First off - Rachell - I love you!!!! Your comment on my sock miracle entry was witty and profound.... thank you for enlightening me! I'll be sure to seek out these messages in everyday happenings from here on out :)
Second - the letters from my dad finally arrived!!!! For those who don't know - he died when I was around 15 months old and I have no memories of him and know very little about him - so my half sister (who was grown and out on her own by the time I came along) called me on my birthday to let me know she found some old letters from our dad to her that she though I might like to read... I've been waiting on pins and needles for these letters for weeks and I finally received them today. They are from March 1968 and he passed in September 1968. It was so wonderful to read them... just to get a glimpse of his personality. I'm bummed my mom isn't still alive to share them with - she's been gone 6 years now and every once in a while I just get the urge to pick up the phone and give her a call - this is definitely one of those times - she'd be certain to share in the joy. My dad was very ill with heart trouble at the time of the letters and up to his death, so there's a little history on that and then of course - he mentioned what a doll I was : ) He also mentioned a lot of people I remember knowing as a child. I know it was a very hard time for our family but it sounds like there were quite a few people around to visit and help out... he also references a letter he wrote that was published in the Auburn Journal - I'm wondering if I'd be able to get a copy of that too????
This has been a great day! Finally!!! - I've been battling horribly painful incapacitating problems with my hands again, so I haven't been able to type much - especially for leisure which is such a huge bummer as I was really starting to love this blogging thing.
Hey - we're having a major thunder and lightning storm right now - and its even raining... What a treat!!!
7 comments:
Fantastic news. Glad you got to read them. I will always remember your little hand prints in the cement at my sisters old house... your house from when you where a baby.
Did I ever tell you the ghost stories from that house? I will have to tell you all the things that happend when they moved into your babyhood home.
K
Seriously - I can't believe my little handprints are in the cement :) It’s so weird that your sister and her husband bought that house – I see on the county records that he still owns it… do you know if he actually lives in it or if he rents it out?
My Auntie Rainy (aka Aunt Lorraine) lived next door to us and still owned the house up to her death and Charllis’ (my half-sister) relatives lived down the street – I still stayed in touch with my Aunt for most of my childhood and I remember Charllis' family always welcomed me as one of their own as well I often miss it up there in Auburn and I thought of moving back a few times, but I think I’m pretty much staying put here in the desert now that I’m with Jim. I’ve lost touch with everyone (except Charllis) on my dad’s side – I’ll have to tell her to make sure she keeps me in the loop if there’s some kind of reunion or something. Actually I think she had a reunion somewhat recently for her mom’s side of the family that I would have loved to have crashed!
You know my memory is so bad but I vaguely remember something about a ghost, but do tell again please! My parents were the first ones to own that house, so it must have been my dad - I hope he was a good ghost. Actually – I take that back, I think we had an experience or two with ghosts on Aeolia Drive too and my step dad was the first occupant there too – but that whole neighborhood was full of spirits – so it might have more to do with the area than the dwelling?
Oh no, it was your dad. I am sure of that. When my sister bought the house the house was in need of repair. It had purple walls. It had all kinds of things that needed to be done.
So many weird things would happen. Doors that did not open easy would open on their own. (over heavy carpet, no way a breezde could do it) This would move. You could set something down and it was somewhere across the room when you turned around. Seeing someone out of the corner of your eye. Things like this.
The reason I know its your dad was that as soon as they got that house in perfect condition everything stopped. No more wierd hauntings. It might of helped that I brought you over as well. :)
Your handprints are in the front of the house, outside the fence by the side of the pool... if I remeber right. Little hand prints and Wendy right next to it.
I have a lot of really good memories in that house. One really bad, as that is the house Bruce died in. I always hoped your dad was around to help him on his way. I think knowing it was your house always made me really comfortable there as a kid.
I dont know if Dave still lives there. I would bet that if you sent him a letter, telling him your that Wendy and the history, he would get in touch. He is a nice guy.
