Aug. 8, 2008
Trying to Get Back to Normal
Hey Ya’ll,
A lot has been happening around here lately. First let me begin by saying that my girls and I have truly been blessed with a visit from another homeschooling family that my Sarah met on HSB. Heather and her Mom, (Linda) traveled over 1300 miles from Laramie, Wyoming to spend Sarah’s birthday with us. What a treat to have them spend a week with us. It was good for me to have Linda here. She spent the week making me laugh. It was a sad time in the Lirette home when they left.
My girls and I have been working like some mules to get our gardening done. We pulled up all of the plants that quit producing and replanted more. Hopefully we’ll get another crop before the weather turns cold. Even though we lost our Lima and green beans to the drought, we were still able to harvest a bit. Every Wednesday and Saturday we harvest as much as we can, then load it in the backend of the van and haul it with us to church. After church my girls open up the back end of the van and our dear friends from church get to purchase fresh produce. I know that a lot of them do it cause they know that they’re helping our family out. Right now I don't know what we'd do without them. They have been totally awesome. God, how I love my church family.
My girls and I have started to clean a couple of buildings. One of the buildings has 10 offices and 2 bathrooms. It’s a way for us to bring some finances in our home and still get to stay together. It’s good honest work and it’s something that we know how to do. People have been awesome helping out my girls and I. God has blessed us beyond what we deserve.
A couple of weeks ago, an article appeared in the local paper down in Louisiana where we use to live, which is also where Elgin was killed. After reading the article I became sooooo furious. The article said that a 20 year old drunk driver had killed a man and his wife one year earlier and the judge had sentenced the boy to 10 years in jail. BUT, he would only have to actually serve 2 ½ years. So, after serving only 2 ½ years in jail, he will be able to get out and go free. He will be able to go out and get drunk again and kill someone else’s loved one. That means that if the boy who killed my husband would of lived, he would only have had to serve 2 ½ years for taking Elgin’s life. I know I sound unforgiving. I honestly don’t hold any hatred for the boy who killed Elgin. It’s just that if this boy would have killed a dog or a cat, he would have gotten the same amount of time. I think I’m just angry at the system.
Speaking of “the system.” I have now had to hire a lawyer to help me to get Elgin’s death benefits from Workman’s Compensation. I have a letter from W. C. telling me that my girls and I will get a check EVERY week, Guess What? They are only sending us one every TWO weeks. If we would get the checks every week, it would be enough to pay all of our bills, give our tithe and have $10.00 left over, and whatever we make cleaning the offices would be used for groceries and gas. We’re also, having to fight Social Security. That is such a long story that it would take me to long to go through it. All I ask is that you please pray that my girls and I would have “favor” with Social Security and Workman’s Compensation.
We’ve been trying to get back to a normal life. But, how does one get back to normal when, “your right arm has been torn off” or “your heart has been ripped out of your chest.” How does one go on with a normal life when the “heart” of the family has been stolen away from those who would give anything to get him to come back home to us. I can honestly say that I have actually begged God to please send Elgin back home to me. If I could, I would go straight up to heaven and rip him out of God’s arms and bring him back down to earth to be with me. I know that I sound soooo selfish. Well, I guess I am. No, I know I am. Unless you’ve lost your love, you can not understand the depth of ones grief. The other day I was going through a huge pile of papers that Elgin had kept in our bedroom closet and while going through these papers I asked God to help me to not pass up anything that was of importance. Well, all of a sudden a folded paper caught my eye, so I unfolded it and it was a “love letter” from Elgin. Isn’t that just like God to allow me to find this priceless treasure. I would like to share it with you. It reads….
Dear Josephine,
I thank God for giving you to me and keeping us together for all of these wonderful years. I thank you for putting up with me all these years. I thank you for looking and taking care of our children and me. I love you with all my heart. I pray that you have a very nice day. Love you always, Elgin
That was how Elgin was; I would often get up in the morning and would find “love notes” taped on the bathroom mirror. He would do that also for our girls. I’m having a hard time trying to decide when would be “the right time” to pack up Elgin’s clothes and personal items. All of his things are still hanging on his side of the closet and folded in the dresser drawers. His suitcase is still packed from when he was working down the bayou and is in the corner of our bedroom. I tried to unpack it one time, I unzipped it and opened the cover and saw his clothes and couldn’t do it. I just re-zipped it and put it back in the corner and it has been there ever since. Oh God, How I miss “My Man”. I told my girls one day, that I would rather live in the poor house and have their Daddy home with us, than to live without him and have all the riches on earth. I want to say, “thank you” to each one of you who have lifted my family up in prayer. We deeply appreciate you.
Love to you and yours,
Josephine & Family
Jul. 30, 2008
Another Family Having To Deal With A Death
Hi Everybody,
Just writing to let everyone know that another homeschooling family has lost their Daddy. Another dear woman has had to bury her love, her best friend, her life. Please keep this family in your prayers, I know that they are having to deal with a LOT of pain. You can read more about the Times Family by going to my dear friend Kim's blog at www.homeschoolblogger.com/Buckeyeblog
Sorry I haven't written in a while, I'm having some difficult days lately. Hopefully I'll feel up to writing again soon.
