest daughters died. He was one week from his 70th birthday.
Terri, Bonnie and Mary have remained very close and communicate via e-mail several times a month. They try to spend a week or so together every July in Texas.
Ginny kept up her relationship for a brief period of time and then sent Terri a letter blaming Terri for everything that ever went wrong in Ginny's life.....they have not communicated together for a number of years. The story of Ginny's unhappiness would make another book and is one that only she has the right to put on paper.
Terri believes that sometimes being the oldest sister means you are responsible for your siblings but does not mean that everything that goes wrong in a sibling's life is part of that responsibility. And so life goes on....
