I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES

I didn't expect to be posting here again but wanted all my blog pals who haven't caught up with me on Facebook to be able to share in some special news. Over 3 years ago I wrote this post: http://ruth-boofie.blogspot.com/2007/01/art-art-wherefore-art-thou-art.html. Yesterday thanks to an anonymous commenter I found this.............http://www.henryliamward.com/mediumscale.html ....you can also see another painting of my darling Mick if you click 'further works'.

Sometimes miracles do happen!

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Jo, the lady who is presiding over Mick's service was lovely. The first thing she asked was whether we had any photos of Mick; I think it was lovely that she wanted to be able to picture Mick when we were talking about him. The photos we showed her really showed the sort of fun loving, family man Mick was. There was a lot of ooohing and ahhhing when she saw some of Mick with the grandchildren especially the one of him with Melissa at only 4 hours old! And we proved Mick's sporting abilities with the photo of him doing a headstand.....
She really laughed at this shot of Mick playing Pictionary; it reminded us of the time Mick was trying to draw a coconut........let's just say that it rather resembled a ladies private parts!!!!!

She stayed for a full two hours; we chatted about the actual service itself; the readings and the music and other details. Some of the grandchildren will light a candle as the service starts and as a single photo of Mick would not do him justice we are going to make up a collage to stand at the front of the chapel. Although Manda and I shed a few tears as we talked we were mainly laughing, with Jo joining in, as we described Mick and some of his antics....and I told her all about my blogfriends and how wonderful you all are. I'm pretty sure Jo will do Mick proud. She will phone me on Friday and read to me what she will say herself; just in case I want any adjustments made. I had one nice surprise...the plugs of geraniums I'd ordered online turned up...it seems to be the way at the moment that when something "difficult" has happened, something nice follows......(I whispered a quiet Thank You to Mick).

This afternoon has been an endless stream of phone hanging on and filling in forms. It's got to the stage that I've had to bring the kitchen table into the living room so that I can keep the paperwork in order. I have to do piles, done piles, to mail piles, to phone piles, to email piles etc etc. Any one fancy a job as a secretary? The pay is lousy but the food is good!!!!!

Every now and then I gazed longingly at the sun in the garden......but these jobs have to be done sometime...and as I've still lots left to do.... I'm glad at least I've made a start!

Leanne was back at work today as the children are all back at school. She didn't feel up to facing customers so her boss at Argos let her work in the stock room all day. She said everyone at work has been very kind. Sadly the local "yobos" around her way are not so nice and during one of their "stone fights" two of her windows were smashed. She could have done without that! She has "sorted" her hours so that she can pop over tomorrow while the children are at school; Ron and Brenda are coming for a couple of hours too....I suddenly realised about an hour ago that I'd not even thought what to give them for lunch. I quickly threw together a cheesecake, a can of tinned cherries over it and it'll do as a dessert. I think the savoury may have to be good old fashioned Bread and Cheese...a bit of chutney on the plate and I can call it a Ploughman's Lunch!!!
I did have a quick 10 minutes in the garden as the sun was going down......and now I must download some more forms which I have to fill in....it'll save me waiting for them to be posted to me. I must also run off a few Donation Forms for the Clatterbridge Campaign; I promised Ron I'd give him some tomorrow...............................then I must get myself some beauty sleep...being another year older tomorrow I think I need it!!!!!...............LOL

At least having a lap top I can use my PC in the garden (until the battery runs out); I don't like doing it just in case I drop it or something but it's so lovely out here and while I'm relaxed I must write about finding Mick's suit.

The Funeral Directors told us last week that Mick could wear whatever we wanted. I know he will want to look his best so it had to be his suit; the last time he wore it was in May 14th 2005. Our nephew was getting married and Mick had already been visiting the doctor for some weeks; his headaches were bad and he was having difficult walking and controlling his bladder. The doctor kept saying Mick had nothing more than an ear infection. I was worried about him doing the drive (I'm a non-driver, sad to say) and Lynn had offered to pick us up but Mick insisted that as there was nothing major wrong with him that he would drive us to her house (where we were to stay the night before the wedding). I wanted to cancel our going to the wedding but Mick said there was no way he was missing his brother's son's great day. He said "as long as I stay near a toilet I'll be ok". The drive down was worrying....Mick seemed to be unsure of the way yet previously he would have been able to do it blindfolded. He had to stop in laybys a number of times and by the time we got to Lynn's a couple of hours later he couldn't make it up the stairs to the toilet in time. My poor darling was so embarrassed. We were all worried and I was glad that Lynn was doing the actual drive to the wedding venue the next day. Poor Mick had to put up with so many snide remarks that he was "pissed" during the reception as on occasions he stumbled a little and had to be shown were the loo was because each time he visited it he couldn't remember the next time where it was; I would wait outside for him as he couldn't find his way back to where we were sitting. It was a lovely fairy tale wedding........and somehow Mick got us home safely a day later.........a month or so later when his brother brought the wedding video for us to watch Mick didn't remember any of it......................

