Songs for Mom’s Sending Forth

We are a musical people. While we sat in her hospital room waiting for her to cross over, we sang all the old songs Mom had sung to us. She was laboring to breathe and on a heavy morphine drip. I felt she was waiting for someone- and the only one she had not heard from was my daughter. My older sister and her daughter had spoken to her- we held the phone up to her ear.

On a hunch, I played a video I had on YouTube of my daughter. I said to her- “Mom, Here’s Kristen” and held the computer up where she could here it. Here is the clip of my daughter singing ‘Remember Me”

It seemed to help. Or at least it helped me. She did seem calmer. So I continued on playing youtube vids- as my voice was raw by then. I played this Judy Collins number- Mom’s favorite hymn. She would tell the story of how the Bishop wept when I sang this at Confirmation.

She grew calmer yet, though still struggling to draw each breath.

Then I searched around and found another song she wanted played at her funeral- wanted to find a Pavarotti version- but none of them were good so went with this one.

When I was hunting around I had seen a Scottish song- and her Mom was off the boat from Arbroath Scotland. Nana always sang as well- My Mom and her brothers and sisters could SING! King family got nothing on our family lol! I had thought the next selection would be something with bagpipes- Mom always loved them- but this with the Irish Tenors sounded so much like my uncles- I played this

She grew very calm, closed her mouth and took three completely normal unlabored breaths. I stood up to go and get the rest of the family who were in the waiting room across the way. My niece was coming in, with her Mom behind her. I looked back- and Mom had flown away home.

The Music lives on. The unending hymn of praise.

For those not of the Catholic faith- or not Christian. Scripture tells us, and the Eucharistic prayer echoes it, that in Heaven, the angelic choir sings always and forever, without end. Crying out HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! Lord God of Hosts!

Mom always said of me, that music touched me (I cry over music a lot lol- and live to sing!) She said that God had blessed me with a memory of that heavenly choir.

So the words of this hymn to me are true. Mom’s life flows on in endless song- above earth’s lamentation. I hear the real though far off hymn.

She sings now in the heavenly choir.

Save a place for me Mom. I sing on. I am still in rehearsal here on Earth. Someday we will sing together once more.

Rest In Peace Mom

After three torturous days, this afternoon Mom found her wings and flew away home. We are a musical folk. This is the song that  was playing on my computer when she finally found the courage to begin the next phase of the journey. Immediately upon hearing it she became calm after struggling breath after tortured breath since Wednesday. She took three calm breaths, I looked away for a moment, and when I looked back, she had flown away.

She is singing now, once again, with that pure strong voice, harmonizing with her Mom, her siblings and the angels- and now Dad can hear her.

Rest in Peace, Mom, until we meet again , on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.

 

Loch Lomond

By yon bonnie banks an’ by yon bonnie braes

Whaur the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond

Whaur me an’ my true love will ne-er meet again (alternate: Where me and my true love were ever lak/wont tae gae)

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomon’.

Chorus:

O ye’ll tak’ the high road, and Ah’ll tak’ the low (road)

And Ah’ll be in Scotlan’ afore ye

Fir me an’ my true love will ne-er meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomon’.

‘Twas there that we perted in yon shady glen

On the steep, steep sides o’ Ben Lomon’

Whaur in (soft) purple hue, the hielan hills we view

An’ the moon comin’ oot in the gloamin’.

Chorus

The wee birdies sing an’ the wild flouers spring

An’ in sunshine the waters are sleeping

But the broken heart, it kens nae second spring again

Tho’ the waeful may cease frae their greetin’. (alternate: Tho’ the world knows not how we are grieving)

Chorus

Split Pea and Ham Soup Poverty Recipe

Simple. Any ham bone will do. Leave a little meat on it if possible. If no meat on the bone- still use the bone- there is lots of good in there. Smack the bone with a cleaver if you have one or a hammer if not- you want to crack the bone so the marrow cooks out. There be nutrients in there!

