Ohio excursion

So I had to go back to Ohio for the funeral of my Grandmother. She was 99 when she passed. Lived a wonderful life and was ready to go. So the usual things happen at a funeral. The crying, the hugging and the sympathy. Yet what no one really mentions is all the hard work that goes into doing all the arrangements, the obituaries and the memorial boards.

Lots of time consuming effort just so people can remember such a blessed lady. I was exhausted by the end of everything on Monday night. Only to have to come back on Tuesday morning.

Lets just say it was an adventure.

So what did I do when I got to Ohio? First was take pictures of the Ohio River near Blennerhassett House (more like across the river from it) Then go to my birthplace and take pictures of familiar areas and some graves of great aunts and uncles.

When I finally reached the destination of where were going to stay the pictures of the past come leaking out. The hopes of posting pictures of my grandmother and all that was her life, the important things. Indeed a very stressing time.

By this time I had had my cry and was quite calm. Each person grieves a different way and so I am used to the whispers from my family for my cold demeanor. I mean I knew my grandmother was sleeping and no longer in pain. So I saw the positive moments. Just like all the grand memories she gave me to cherish.

So I will be posting the pictures that were important to me.

This my grandmother, grandfather and aunt.

 This is my grandmother in twenties with my aunt.

This is my grandmother's high school graduation picture.

This is the last known date of all the Kelly women together. 1957 I think (maybe 1952).
Left to right. My great Aunt Estelle, my Great Grandmother Permelia, my Great Aunt Johnnie and my Grandmother Lucille.

Ohio River by Blennerhassett House.

 Barn off Route 33

 Rising Park in Lancaster, Ohio. Near the Fairfield Fairgrounds and Mount Pleasant.

 Flowers growing near the playground I used to play at, at Rising Park.

 One of the houses I am surprised is still standing in Lancaster. I always called it the Asian Bungalow.

 House near my grandparents house. It is still owned by the family too. One of the staples in my family was seeing this beautiful home before I got to the home of my heart.

 This is what my grandparents' house looks like now. It was the plans my grandfather had made for the house. Yet all they ever lived in was a one story house with a concrete front porch and wrought iron railing. Yet I am grateful that the new owners took my grandfather's plans and made their dream a reality even though my grandparents didn't live in it.

 Lake Logan. This is a place that we often drove to just to relax with a cup of coffee.

This is the Wagnall's Memorial Library. I have had many good times in here with my grandmother. Our favorite spot besides the front porch listening to the rain fall.

 It is expected to visit my sister and nephew's graves as well.  So this is the flowers we purchased for their vase. Yet when they buried my grandmother they had to remove them, since she is buried right next to them.

Great, great and more great aunts and uncles buried in Lancaster.

Nature scenes in the midst of chaos.

My cousin is a lover of cars. All my life I have loved what he owned. No exception here. :D

 Me on the day of the funeral. I had to go outside, to sit in the heat because the gossip and socializing inside the church was unbearable. I was grateful for the moment to escape.

 The Marshall girls. circa 1990

 An old picture of me. Pretty young. College days.

SO what is with the nissan pictures? Well on our way home on Tuesday, just an hour half away from home we got rolled back into by a tracker trailer. Needless to say we were thankful that the tracker trailer did not drag us down the road. Yet.

It was raining hard. Everyone slowed down and had hazard lights on. Still the rain poured harder so everyone stopped on an incline. We were a car length and half away from him. I guess the driver let foot off brake and rolled right back into us. I honked horn. That only made person shift fast and haul out of there. The worst of all was everyone else around us did the same thing. Leaving us there shocked and very shaken. Not ONE person stopped to see if we were okay. NOT ONE.

State Highway Patrol said we were lucky driver didn't drag us. 

Damage done.

Still capable of driving home. But extensive damage on hood and bummer surround. Including doors and junction. Who knows what was under the hood. 

I went back to work on Friday. Still shaking but moving along. Stiff and still kind of scared of semis and cars coming too close.  Typical. Just need to keep going.

So that is why I didn't get back to do doing what I was supposed to immediately.

Today is exhaustion but another day of work to push through.

Until next time.

This is a ginger walking. Hoping for daisy finds.

Mary