I can't believe it has been 19 years. We are now entering year 3 of this pandemic, and I wish you were here to fill with advice to keep going. I know that you inspire me to try to seek the best in people. 

I am happy to report that your great granddaughter is benefiting from all your cabrini window funding. Amelia is currently in preschool there. Tomorrow we are joining her for Ash Wednesday mass. 

Missing you often, but know you are watching over us.

Letter From Susie(2022)

Dear Mom,

It has been another strange year totaling two full years living with the Covid pandemic. Vaccines, boosters, masks and social distancing allowed our family to avoid the worst variants of this virus.  In Jan. 2022 Pat and I attended the funeral in WV of his first cousin Christie(50yrs old). The Omicron variant was running rampant, but being vaccinated and knowing this variant was not as dangerous we decided to attend in person. Not too surprising that all the Hurley relatives ended up getting Covid(we even brought it home to our kids). Happy to report everyone was boosted and it was not much more than a bad cold. Even Shane(who was having many stomach related issues this year) had only a fever for 2 days and a cough. Today the Covid cases are much lower and many states have lifted the mask restrictions. It feels like we are getting back to normal. Why not just add a war into the mix(Russia is invading the Ukraine).

Today is Mardi Gras, March 1st 2022.  I had Shane get some donuts on his way home from school to celebrate.  Robotics is in full swing this year, wearing masks during meetings. I am not a mentor this year. I decided to find some new/old hobbies to enjoy. I am playing volleyball with Allison on Tuesday nights and I have found a Pickleball league to join. Allison plans to move out of our house this month and live with 2 of her friends near Royal Oak.  Yes I am very sad for me, but happy for her.  Collin is living at home raking in the money. He has hopes of buying a house, but he is just not sure where. Some memorable activities we did over 2021: 1. Worked from home in Florida -- drove our camper and stayed at a VRBO house with Mimi and Papa and Heather's family. 2. Holland Tulip Festival 3. Glacier National Park and Yellowstone with Allison and her friend Nora 4. Summer camping trips in Michigan.5. Allison and I took a trip to CO to visit Diane and see her new Cabin.

As I write this I am feeling a bit lost in the unavoidable changes that are on the horizon. Allison is moving in 25 days, Collin will be leaving shortly, Shane will be graduating and heading to college- Kettering? and Ruby is 13 and is starting to decline. My big house will be empty! Time to plan for new adventures.  

Love you and miss you,

Susie

Remembering Mom Jim -2021

Remembering Mom 2021

Mom just wanted to touch base with you.  Hope you are getting these memories and thoughts from your family.  We all miss you and frequently think of you and the good times, but this day is an opportunity for your family to get together and remember you.

 It has been a crazy year due to the worldwide COVID 19 Pandemic. I never thought I would see the entire US economy shut down for several weeks, but it died last summer in 2020.  The streets were almost empty as the US government issued a stay-at-home order to try and stop the spread of the COVID-19 disease.  It is now Feb 28, 2021 and almost one year later and things are just begging to return to normal.  The entire world came together to fight the pandemic and there have been major medical breakthrough with a new type of vaccine development process that allowed shortened the development time, but there is a need of 7+ billion people to be inoculated and this will take some time before this virus is fully / mostly eradicated.  A sad historical note: the US death toll recently passed 500,000 due to the pandemic, a historic moment in this country's history.  Fortunately, our immediate family has been mostly spared the virus, Jerry, Rose, Amanda contracted the virus and fought it off and we hope and pray they are fully recovered soon.  The rest of the family has been following the health guidelines of wearing the Mask over Nose and mouth when in public and trying to maintain 6 feet social distance from others.  We are beginning to see the end of this tragedy and look forward to each of us receiving the vaccine and return to normalcy here in the US this summer. 

Your Grandchildren Rachel and Dan are doing great.  Rachel/ Ben and Johnny/ Ethan recently moved to Colorado Springs and have a lovely home close to Pike Peak and Jeanie, and I look forward to our visits to resume soon.  Dan is working in the film industry in Los Angeles and enjoying his successful career in the audio recording Movie/TV industry.

In 2019 I had open heart surgery to repair a valve.   Having to think about how you had similar surgery about the same age brings tears to my eyes as I know how tough that is to go through and only wish I could have been there more for you during that time. 

I was able to retire from Honeywell March of 2020, a little later than I had planned but really am enjoying being retired and after 40+ years at Honeywell don't miss work one bit!  Thanks for all you did for me to enable me to have a successful life, and enjoy my brothers/ sisters, marriage, career, children & grandchildren!

Rachel asked me to work on documenting some memories now that I am retired, she arranged a StoryWorth website to capture stories from my childhood, last week  topic was:

What was your Mom like when you were a child?

In short …. Mom was a  " Mom's Mom" , the female equivalent of a Man's Man!  She was about family, God & Country and…. what will the neighbors think!

Family was her life, raising and taking care of 6 children who were often sparing with each other emotionally and physically, she was the official household referee. When she had time she would sing, play piano or the organ or read newspapers and Readers Digest magazines.  She always put her kids first, weather that was time, health, emotionally or financially. She was remarkably close with her family, mother/father, aunts, uncles and brothers and sisters this gave us kids a strong sense of family.  She was a good cook and enjoyed baking occasionally. Traditional Irish Soda Bread and German Bread were often special treats enjoyed by all of us.  Mom was thoughtful, considerate and kind to all and encouraged us to be the same.  Later in life when I was a teenager she was engaged with my friends and welcomed them into our family like her own children. 

