tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post7465812339797061132..comments2024-03-27T00:49:01.435-04:00Comments on String o' Pearls: The Heart of a LionLaura Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16108081477711821273noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-73261927627717922282017-06-06T07:37:11.584-04:002017-06-06T07:37:11.584-04:00Yes, Mom was the outgoing one! Dad was harder to ...Yes, Mom was the outgoing one! Dad was harder to know: he really did have some OCD going on, which made it hard for him to be sociable if you interrupted him when he was in the middle of doing something; and he had a shy and introverted streak (but he was a great jokester and storyteller if he felt comfortable around you). He had such a tough life in so many ways, but he never felt sorry for himself or complained about it. And he felt very blessed by his family--and verbalized that often. He could be a pain in the you-know-what sometimes, truth be told; but we always knew how much he loved us. And our mom--he loved her big time.<br /><br />Yes, we do think Mom is where she needs to be. There isn't one of us who could care for her properly without hired help anyway. She needs a lot of assistance getting around. It's hard to see, when she spent her whole life as the "Energizer Bunny."Laura Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16108081477711821273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-19461020849799778802017-05-14T07:43:05.643-04:002017-05-14T07:43:05.643-04:00Loved reading about your dad, a quiet man I did no...Loved reading about your dad, a quiet man I did not know well growing up. Kudos to your mom and her strength to want to maintain her independence by how she had chosen to live now. It allows her to keep the same relationship with all of you - living with one is very different and changes the roles at our ages now.Cathy Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09157656853563086851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-88431925626175503422017-05-07T11:31:40.028-04:002017-05-07T11:31:40.028-04:00Thanks for the prayers!
Mom wanted to have her &q...Thanks for the prayers!<br /><br />Mom wanted to have her "own" place, rather than move in with one of her kids. So she has a room in a beautiful old Victorian brick mansion that is an assisted living home--and out her window, she has a view of the house where she raised her family. My two sisters live nearby and visit frequently. That's the hard thing about our move--I'm so far away now, instead of a few hours' drive. But our plan is to spend most of the summer up there every year, taking care of our Oyster Haven property. So I'll get to spend lots of time with her then.Laura Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16108081477711821273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-86098486413748640582017-05-07T11:27:06.623-04:002017-05-07T11:27:06.623-04:00I had forgotten the details--thanks for clearing t...I had forgotten the details--thanks for clearing that up! Leave it to Dad to give himself the name HE wanted! The name makes him like a legend. :)Laura Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16108081477711821273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-15895534595390879092017-05-07T06:22:44.909-04:002017-05-07T06:22:44.909-04:00Laura
A true tribute to your Dad, I could just fee...Laura<br />A true tribute to your Dad, I could just feel how he didn't want to leave your Mum and how he was independent to the last. Saying some prayers for him and for you and your sibs and the love of your Dad's life, your Mum. <br />PS, who is caring for your Mum now?Erinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04448595911801738792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-23902812477431533452017-05-05T08:35:38.041-04:002017-05-05T08:35:38.041-04:00Oh, Caitlynne...if I write about my old home too o...Oh, Caitlynne...if I write about my old home too often, my heart will break. We are so happy that we moved, because we had no family in NH anymore and now we're located close to several of our kids and grandkids; but this house will never be the same to us. Our NH house was a magical place, but not just because it was nestled in the woods (which I did love!); it's because it was where we raised our boys. I am working really hard to make this new house have the same feeling of warmth and comfort, and it's a very nice house. But--not to be overly dramatic or anything--I sometimes wonder if I'll be mumbling on my deathbed about going home, and that's the house I'll be talking about.Laura Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16108081477711821273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-6404890884479028132017-05-05T07:14:07.868-04:002017-05-05T07:14:07.868-04:00Laura, you made me cry, then laugh, then cry again...Laura, you made me cry, then laugh, then cry again! I love how you write! By the way, dad's name "Bigfoot" was actually his chief's name at Silver Lake. When he got his original chief name it was Chief Crooked Sight (because it took him 8 shots to shoot a porcupine). He didn't like that name, obviously, so he requested they call him Chief Bigfoot, for the size of his feet and they agreed. So that is where the name came from and he was very proud of it. Love this and love reading your blog!!Rinihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03781539555417795467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-67155201231341400282017-05-05T03:23:38.445-04:002017-05-05T03:23:38.445-04:00Thank you, Laura.
I'm one of those who hope y...Thank you, Laura.<br /><br />I'm one of those who hope you <em>will</em> write on how your dad passed on. I think we don't hear enough about good people, and we need it a lot now. I've just begun reading some posts here. Do write about your new home whenever it feels like the right thing to do. But I loved your old home - it is like something out of a storybook. A house nestled in the woods is what I am yearning for!<br /><br />But that's whimsical, impractical me speaking!<br /><br />CaitlynneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-12939234823920726522017-05-04T18:44:03.727-04:002017-05-04T18:44:03.727-04:00Caitlynne, thank you for stopping by and leaving t...Caitlynne, thank you for stopping by and leaving this beautiful comment! And for being inspired by my dad's life.<br /><br />You're right, he was stoic and firm and bold. Too firm, we often thought. We were a bit exasperated with him when he refused to consider leaving their house; we were so worried about their safety, but somehow he made it work. Then when he couldn't make it work anymore, God called him home.<br /><br />He had a tough life in many ways, and he bore up bravely, never complaining. I think God gave him his reward with the most peaceful and holy death imaginable.<br /><br />(I just visited your blog, BTW, and you write so beautifully!)Laura Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16108081477711821273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-2709321593120401972017-05-04T18:19:23.217-04:002017-05-04T18:19:23.217-04:00Your father lived a great life in little, hidden w...Your father lived a great life in little, hidden ways that today's world might not value as much as it should. In everything you have written about him, in every instance, he chose Life - often, fiercely. As I write this, I am coming from a night where precious hours have been wasted in longing for an old way of life I am not likely to ever have. And in my longing, I've let slip the chance to live those hours the way your father might have - <em>stoic and firm and bold</em> - like a lion.<br /><br />I guess it's time to walk the Lion's route!<br /><br />Caitlynne<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-8317401538229390412017-05-04T18:04:21.179-04:002017-05-04T18:04:21.179-04:00Madeline, I am touched that you cried for my dad. ...Madeline, I am touched that you cried for my dad. He really was one of a kind. I hope that I can write about his last week soon, before I forget the details. It was really the most beautiful death you could ever imagine. Most people, if they could script their end, would want to go exactly as he did.<br /><br />His nickname was Bigfoot, given to him by friends before he became a grandfather; and once he had grandkids, he refused to let them call him anything else. No ho-hum "Grandpa" for him! He wanted to be remembered, I think. And he will be, that's for sure.Laura Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16108081477711821273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932448625116124069.post-75994525754608174462017-05-04T17:54:07.975-04:002017-05-04T17:54:07.975-04:00Well I am crying. What a loving tribute to your li...Well I am crying. What a loving tribute to your lion-hearted father. What a legacy he has left and what a legend he will be remembered as. I mean, his grandchildren apparently called him Bigfoot which is legendary all by itself. This is just beautifully written. Madelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17721349139975265768noreply@blogger.com