Anyway this is the suit that Mick will be wearing on the 25th...no tie though....he hated them! On Thursday Lynn and I tried to find it; I wasn't looking forward to the task...I knew just how much seeing it would upset me. As you all know over the past 2 years our house has been somewhat rearranged....the wardrobe that it used to hang in I'd had to dismantle to make more room for extra beds for visitors. I knew exactly where it was though....or so I thought!!!!! Lynn and I went through the cupboard where I thought I'd put it but it wasn't there. I looked through boxes in the garage, boxes in the bedrooms but couldn't find it. I said to Lynn "Dad knows I'm not ready to find it yet. He'll wait till it's just me on my own."

Today I found it.....exactly where I knew it was supposed to be...........exactly where Lynn and I had been fruitlessly searching on Thursday. It was the way it was meant to be.......I hugged that suit.......I could feel Mick in my arms......I cried a lot.......it was what I needed to do.......it was what I wouldn't have allowed myself to do if I hadn't been on my own.

Thanks Darling...{{{HUGS}}}

EASTER SUNDAY VISITS

I slept so well last night...the best night's sleep I've had for a long time. Being back in OUR bedroom made such a difference...it just seemed RIGHT. I whispered my "good nights" to Mick... I know I'll always do that and slept for a full 6 hours.

I woke up really bright eyed and looked forward to seeing Rob. He was initially going to bring his girlfriend Louise with him...we have never met her as she has been on a "Grand Tour" ....but we have been keeping up with her "escapades" via her travel blog. I was a little apprehensive as I knew that it would be a difficult time for a "first meeting"....Rob thought the same thing and we are going to leave meeting her until a later date. I think it was the right decision and when she does come I will be better prepared...I hadn't even thought about feeding them or hunting out those stray cobwebs....well I want to make a good impression don't I!!!

As it was still quite chilly first thing I thought that while I waited for Rob to arrive (he was picking up Leanne & co on his way) I'd print out the comments and emails I'd received from you all so that the rest of the family could read them at their leisure................an HOUR later...there are just so many!!!.......I'd finally finished...well I thought I had but I see even more have come in since then!

When Rob, Leanne and the grandchildren arrived there were lots of hugs and a few tears. It was the first time I'd seen them since Mick died ( I hate that word). Rob brought in a Banana Bread that Louise had made for me as a gift...isn't that a wonderful thing to do!!!....I just know I'm going to love her when we do meet.

I had previously arranged with the funeral directors for Leanne, Rob and I to go and visit Mick at the Chapel of Rest. This was really important to Leanne as her final words to Mick when she left on Friday afternoon was that she'd be over on Sunday to see us both....she didn't intend to break that promise!!! We each went in separately, and, talking afterwards we had each reacted the same way.....giving him a hug and a kiss, shedding some tears and then just chatting and chatting away to him. He looked so rested and handsome....in my heart I could feel him smiling when I told him about Kirsty's poem and all the lovely comments I'd had about it. I could have stayed there all day but knew I had to leave so carried him home in my heart with me.

By the time we got home all of us were starving and ready for some "junk" food. Robbie took a very long list up to MacDonalds as Manda, Chris and Nicole had come round too to keep Phil, Kirsty & Mel company while we went to see Mick.

Would you believe I ate TWO of these as well as fries!!!!!

Mac Donald's have a Monopoly competition running at the moment and Leanne & Phil sorted out all the stickers...we only needed Bond Street and we would have won 10 grand!....LOL

We all spent a lovely afternoon in the garden; the weather was lovely..............

Our "BABY" boy, Rob!!!

and they didn't leave until well after the sun had gone down.

Time for me to catch up with a few blogs now.......did you know the Easter Egg Hunt has already raised £107...isn't that wonderful news!!!................also some of my long term blogfriends have said that some of you may not have seen the REAL MICK posts I did in December...just click on the "Real Mick Photos" label below if you'd like a peek.

THE MAN WITHIN THE MAN

The next couple of days are going to busy with all the family gathering for a pre-Christmas knees up. I may not get a chance to do a post until Christmas Eve. Reading the wonderful comments that you have all left I would like to take this chance to post some photos of Mick. The Mick you have seen on my blog and have taken into your hearts is only the exterior shell of the Mick within. I hope this compilation of photos will introduce you to the Mick that we so love, respect and admire.

I share them with you with love and a few tears.

MICK THE KING OF HIS DOMAIN

AND LOVE OF MY LIFE

MICK THE JOKER

MICK THE HOLIDAY MAKER

MICK THE CAUGHT UNAWARE

MICK THE GAMBLER

Picking out his Saturday horse racing bet with my Mum

MICK THE HIKER

MICK THE ICE-CREAM MAN

MICK THE SUNWORSHIPPER

MICK THE BASHFUL

MICK THE GARDENER

MICK THE LAGER LOVER

MICK THE GRANDAD

Naughty, naughty Grandad!

MICK THE DAD

With Manda and I
With a very heavily pregnant Leanne

MICK THE DAPPER

MICK THE SON-IN-LAW