Yesterday was Memorial Day. On Sunday, Susan and I went out to Cresthaven and put flowers on Mom and Dad's graves. However, I found out that they have to be removed by next weekend. Only vase flowers can be used during the mowing season.

We cleaned the markers off. Dad's had some bird poo on it--on the "R" in Breidenbach. I told Susan it figured--Dad had been pooped on by birds many times!

One time we were at a Cincinnati Reds game and out of all those people sitting there in the stadium...what are the odds...we're sitting there and this "splat" hits Dad's leg--bird poop! We all had a good laugh at that. Seems like I remember it happening another time, too.

The Indy 500 was this weekend, too. Dad used to always listen to it on the radio and then watch it later when they aired it. Mom used to like to hear them say, "Gentlemen, start your engines"! There was always sort of an excitement in the air. It was something Dad and I could talk about.

Susan attempted to paint Mom's front porch wicker furniture. Mom had painted them once before. The paint we used didn't cover too well. We put out Dad's American flag. This was sort of a new thing with Dad. I don't remember a flag on the front porch growing up.

It is still hard for me believe that they are gone. Surely, I must have accepted it by now, but I still have this yearning to see them and talk to them. I dreamed about Dad one night over the weekend and it was very real and it woke me up. Last night Susan was showing her dad our plants along the fence, it so reminded me of Mom--all the times I followed her up that very sidewalk to look at her plants and flowers. I could almost see her there walking ahead of me. Sometimes I try to picture them there with me. I still miss them.

Love,
Susie