One Shoe Can Change Your Life.....

Nellie worked in the kitchen as she talked..

"Raymond died when he was 5 yrs old

of pneumonia. He drowned inside himself.

It is a horrible, terrible, the worst thing

to watch someone you love

die right in front of you-

And not be able to do nothing about it.

I suppose you think me daffed

talking to a toy.

But seems to me Susanna-

You are listening...

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Kate deCamillo

I listen to audio books to fall asleep. I have for many years. For the past 2 years I have been only able to listen to the Twilight Series or the Harry Potter Series. I have recently been able to broaden my listening to include books I have listened to before. I listened to Edward Tulane was before Heather even got sick. There are several parts that got to me this time listening to it. I heard it all differently than I did before. The above part is Edward being renamed Susanna is in Nellie's kitchen as she is baking. I thought it a very profound statement and decided to share it with you. There is also a little girl named Sarah Ruth that has a bad cough that gets Edward and renames him Jangles. She dies. This also was heard very different by me this time. It kept me awake one night due to the memory of Heather coughing and the memories it brought back to me. I encourage you to get this children's book and read about how a stuffed rabbit shares the lives of several different people.

More about our trip to Disneyland. When we were there in March I found a painting that I feel in love with. It so moved me every time I saw it. It was painted for the 55th Anniversary of Disneyland. When we went back the painting was still there. It still moved me so much. It is the top of the castle..at night with the moon in the clouds. If you are not familiar with Disneyland you might not know what this is. To me...it will always be Heather's Castle. So hanging in my hallway at the top of the stairs is this magnificent painting. Mine is number 9 of 55. I received a plaque from one of Heather's friends that says "One Shoe Can change Your Life...Cinderella". I took this plaque off the photo wall and placed it under the painting. It fits perfectly. Like the two were made for each other. 

I have become very interested in butterflies. I have a butterfly tattoo so that is a good thing. Butterflies symbolize so much beauty, elegance, new life and how fragile life can be. They are amazing to watch. Every time I see a butterfly I stare in amazement as they flutter around, enjoying the beauty of the flight. For several months now I have been looking for a butterfly ring. It had to be simple but different and elegant. As we were leaving Disneyland we took one last stroll in the Downtown Disney District. I have never really stopped to look at The Pearl Factory-a little booth to the side of the main stores. I asked the lady if they had any butterfly rings. Of course they did. As I walked to the side to look I figured it would be something I didn't like. Boy was I wrong. I saw the most stunning mother of pearl butterfly ring I have ever seen. The top butterfly is a pale shade of pink and the slightly smaller bottom one is white. It was perfect. So...it came home with me as well. The lady that helped me was so moved when I told her why I liked it so much that she allowed me to pick an oyster with a pearl in it for free. I got an beautiful luster white pearl. She drilled a hole so I can have it mounted next time I go.

There are still things nearly everyday that remind me of Heather. Something I see or a place that I go that stirs a memory. As bunnies were her favorite animals I always take a look at bunnies that I see in the stores. In 2008 I was shocked when I picked up the purple TY bunny and it's name was Heather. As I looked around Frys grocery store last week there was a cute pink stuffed bunny with a strawberry on it. As I always do I looked at the tag to see if it had a name...and of course it was Heather. So the bunny came home with me. Don't know why I find it so weird that the whole time that Heather was alive there was never a bunny named Heather. Now, I have found 2 of them.

Lil Pea still remains the joy of my life. She talks so much and is really getting quite the personality. She says Mimi and Papa..Mommy and Daddy and calls Aunt Jenny-Aunt Gee Gee. This name seems to be sticking and I think that Jenny shall forever be known as Aunt Gee Gee. It fits. Pea looks at the photos and names everyone. She is having an issue with Aunt Missy. She is really not understanding why she has an Aunt Missy but she doesn't see her. She calls her Aunt Mimi quite a bit of the time. One day soon I will have the joy of telling her how much her Aunt Missy loved her and would do anything to be with her. Hope that Pea will understand just how much her Aunt Missy loved her.