I will be gone for awhile. 

My mom died this morning.  I fly off to California tomorrow to try and deal with all that it entails.  Try and coax my father into doing the things that have to be done. 

I don't know who reads this blog, so bear with me or turn it off.  I don't care.  These notes are thoughts I want to get down so they will be there for me later. 

I have these visions or snippets of time that come rushing back to me.   Her rushing down the driveway one Christmas...  arms wide open to wrap us up in. 

Her making scrambled eggs for my then three-year old daughter---Kim would stand on a little stool and watch the eggs cook.  That was their thing. 

She and I running about in a sudden unexpected rain shower during a drought--we thought we would put out some containers to catch the rain so she could water her plants.  We were soaked and laughing so hard. 

When my own children were young, we went every Christmas for an extended visit.  Always that first night, after I got the kids to bed, we always sat up and talked and talked.  Stayed up always way too late. 

And there was a sunny aftenoon during a visit just a couple of years ago.  My sister was trying to get a photo of the three of us..  and one or the other of us would have our eyes closed or a weird expression.  None of the photos were really any good.  And then we got the giggles... then the photos weren't any better, but they are my favorite. 

Tomorrow I will get off the plane and go to the mortuary with my dad.