Betty Hardin

went to her permanent home

July 3, 2015 

 

I looked at the last time I posted and it was April.  My life took a drastic change when mom  had a stroke on March 7th.  She spent three months in rehab.  When she was in the hospital after the stroke we really didn't expect her to come home but she did.  It took all of us to meet her needs when she came home, but she did get to come home. Now she is really home.

 

My brother David came down and spent several days making all the changes in the house to accommodate mom's disabilities.  Doors were taken down, openings were widen and new doors installed.  Two bathrooms were combined to make one that would meet mom's needs.  David did numerous other things to make it all happen. His wife Shirley was by his side each day and she cleaned and cleaned and cleaned as the remolding brought on a lot of. dirty and dust.

 

My sister Catherine made it all happen on a daily bases.  Her days were filled with ordering medications and dispensing them,  being a nurse each day.  She was there for mom each time the physical therapist came and the nurse.  One day she went to 16 stores before finding the correct brace mom needed for her leg.  Cathy even took mom  to the doctor after she came home. She stood by mom and was very supportive in helping mom continue to make improvement each day.  Her husband Jerry helped in so many ways but he helped finish the wheelchair ramp to keep the cost down.  He also removed all the debris from the remodeling.

 

Don't want to leave out dad.  Mom was not an easy woman to live with so she lined dad out all the time.  He did the dishes, laundry and anything else mom told him to do.  It upset me when mom talked ugly to him but dad never got upset with her. Dad called mom "Sarg" short for Sargent. Her title fit her.

 

I helped in the evenings and weekends.  I have not cooked much in the last four years but Dad and Mom didn't complain.  As you know I live right next to their house so I could run back and forth to check on them several times in the evening.

 

I wanted to give mom credit also.  She really tried each day to make improvement and she did.  She was working on her handwriting, walking and strength in her arms.  She even went to church the Sunday before she passed away on Friday.



 

 

Our life is changing again.  Not sure what the future holds but we all know that things will not be the same as we now focus on making sure dad's needs are met.

 

I know this post was  longer than I usually but I just wanted to share with you, knowing that you will keep us in your prayers as we headed into the future.

 

Spring is here.

I got out this last week and took some pictures in my mother's yard.  I am mouthy when we have to mow around everything in her yard with no rhyme or reason but during  the spring I sure like all the blooming flowers.  The blooms let us know that the winter is finally over and spring is here.

A lot has happened since I last posted.  I say every time that I work on my blog that I am going to do it more often.  At least often enough to remember how everything works on the blog.  I struggle every time on how to upload pictures and how to change the header.  Oh, well I call my Sister and she comes up and helps me out. I told her today that I would give her a call again in about three months for a new blog look.

Our life has been turned upside down.  Four weeks ago mom had a stroke, effecting her right side.  She spent one week in Baptist and then she started rehab. in Southern Trace.  She has been there for three weeks. 

As I share about mom I know that we are not the only ones going threw a crisis.  Illness, death, broken families and children, that have gone astray are just a few of life's tragedies.  We all have problems and no one is immune to any of this.  We have all this in common and we all have a God that knows our ever hurt and pain.  I don't know how people go through troubles without  Him.  We claim His Promises-  He will never leave us or forsake. - He has experienced all of our feelings of lose, sadness, loneliness, so he understands what we are going through.

                        All the flowers I found in mom's yard.

My first snow in my new home.

The snow has been coming down for hours now. I left work early so I didn't have to worry about the overpasses and bridges between Conway and Little Rock.  I have been outside twice to take pictures. Here are just a few.

I love how the weight of the snow pulls on the limbs.

This has been a wet snow so it is hanging on everything.

If my Grandkids were here they could make a snowman.

I like how the snow is sitting on top of a seed pod.

Look at the green leaves under the snow.  They are

Peeking out and ready for Spring.  So am I

Enjoying the snow but tired of the ice.

This is an old fence that has been bent over time.

The snow just set on top of each wire.

I didn't have a yard stick but I did have a sewing gauge

It is showing 2 3/4 inches..

