Finding Comfort in Ordinary Life....

 It's been a week of adjusting to what one may call 'normal life.' 

 It's a comfort and a sorrow at the same time.

This week has been difficult emotionally and yet in some ways comforting.

My heart still hurts but I also have hope and so many good memories of both of my sisters.

Our Saturday night dinner and movie dates have continued.

This one was last week.....  

And this one was last night....

We all love our Saturday night dates....

Summer, I and Ileen...... 

Last week we had a charcuterie board.....

I havent cooked in awhile......

chooosing fried chicken from Kroger, loaded baked potatoes and salad......

Breakfast burritos made for an easy meal....

Last night I made some homemade guacamole....

and it was delicious!

Avocadoes were just $0.39 cents at Aldi!

We normally have a cocktail and last night was a strawberry wine with mixed berry flavored water and fresh strawberries.

Our dinner menu was hamburgers and roasted corn that I cooked earlier in the day while the grill was in the shade.

Louis Dean approved and even joined us in the den towards the end of the movie.

I admit getting up in the morning and doing all the normal routines is hard.

After Deanie left us, it seems that life should have changed and in some ways it has.

I'm still comforted knowing my sisters are together again but my heart is heavy.

The day after the funeral, I thought I would stay in bed all day and yet I woke up feeling fine.

Summer and I met Brenda at the thrift store and found some treasures.

  

Brenda found all of these treasues for me.

And I found the winter napkin rings....

The next day was not so good as I grieved and stayed in bed much of the day.

Losing loved ones is hard.

Brenda has lost her mother and father and brother and her beloved, dog, Charlie.

Loss is loss....

family and pets who are like family.

Her dear Sadie is now in serious condition and we are praying for her to gain strength and start eating again.

 

Her name was Lloydine...but she loved the name 'Deanie' ...and she was loved by so many...

Monday was the Celebration of Life for our precious Deanie.

Even though we knew she was to be soon on her way to heaven....it still broke our hearts.

Entered into Life

December 21, 1951

Entered into Rest

August 18, 2026

It was  a beautiful service with  the Chaplain sharing her Life Story

and tributes were made by her two granddaughters which were touching and loving and funny.

Because Deanie was funny!

Her son, James. spoke eloquently and he made us laugh and cry and comforted us.

It was a lovely day with lots of friends and family.....

This is mine.

Mike, Amber, Benjamin, me, Summer, Jesse and Rachel.

I should have had Louis Dean up there with me but he was sitting at a table across from my brother, Lonnie,  and I thought it best to just let them visit.

Lonnie and his beloved wife, Michele.....

All three of us sisters had truly blessed husbands later in life and God saved the best of like for all of us , Lonnie included.

Summer surrounded by Deanie's handsome som and grandsons!

It was a beautiful way to gather together and say our goodbyes.

The chapel was packed and the reception gave us all an opportunity to visit and catch up together.

Amber paid her Uncle Lonnie a good bit of attention!

Lanita and Lloydine and Lonnie and Linda - we all grew up together.

At least until Nita and I were 14 and Deanie was 16.

Our sister, Shari, was at the funeral with her husband.

It was good to catch up with her .

She and her hasband have visited their Fort Worth family over the years and we have visited them in Alabama.

We also have another sister....

This photo was from 2019 -after our Mother's funeral.

Shari, Luann....both children from Pauline and Clayton....

Lonnie, Nita and Deanie....all three children of Pauliine and Lloyd Ewing.

I'm on the end and the daughter of Pauline and my father, Leo Everett Gage.

I was 72 years old when I discovered my father's name and the blessings of three more siblings! Two siblings had passed....a brother close to birth and a sister named Shirley.

My beautiful sister, Rita!

Lori - whom I have yet to meet.

And my dear brother, Buster!

He's 10 years younger than I.

This has been a hard journal entry to post but there has been such an abundance of love and laughter and great memories.

Losing family is not easy but I am comforted that my sisters are together in heaven and I'm looking forward to joining them someday.

Thank you all for the prayers and texts and emails and cards. Y'all have blessed me beyond measure.

I hope y'all know how much I love each one of you.

God bless you all.....

My Sisters are Together Again.....in Heaven...

 

We said goodbye to my dearly beloved sister on Tuesday the 18th of August.

I've spent a quiet week grieving and praying  - feeling both deep sadness and profound joy at knowing Deanie and Nita are together with the Lord.

We were with her last weekend and she was calm and peaceful and loved all the visits from her loved ones. Her eyes lit up when she saw Louis Dean!

They truly bonded on the roadtrip back home after the Bell Babies were born.

Louis Dean said they laughed all the way and they laughed together again once more last Saturday.

We had such good times together......

Always making memories.

Deanie was so much FUN!

Deanie was so well loved.....

and it comforts my heart to know my sisters are together now.

Deanie was so beautiful!

I'm grateful for all the sibling trips we shared.

We laughed so much!!

Deanie was the one who encouraged me to do the DNA testing to find my father's name.

She always thought I was special and I needed to know where I came from.

Nita nad Mike took me to Kansas City to meet my brother and sister and then the following year, they came to Texas to meet my Texas family.

Beautiful times together...

I have enjoyed looking at my photo memories...

There's special stories behind every one of them.

I have many wonderful memories of my sisters and love all my photo memories.

Greiving 

Deanie was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, friend and loved by all who knew her.

You can read her beautiful obituary.....

https://www.greenwoodfuneralhomes.com/obi.../lloydine-wilson

Grief is exhausting and I feel numb......

Three sisters....in 1954