When we went on Motorhome trips she would read the AAA TripTik that provided historical facts and information along our route to wherever we were going.  Mom would bust out a tune whenever/wherever she felt the urge, often at the Piano in the basement while doing laundry or at the Organ in the living room after dinner.   A few songs I recall singing along with Mom Yellow Bird, How Much is that Doggy in the window, John Jacob Jingle-Heimer-Smidt and other Sound of Music tunes.  Mom was very proficient in shorthand writing (method of taking dictation with symbols rather than letters) and at the time was a skill very much in demand.  Mom was a great had great vocabulary and a good speller who took a keen interest in the Latin root meaning of words. She worked as a secretary at the Ford Executive offices and even worked for the local FBI.  

Every Morning she would see us kids off to school with a Kiss and "Study Hard" reminder.  Other Mom sayings I recall are "Just do your Best" and "Study Hard" and God sees everything so you don't need to brag about any good deeds you may have done or do the right thing even if nobody is watching!  Other comments I would also hear from Mom was "Fun comes to Harm" when the Boys were wrestling or roughhousing as she would call it around the house.

 Mom or Kathy short for Kathleen AKA "Kadiddlehopper" as my dad sometimes referred to her put her family first and gave all of herself to raising a family.

 

 Love Jimmy. 

 

Dear Mom(2021 Susie),

Wow what a year ...and I will leave it at that. 

I want to tell you how much I appreciate all of the opportunities, support and love that you gave me. I realize now how fortunate I was to have two parents that cared enough about me to be involved in my education and demonstrate to me how to be a good human being. I would say growing up there was a strong theme of responsibility, family and adventure; all very admirable behaviors.  You allowed me my freedom but still had that eye in the back of your head on me, allowing me to grow up with confidence but always a bit concerned about the consequences. 

As I write this to you I feel lucky, like a girl looking back into her past to see a white picket fence protecting her. Because of your care and sacrifice for me, my children are also growing up with advantages that many others do not have. I am humbled by this awareness. 

I miss you and wish we could talk over a cup of tea. I would have found a way to get you in my bubble.

Love,

Susie

PS. My new favorite song that reminds me of you! Makes me smile :)

"Family" | Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors | OFFICIAL MUSIC ...

Letter from Susie 2020

Dear Mom,

I am missing you and thinking of you often.  I remember all the times when you would visit the senior home and bring your accordion and entertain.  I have recently joined a volunteer program called PORCH. It is an organization to address loneliness and isolation.  We go to a low income housing apartments and visit with the residents. We bring them food and play games and talk.  I am definitely reaching out of my comfort zone with this activity.  I wonder if you ever felt uncomfortable. Did you do this on your own or did you go with other  people? We go as a group but I don't really know anyone yet.

My kids are all growing up so fast. Collin graduated and is now employed at Ford Motor Co. Allison is a Senior at Kettering and is planning to do school abroad in Germany this spring. We are planning to visit her, but this is all dependent on how bad this new Corona virus gets. Shane is very much into Robotics and is a pretty typical teenage boy.

Please continue to watch over us. I love you.

Susie

Letter from Susie 2019

Dear Mom & Dad,

We have been missing mom for 16 years and missing dad for 2 1/2 years. I can't believe time has passed so quickly.

I was remembering when I went to Japan.  I was so young and such a teenager.  All I really wanted was to be home with my friends; they were having so much fun without me.  I am not sure I was the best exchange student.  I don't think my host mother and father appreciated me laying out in my bathing suit everyday or constantly asking them if I can leave the house by myself.  I am also disappointed that I didn't stay in touch with them. Maybe they were happy to get rid of me.
I wonder how you felt when I left?  We really didn't even get much time to talk on the phone the entire time I was gone.  Wow! I think that would have been tough for me to not talk to my kid for months.

I am thinking about this because Collin is going off to Germany for 3 months to go to school.  Granted he is 21(OMG) which was a lot older than 17, the age I was when I went to Japan.  He will also have a phone and wifi so we will be able to talk with him and even Facetime.  I am still nervous for him to go.  We are going to go to Ireland and he will meet us there when his term is done in June. We have not planned much of our trip yet, but maybe you can send me some signs/clues of what to see and where to go. It will be quite the adventure for all of us.

Love and miss you both,

Susie

2018 Remembering Mom - 15 years

Dear Mom,

I am thinking about you on the 15th anniversary of your death.  I pulled up a few pictures and listened to you playing the organ and chat with grandma.  Makes me smile.

I am alone this evening, and pretty happy about that.  Everyone is off to setup for our robotics competition in Gibraltar.  Robots seems to rule our life, especially this time of year.  My time alone is giving me a chance to reflect on you and dad.  Not something I find myself doing all that often lately.

My kids were asking me why you changed my name. I have never really given it much thought, but I wonder what my life would have been as MaryLou Maurer. I am chuckling as I type it out. If I ever write a book, I will use that as my pen name.

Keep watching over all of us and pay special attention to Shane.

Love and miss you,

Susie