Went through more of Mom's things today. Mostly travel stuff and lots of bird stuff from the storage area by the basement stairs. She had saved all her Bird Watchers's Digest magazines for several years. She seemed to have started it around 1988 and stopped taking it in the 90's. She saved lots of articles and her remaining bird books were stuffed with articles and papers. (Joe took her most used bird book.) There were a couple of books on birds of the West. She probably had those when she went to Phoenix. We found a letter from Uncle Tom sent just this January about Sandhill Cranes that had been an AZ newspaper. I think it was about cranes. We found lots of travel brochures and even itineraries of some of their trips. They went to Italy from June 8-18, 1999. I remember them telling me they took a gondola ride on their anniversary (June 14). There are pictures somewhere. They went to Ireland from June 9-19, 2001. I think it is neat that they took trips around their anniversary date. In 2004, they had planned a trip to the parks of the West with Toby Tours. Then on August 20th, Mom tripped up the back patio steps after feeding the birds and broke her right hand. I remember that day. We found a copy of the cancellation form they had sent in to Toby to get their trip refunded. Reminds me that she fell again at December 2006 at the library. She tripped over a curb after she'd come in to see me. That time she broke her finger. It was still bothering her. That's why she wasn't wearing her wedding rings in the accident.

The robin's nest above the patio is empty now. I think I forgot to mention it before. I loved that there was a robin's nest right over the patio. Mom would have loved that, I think. If you sat on the patio, it was right over head. Anyway, it is empty now. Last week I saw little heads peeking out. I hope they're OK. I sat on the patio yesterday by myself. I tried to imagine them there with me. Mom sitting next to me as she always did. I looked over at the empty green patio chair and tried to imagine she was there. And Dad would've been there--either sitting there doing a crossword. Sometimes Dad used to practice his golf swing with a broom! He hadn't done it so much lately. We spent a lot of time on that patio. After dinner we'd go out there a lot and sit and talk. I love that patio. I love that yard. It is home to me. All the memories of that backyard and patio. I used to love to sit out there and read. I remember when they planted the big maple tree there near the patio. I was little--4 or 5 maybe? So that makes the tree around 40 years old.
Over by the basement stairs, it says SOPHIE 7-8-00. Dad wrote it in the concrete under Sophie's paw prints. They got new concrete poured and I asked Dad to put Sophie's paw prints there and he did! I think I mentioned that before.

Like my father before me, I cannot leave the house where my parents lived.


Love,

Susie