Our Labor of Love

We've had 2 days of annoying internet/connection issues and I think they are behind us now. Hoping they are anyway.........

A couple of days ago, Bruce and I tackled the semi-annual task of cleaning and tidying up the graves of some of our family members. I like to do this once in the spring, after winter has gone away and then once more in the fall, before the winter sets in. As it turns out, the cemetery in question lies right to the west of our RV park home when we are here in Tumwater. We could have easily walked over there, but I wanted to take some cleaning supplies with us and Annie was practically begging to go along, so we took the car. Annie can't walk that far.

We drove in and made our first stop at the graves of my parents and my brother. Both Mom and Dad passed away while living here in Tumwater after moving up from Clarkdale, Arizona. They moved up here due to Mom's second diagnosis of breast cancer. She enjoyed 2 years here before leaving us in 2002. Dad passed away after a sudden onset of illness in 2007 and was buried here with Mom.

My brother, Robert, passed away in 1994 from complications related to AIDS. He was cremated and interred in Arizona. After Mom passed away, we had his remains sent here and we buried his urn in the casket with her. So, now they are all here together. I feel it is my loving duty to take care of their markers and see that all things are in good shape with that.

Bruce takes his turn at scrubbing away all of the dirt and gunk that attached itself to the headstone.

Once that task was complete, I stood back to see how things looked. We could easily read the names on the marker now.
Next, we drove the short distance down the road in the cemetery to "Babyland". We have a little granddaughter buried here. This is a sad one to attend to, but I lovingly do this job for her since I can do nothing else at this time. This precious girl was stillborn and we never got the chance to see her live and grow. I come here a few times a year and place flowers at her grave since her mother no longer lives in the area. Grandmas do those kinds of things.

Here I am scrubbing away at Sydney's headstone to make it shine again.

Grandpa gets a bucket of water and splashes it on the marker to remove the soap suds.

Once again, we can clearly read the name of our Sydney. Forever an angel.
Life is made up of joys and sorrows for all of us. We all hope that the joys will outnumber the sorrows. I wish all of you many of life's joys in the years ahead!

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Until next time.....so long for now!