HAPPY EASTER, MOM AND DAD

Yesterday was Easter. The first holiday without Mom and Dad. We would've gone to church with them at 830 in Mitchell, where Father Jonathan was saying Mass. Even though they went to St. Paul's most of the time, they went to Bedford or Mitchell if Father Jonathan was here. One year a few years ago, Dad served at Mass in Mitchell. They didn't have any servers, so Dad and another man served. It was really a neat thing. We would've gone over there for dinner later in the day. Nothing fancy. Last year we had grilled chicken. Might've been too cold to do that this year.

Susan and I went down to Jasper to see John and his new dog, "Spidey". The dog will have a new name soon. He's letting the school kids name him. John has done really well with the new dog. Mom would have been proud of him.

We had to drive by the accident site on the way to John's. Then again on the way home. On the way home I kept thinking, these were the last things they ever saw. I still can't believe it. One minute you are just driving along, the next you are gone. It was strange being at John's house without them. It just didn't feel right. Two people were missing. I was never there without them, I don't think. Then going out to eat without them was strange, too. I was never in Jasper visiting John without them.
When I saw John open his door and the new dog run out, it was strange. It should've been little Hoss running out and Mom and Dad should've been getting out of the car to greet him. How many times did I ride in the car with Mom and Dad going to go visit John. I would've driven them, but Dad always wanted to drive.

I always felt this comforting feeling riding in the back seat with them in the front--like when I was a little kid going somewhere with them. I'll never have that feeling again. Never sit in the back seat and watch Mom fixing her hair in the visor mirror. Sometimes she would look at me in the mirror and we'd smile at each other. When we were kids, Mom used to like to have her neck rubbed when we were in the car. I'm not sure how this got started, but we'd sit behind her in the back seat and rub her neck. Sometimes she liked to have her hair combed, too. I remember doing that.

The last time I went somewhere with them was in November--on the way to John's. That was the annual trip to Evansville to Christmas shop. When John lived in Evansville all those years, Mom and Dad would go down every year and take John Christmas shopping. When he moved to Jasper, they continued to make the trip to Evansville to shop each year. This year, Susan and I went with them. We ate at Biaggis--this really good Italian restaurant in Evansville that Mom and Dad really liked. Went to Shoe Carnival (Mom and Dad both bought new shoes), the mall and Donut Bank. They always went to the Donut Bank and Shoe Carnival. Dad and John bought identical shoes. Mom bought new black shoes. They were SAS. She liked that brand. She had hardly worn them. We buried her in those shoes.

Susie