17 September 2006

Cyclones lost, but by no means am I going to be ashamed of the darn good game that they played. :o)

16 September 2006

Fall Fest ... Iowa State vs Iowa ... Mom


Today is Fall Fest here in my hometown. I am not feeling to festive, may not go, besides there's a game I'd rather spend time with friends and watch...

Today is the ever rival Iowa State vs. Iowa. I hope you have no wonders who I am cheering for. Cheering is always more fun when you have a friend who is on the opposite side cheering for the oponent.


I miss mom so very much, life is overwhelming most days. The okay days are still very few and far between. It's hard to imagine she's been dead for 4 months and 12 days today. There are still so many things to deal with on all levels.

Currently, the "humourous" one is that mom gets more junk mail at my house than I do. She even got one last weekend from the 'Cremation Society of Eastern - Central - Western Iowa'. If only they knew she was already ashes in a box on the family organ!

She got one for a sweepstakes entry a few weeks ago, all I could do was giggle, like if my sister and I sent it in and that would be the one time mom ever won. I can almost hear the conversation on trying to collect...
~~~~~
Sweepstakes: Is Mary there please?
Me: May I say who's calling?
Sweepstakes: It's John Doe from Sweepstakes.
Me: I'm her daughter, can I give her a message?
Sweepstakes: Your mother, Mary has won the grand prize and we need to visit with her to get everything filed so she can claim it. Is there a convenient time to meet with Mary?
Me: Her schedule is pretty open, she's just tied up at the moment.
Sweepstakes: Is her address 1333 4th.......?
Me: Yes, that is correct.
Sweepstakes: Let's plan on Tuesday evening at 7 PM. If there would be a change please call me at 888-555-1212, my name is John Doe.
Me: Thank you, I will give her the message.
~~~~~
Tuesday evening 7 PM, the door bell rings, I greet John Doe from Sweepstakes and let him in.
~~~~~
Sweepstakes: Is Mary in tonight? I am here to help her fill out the paperwork for her to claim the grand prize.
Me: Yes, she is in. I walk over to the family organ and grab the box of ashes with her picture on it and present it to Mr. Doe.
Me: This is Mary, she hasn't been having the best of days, she kind of quite really.
Sweepstakes: This is Mary? A box?
Me: No, this is Mary, my mom, in the box. I proceed to open the box and show him the big bag of ashes.
Sweepstakes: So Mary is dead and cremated? You've got to be kidding me!!!! Mary entered the sweepstakes back in August.
Me: No, I am not kidding.
Sweepstakes: I'm sorry for your loss, but Mary needs to be living and breathing to claim her prize. When did she pass away?
Me: She died May 4th.
Sweepstakes: What you're telling me is that you entered the sweepstakes fraudulently under your mom's name?
Me: No, my sister and I entered the sweepstakes for mom, as you, bought her name off some mailing list after she died. Her mail was forwarded here for legitimate purposes to handle our mother's affairs after she died. Your company purchased her name with this new address off some list. Perhaps your company had better check on where it gets its supply of names and address. I wonder how many other dead people you mail things to.
Sweepstakes: Apparently there has been a mistake.
Me: No, no mistake on my end, please remove my mother from your mailing list. And you may wish to inform your mailing list purchasing department of this as well, so they can inform who they received it from.

I escort the very shocked and speechless John Doe from Sweepstakes out the front door. Dang that was fun!
~~~~~~~~

I think that mental scenario is humorous, although dealing with her junk mail at more times than not, brings on a bit of the grief heavier for a time. I miss her, I love her and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't wonder why the heck she had to die and leave so much in confusion. The answers may never come, so I guess I will have to deal with it.... I love her, I can only pray that God will see me through this and even more so, that God will see my sister and Grandma through their grief as well.