Last Thursday night just about 11:45 PM, I was in my bed watching "Game of Thrones" again. Prime minister Felix was on the bed with me, sleeping.
Suddenly, there came a very loud, obnoxious scratching and banging sound, seemingly from above me.
My room has no crawl space, so there is just a few layers of wood and insulation between me and the outside.
I thought there must have been a squirrel fight going on. (I've heard squirrels scrabbling about on my roof before, but NOTHING like this.
I slipped on some pants and my slippers, grabbed a light and went out to look, (by the way, Prime Minister Felix was most distressed by the noises)
There was nothing ON my roof.
Coming back inside, listening more carefully, the sound seemed to be coming from ABOVE my bathroom and laundry area, where there IS space enough you can stand up in the attic.
Using various implements, sticks and my cane, I banged on the wall, then on the ceiling of the bathroom
I even turned on the exhaust fan, which seemed to scare whatever critter was up there away. The noises ceased.
I decided that the next morning I would need to crawl up there and see what damage had been done.
Upon awakening, (or shortly thereafter) I got the word that my ELDEST Sister had died about midnight. She had been declining for sometime, so this wasn't unexpected, BUT... was this sound her spirit trying to tell me goodbye?
↑Image of my sister from 2018↑
My Sister was 91 yrs old at the time of her death
She had fallen last summer, broke her hip, had to go into a nursing home/rehab to recover, they wouldn't let her go home (she had been living in her own home for years, but Hospice had been coming several times a week to help her bathe etc) unless she could get herself out of bed and walk short distances.
She tried the Physical Therapy sessions, but they proved too painful and she gave up. Dementia rapidly set in.
Then the coincidences began to crop up.
Our Mother, Margaret died on Jan 31 2002, one day before her 86th birthday.
Today she would have turned 109
Mama's first family with Loren Tippins now only has one remaining alive.
L-R
John still lives in Massachusetts, Nancy (middle just passed) Jim (on right) died last summer.
Our sister Bobbie dies years ago.
So now, there only remains my siblings Claudelle (in Ohio, also with dementia) John in Mass., Linda lives back home and me.
The visitation and funeral are this coming Tuesday at Antioch Baptist church in Daisy Ga
!worldmappin 32.10530 lat -81.83551 long Antioch Baptist Church d3scr
The Tippins family has a sizeable section in the cemetary across the street
I will almost certainly be playing some music for the service.
Memories Maroon 5
Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you
There's a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain
When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same
Now my heart feel like December when somebody say your name
'Cause I can't reach out to call you, but I know I will one day, yeah
Everybody hurts sometimes Everybody hurts someday, ayy ayy
But everything gon' be alright
Go and raise a glass and say, ayy
Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you
There's a time that I remember when I never felt so lost
When I felt all of the hatred was too powerful to stop (ooh, yeah)
Now my heart feel like an ember and it's lighting up the dark
I'll carry these torches for ya that you know I'll never drop, yeah
Everybody hurts sometimes Everybody hurts someday, ayy ayy
But everything gon' be alright
Go and raise a glass and say, ayy
Here's to the ones that we got (oh)
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through (no, no)
Toast to the ones here today (ayy) Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories (ayy)
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you
Memories bring back, memories bring back you
"Another death to deal with"
by
Jerry E Smith
©2/1/2025
All images original or copyright free