The cross is what my brother David made for me

right after Dennis died.  I am going to have to find a

way to hang it where it is straight. The tree just causes

it to lean wrong.

At day Spent in the Past

My sister and I went on another photo shoot.  When I tell you where we went you are going to say we are crazy, but I beg to differ.  We were out in God's creation enjoying the beautiful sunny day in January.  By choosing this place we had many photo opportunities, we were drawn back into the past and we learned a lot.  With that said I will tell you where we went.  We visited the Mount Holly Cemetery at Broadway at 12th Street in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Yep I knew you would think crazy, but just let me share what we saw, felt and learned as we walked through this old cemetery for six hours and only saw half of it.  We were so thankful to have a brochure so we would not miss some of the more notary stones.

As Cathy and I enter the cemetery we headed to the left because that is where the older section seemed to be just by noticing the taller, older stones.  With map in hand we began walking down each row. Some rows have a very narrow street because they were designed for horse and buggy. 

Angels -
Can't hardly have a cemetery without angels and there were no shortage of those.  Short, tall, adult, child, some raise high and some very low.  What amazed me was the intricate carvings of these old stones. I stopped my writing and went to YouTube to learn about the artists behind the work. It was real interesting to watch the videos.  The artists have so much talent.  In colonial days they were not full time Monumental Masons because of the demand.  These masons often worked in furniture making and other such crafts that required carving.  With the masons only doing it part time it would take almost 2 years from the time of the order until the stone was placed on the grave.

With the passing of time and the elements beating down each day many of the older stones were very hard to read.  So many could tell a story in such few words.  Sometimes it was only to look at two small graves with death dates close together to wonder if it was a horrible accident or a rampant disease that took there lives.  Cathy and I just continue to take photos and read as many of the tombstones that we could. 



In this cemetery there are buried eleven Governors, twenty two Mayors of Little Rock, 14 Arkansas Supreme Court Justices and many more interesting people.  The first two white woman in Little Rock are buried here. Songwriter, martyr of Confederacy, actress, founder of first hospital in Little Rock, First Little Rock man killed in the Civil war, Pulitzer Prize Winner and the list goes on.  Some much history in one place.


Messages left.  I am always moved by the wording on some of the stones.  Here are just a few that I found that touched me, knowing that Dennis and Dylan are in Heaven today waiting for us.  I am sure you also have loved ones waiting for you.  People ask, "Don't cemeteries feel creepy to you."  I tell them no, while I am there I feel encouraged because my loved ones are in Heaven, not in the grave.  The words are a reminder to me that I will see them soon.

"One by One our hopes grow brighter,
as we near the Shining Shore.
For we know across the River
wait the loved ones gone before"

 

 

               These were special to me and as I uploaded this photo I realized I had captured me also.  Fitting since I long for their hands and sound of their voices.



I know you think this will never end but all the carving on the stones mean something.  Cathy found a website that tells their meaning. She printed it out and it was 35 pages so I printed me out a set also.  Here are just a few of the carvings I want to share with you.

Hand Pointing up - Hand pointing up to heaven.

Bird - Peace, messenger of God.  The most common birds found on the gravestones are doves.

Anchor -Hope or eternal life. Often on sailors' graves.

Wheat - A sheaf of wheat represents harvest, usually found on older peoples' gravestones.

Crown and Cross - Symbolizes both victory and Christianity. 

Hand pointing down-  When Cathy and I saw this we felt the arrow meant they weren't going to heaven, but we felt this awful strong so we were relieved when we found out that it means.
The hand of God descending from heaven.

Crooks - Shepherds crooks, usually found on graves of Independent Order of Odd Fellows members (a fraternal organization.  Symbolizes the opening of earth to the heavens.

Clasped Hands - Farewell to earthly existence, unity

Triangle- I could not find the meaning of this one but most often symbolizes Rite, Masonry or order of.  This person must have belonged to an organization

 

I could have continue to write but I wanted you to stop by my blog again so I am stopping her.  Thanks for letting me share my day with you.