Put the bone in a big ole soup pot. Cover with cold water. (Always start soup with cold water.) Chop up an onion and throw it in. Chop up some celery if you have it and some carrots if you have those. About the same amount as the onion. Pitch in some garlic. I like to throw in some thyme. Simmer it for a long long time – I let it go all day. Don’t add salt- the ham is salty enough.

After the long time, take the bone out. If the meat is still clinging to the bone- the long time is not over yet and you should put it back and simmer it some more. If the bone is clean the long time is over and you can set the bone aside to be given to the dog.

Rinse a bag or two of split peas- depending on how much stock you have. And how thick you like the soup. And whether unexpected company shows up. Pick out any stones or gravel from the peas. Dump them in the soup and simmer for as long as it takes. Some people like to puree the soup. Not me. I cook it til it is all smushy on its own. Stir it often so the peas don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Serve it up. With bread or crackers or if you want to pretend you’re hoity-toity you could serve it with croutons. Which in their original incarnation were probably a poverty recipe too- someone took stale bread and toasted it and called it by a fancy name.

There are of course variations on this dish. Any ham bone- and any beans you like. Great Northern Beans, one of the 7, 12 or 15 bean mixes they sell in the store. More or less onion, carrots and celery. Different herbs and spices. Bean and Bacon is good if your ham bone is lacking meat. And you can afford bacon. If not, you could start by sauteing the onion, celery and carrot in some bacon grease you had saved. You do save your bacon grease right? No? Ok use any other oil or grease then.

Happy New Year!

Wishing Blessings on all. Peace, health, prosperity. Praying we all survive with our country intact, that the left and right cliff dwellers fall off into the abyss without dragging the rest of us down with them.

Meanwhile, I will be nurturing a few young people I know. They are very very bright- and support The Constitution. They do not watch the “news” and have already figured out for themselves that it is all lies and propaganda. Heck these kids are smart enough to have made the connection with Pravda on their own! There is hope! They support equal rights for all. They hate Obamacare- but support true universal health care with the insurance companies removed from the equation. There is hope! Did I mention they are young- but will be voting in the next election? There is hope! Perhaps the best part is they live in blue koolaid strongholds- but have managed not to become infected. They can actually THINK! No thanks to the public schools by the way.

I pray for our country every day. May the current ptb in the party formerly known as D rot in hell forever. We are never getting our party back as the filthy progressives/communists/socialists- whatever they call themselves- have killed it forever. Party of the poor indeed- it’s why they keep adding to the ranks of the poor. And the ptb on the R side are no better.

Hold on tight to what you know to be good and right. Yes, contrary to popular thinking, there are universal Rights and Wrongs. If we hold the line, we can be sure America will survive. Prevent the spread of the far extremes– fight it where you can. Nurture the young who will be voting in the next election. We need an antidote to the Oh-Bahm-A unthinking mindless zombies.

God Bless us and God Bless the United States of America!

I’m Praying for you Madam President!

Hillary Clinton hospitalized with blood clot – Yahoo! News.

 WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has been admitted to a New York hospital after the discovery of a blood clot stemming from the concussion she sustained earlier this month.

And I hope Karma soon visits every asshat that accused her of faking the concussion!

Naughty or Nice?

Santa more likely to have gifts for Romney than for Obama: Poll | The Ticket – Yahoo! News.

More Americans put Romney than Obama on Kris Kringle’s “nice” list: 63 percent said the former Massachusetts governor would get presents, versus just 51 percent for the president, PPP found.

Just goes to prove that old saw “Nice guys finish last!”

And wouldn’t it just be the height of hilarity if Santa brought the pretender a stocking full of coal?

Violet has arrived!

Here is my new granddaughter- born this morning at 5:40 a.m. and (blessed five minutes later lol!) Welcome Violet Faith Brielle! 7 lbs 4 oz and 20 3/4 inches long.

Miss Violet 7 lbs 4 oz

Miss Violet! Long long fingers and fingernails to match!

Violet Faith Brielle