I apologize for the lapse between my last post and now...they say death comes in three's...well, Florence died on her 92nd birthday, then our van's transmission died, and then our home computer died. I am just glad it wasn't three people.
But I haven't been able to sit and type a message to you all week and frankly I am going through withdrawal!!
Pete and I are going to New Jersey for the cemetery service for Florence's burial this week, and then to visit Pete's kids in Rochester NY. Needless to say, it will be a very emotional week for all.
Pete is going to sing "He walks with me" at the cemetery, which was one of her favorite hymns. We are bringing 3 chrysanthemum plants for each family at the gravesite (her favorite flower), along with a wind chime that our friends sent us with a message that when the wind blows, Florence's spirit is in the air all around us.
I will write more soon.
Hi again Stephen,
I see lots of new photos of you at an auction are circulating on Facebook. You look great!! Nice to see you smiling. Sexy as always!
Ya know, when National Shit Month comes around, wouldn't it be nice to have some kind of heads up?! We never got one, but lately the fit has been hitting the shan for us and frankly I am annoyed.
Soooo we were driving to the cemetery to bury Pete's mom in New Jersey and one block from it, BAM, some idiot 20-something kid slammed his car head on into the right side of our car---Florence's Mercedes.
The car is totalled. We joke now that Flo wanted to take that car with her and Pete says "She probably figured that since SHEhas to stay in New Jersey, her CAR has to stay too."
But when it happened, we were all wearing seatbelts, thankfully--and I was in the back seat with Pete's friend Clara, while he and his son Nathan were in the front. i heard Nathan yell "OH NO!" and I remember a half-second of "we are going to be hit!" And then I blanked out.
A few minutes later, I sat up and felt like I had been punched in the face and kicked in the ribs. I am still sore today. I yelled to everybody, "Oh God! Are you ok? Are you ok?!" And luckily we were all able to exit the car without any problems.
I ran to the other car and yelled, "Are YOU okay?!" And he just said, "yeah but SHIT man, this sucks!" Thanks for your concern you little rat-fink.
I typically kick into major adrenaline rescuer mode during a crisis, like I did in DC on 9/11, but afterwards, I am in a daze like a zombie and confused and completely exhausted.
We had been about 90 minutes early to the grave side service, though, so we were only traveling at 20 miles an hour when the kid was inching out to turn left but couldn't see around the line of parked cars and when he saw us, he gunned it--I think maybe he meant to hit his brakes but hit the gas by mistake--and plowed into us.
We managed to call 911 and get cops to come make out a report. We managed to rescue the $200 wreath of flowers for Florence's grave out of the trunk but one mum plant didn't make it out of the 3 we had bought. Mums were Flo's favorite flower.
We managed to contact some family members who were on their way to the cemetery to get us, the tow truck came and took the car to a garage. The insurance company was contacted. Everything went smoothly and calmly.
I was still in a daze as I sat down at the side of Florence's casket, and sore and achey all over--rather shook up--but managed to get through it all--even the luncheon afterwards at a nearby restaurant.
But after we got back to the hotel, I collapsed into a blubbering heap, crying hysterically. I fell asleep for a short nap too.
The end result is, we are getting more reimbursed money for the car from the insurance company than if we were to sell it on our own or trade it in. Flo has somehow bought us a new car. That woman was a block away, and we were in HER car--and now we are being given a better car because she wanted to take hers with her to Heaven!
I will write more soon. Love, Rebecca
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