Thanks for the refresher... I'm glad it all stopped after everything was back in order... on rare occasions I wish I could sense the spirits around - but most of the time I'm just fine being totally unaware. I do recall one night I spent at RJ's house (on Aeolia - which was famously haunted - I believe I even read about it in a book somewhere)anyway, for some reason I slept alone in a guest room that night and I had some kind of experience that was way out of the norm and it totally freaked me out - I never slept along in that house again.
One of my aunts is very in tune that way and it doesn't freak her out at all. She told me all about the people who were in the room when my mom was dying - waiting for her to go with them and she swears my mom is still around her now....
I have never forgotten the tragic memory of Bruce dying in my old house - a similar thing happened to my friend's dad across the street from us on Aeolia Drive (I'm telling you that whole neighborhood had issues) - I still remember the day and you know me - I usually don't remember much - why is it I have to remember some of the tragedies? It still haunts me and its one of those things that makes me soooooooo thankful that I was an obedient child - and is most likely why I'm such a rule follower today. I was with my friend Eric up the street playing at Gia's house and my mom called up and told me to come straight home to my house with Eric and do not stop anywhere... well, we passed right by Eric's house on the way to my house and could tell his dad was out in his shop - so we talked about stopping by ----- THANK FRICKEN GOODNESS that I was such a stringent rule follower and insisted that "no - my mom said come straight home - do not stop anywhere"... and off we went to my house right past the scene of what his sister had discovered after she heard the gunshot minutes earlier. What a nightmare!!! (By the way, Eric still lives in that house). AND - just a few months ago my half-sister Charllis' husband did the same thing - his grandson found him. It's so sad - I guess they just get to such a bad place that they don't realize or don't care about the effect their actions will have on other people – they just want to escape their misery and/or pain. I can't imagine how you deal with something so tragic!!!
RJs house was creepy. Full of strange activity. That area was great for it. I swear, I would love to live on Aeolia. When I am in the area I have to drive around and look. Everything is so much smaller then I remember. I think I am going to look up and see if the area is on line. I would love to know the ghost stories. Did you know you can get olive oil made from the olives on that street. Nancy got some.
(side note on ghosts. I always would of thought that I would have more energy in England, but there was more in Auburn. At least that I have experience. Auburn is very spooky. There is a ton going on there. I hated staying at my Moms house alone. Walking outside at night would make me have goose bumps. I always felt like someone was watching me. I used to hear strange things down in the ravine (probably teenagers) and it would really freak me out. All that mining history and tragic deaths I am sure.
Its really heartbreaking when someone commits suicide. Having had this twice in my family I can say its hard to bounce back from. I believe that a person is in such termoil that they honestly believe that their loved ones would be better off without them. They would be doing them a favor. If they would just wait a day though...see things in a different light... :/
I have to giggle to think you remember yourself as obedient. You where a good girl, but I remember things a little more, shall we say, clearly then you. LOL. :) Glad you did listen to your mom that day.
Ya - whatever :) I must have blocked out the mischievous acts so I had plenty of room for the tragedies... Isn't that a little backwards though? I was thinking, don't most people blocked out the tragedies - you know all that repressed memories stuff? I recently asked my step-sister Jane if she knew of any reason I might have blocked out most of my childhood - she kind of chuckled and said of course - why wouldn't you - and then told me about some of the happenings during our lives on good old Aeolia - so, I'm figuring my blocking filtering abilities must have gotten overloaded from blocking out all the BS and just stopped filtering and blocked out everything - except the major stuff!!!! That's such a bummer! I'm so glad to have you and Cynthia and Denise to help me remember :)
Wendy! Somehow I missed this blog and I'm so happy you got to read those letters!!! And your mom and dad are looking down on you right now and are so impressed with what a wonderful daughter they have!!! I was wondering why you haven't blogged and I'm so sorry to hear about your hands!!! I don't remember you telling me about that!!! I'm thinking of you and hope to hear from you soon!!
Lots of Love, Tami
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