Josephine
Jul. 17, 2008
Happy Birthday Sabby
Hello Everyone,
As you can tell by the title of my entry, Today is my Babies Birthday. Today, Sarah (aka--dixiefiddler, Sabby, Saronie Baby, Pocahonie) is 18 years old. My how does the time fly. It seems like she was just born yesterday. Oh the joy on her Daddy's face when the nurse placed Sarah in his arms. She was a blessing as a baby and she is even more of a blessing to me now. She is not only beautiful, but is very talented. She plays the violin and has won numerous awards and our family is very proud of her. Sarah is one of the kindest, most honest and loving young ladies around. She loves her family and we all adore her. She is the "baby" of the family, but is such a young lady. She does not get in a hurry for nobody or nothing and once Sarah becomes your friend, you have a friend for life. She still kisses her "Mommy" before going to bed each night and God has put in her heart such a love for children that she would like 15 of them when she gets married. Her sister, Jordan is her best friend and they always said that they're going to have to marry brothers or best friends, cause they are going to live next door to each other when they get married, actually they said that their houses are going to have to be connected. I'm sure that I could go on and on about my baby, but I'll have to stop right here for now. I do thank each one you for your prayers, this is Sarah's first birthday without her Daddy, I truly believe that The Lord will allow her Daddy to send down a kiss just for her on her birthday. So, until later.
Josephine
Jul. 11, 2008
Trying To Keep Busy
Hello Once Again,
Where do I begin? What do I write? No matter what I write, it’ll be the same thing over and over again. How lonesome I am for Elgin, How much my heart hurts, How much I miss him, Today is now 2 months that Elgin was killed. Every morning I get out of bed and I ask God, “How will I make it through this day without Elgin?” And He tells me that, “Through Him All Things Are Possible” I know that He not only walks beside me, He picks me up in His arms and carries me through out the day. Yesterday and today were some real “sad” days for me. I just felt “sad”. We didn’t even go to church last night cause, I just didn’t want to be around anybody. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but that’s how I felt. Normally, my girls and I would not miss church, but we did Wed. night.
We’ve been keeping ourselves busy in the garden. It seems as though everything wants to be harvested at the same time. We’ve sold green beans, lima beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and bell peppers. The Lord has really blessed my girls and me with our garden. Almost everyone that has bought produce from us has paid us more than we’ve asked for it. We’ve actually repeated our “asking” price back to them and they’ll tell us, “That’s okay”, I want ya’ll to keep the extra. God has been go good to my girls and I.
My girls and I invited our next door neighbor over for supper last night. Mrs. Claress is also a widow and has become my girls adopted grandmaw. We always have a wonderful time when we get together with her. She will be coming with us on Monday, for Sarah’s Violin Concert that she will be in. We’ll have to travel over an hour to Columbia, Tennessee for her concert.
Our dear friends, (the Websters) invited my girls and I over for supper last Tuesday. It was wonderful spending the evening with their family. It was one of their older boy’s birthday and we really enjoyed ourselves.
Then last Sunday, a sweet couple from our church invited my girls and I out for lunch after church. We went to a bar-b-q place. It was our first time out to this place. The food was good and the fellowship was great. Thank God for Christian Fellowship.
Last Friday, we had some bad weather and some strong winds blew through, which broke two large limbs in a tree at my backdoor. The limbs fell on my roof and were scratching back and forth across the shingles. So, one of my neighbors and his son came over and cut the limbs down and hauled them away. At the same time a young man from our neighborhood came over and gave me a couple of hours of “help”. He restrung my clothes line, passed the weed eater; put latches on a couple of my windows, and helped Jordan and Sarah hammer in some tomato stakes. The whole time that he was here helping me, I had to hold back this huge lump in my throat that kept trying to choke me. He was doing all of the things that Elgin was suppose to do for me when he came home. I felt so helpless. Then when the mail passed, there was an envelope from the funeral home, with two obituary cards with Elgin’s picture on them. Well, that was it, the dam busted. I had to run inside so I didn’t make a fool out of myself in front of this young man.
This Thursday will be Sarah’s 18th birthday. It’ll be one of the “first” that we’ll have to go through. Elgin ALWAYS came home for their birthdays, and this will be her first birthday without her Daddy. Some dear friends of ours are coming to our home and spend the week with us to help celebrate Sarah’s birthday. Heather and her Mom, Linda are coming all the way from Laramie, Wyoming. How blessed we are to have such good friends. We can’t wait.
I think that’s all that’s been going on around here. Not much to talk about unless I start repeating myself.
Ladies go and hug your husband, give him a big kiss and tell him how much you love him. You won’t be sorry if anything happens. Love to you and yours,
Josephine
Jul. 3, 2008
What an Honor
I've just been given one of the highest honors that any Mom-Ma could get.  Go to my daughter's blog and read what she wrote, and NO, I didn't pay her to say those things.  I guess that "Love" was talking.
www.homeschoolblogger.com/LivingfortheKing
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