barefoot and breathing

I'm changing my list.

After a lot of discussion (no I’m not even close to having a baby) I would like to submit these names as “Mine (and Josh’s)” Most have 2 middle names or hyphenated 1st names because Meyer is short and plain (and lovely).

Mercy-Julia Eugenia (MJ). Sisters of Mercy, Josh’s Mom, My Mom, Spiderman.

Holden Robert Mark. Catcher in the Rye, Josh’s Grandpa, my Grandpa.

Jude-Dennis Gregory (JD).  Beatles, My sister and aunt Denise, my uncle Dennis, my father’s middle name, my father’s initials, my Grandpa

Clementine Eloise. a Song by Train Company. a name that means Kindness. a combination of my sister and Josh’s sisters middle names Ellis and Louise.

Alicerae Sarah (pronounced Alice Rae). Josh’s Grandma, my Grandma, my Best friend. Alice’s Restaurant, Alice in Wonderland.  

My Uncle Roger passed away last Friday.

Uncle Roger was my Grandma’s brother, he was born and raised in Villa Grove IL, which is about 15 miles outside of Champaign-Urbana. My brother used to call him Andy Griffith. He used to make us homemade ice cream. He was really wonderful, kind, when I think of the song “Simple Man” by Lynard Skynard, he’s the person that comes to mind. It’s people like him and my Grandpa that keep me going when I think about all of the unkindness in the world.

When Denise and I were little, before Mark and Mary little, my Mom and Dad would take us to Villa Grove at least twice a month. There are pictures of us eating Doughnuts the size of our heads because he would always take us with him to see his friends and show us off.

When he and Grandma were in grade school he quite literally took a bullet for her. Pushed her out of the way and to this day there is a bebe lodged somewhere in his lip.

And all my Grandma kept saying is “He was my buddy.” over and over again, they were only 22 months apart.

He served in the army as a Dispatch/Communications Corporal in the Korean War and made sure you knew it. He was active in the VFW and we think he might have been holding out for his last Veterans Day before passing away. He LOVED his country and he loved his hometown.

He founded the Villa Grove “FUI” club. Fishing Under the Influence.

He and My Grandpa used to bet a dollar on the football games, him being a Lions fan and Papa being a Green Bay fan. Once, when Green Bay won 2 years in a row Uncle Roger sent Papa 200 pennies, tucked at the bottom of a full can of oil.

He called my Aunt Betty his sweetheart from the day he married her til the day he died. Never his wife or Betty when talking to someone else just “you know I was talking to my Sweetheart the other day…” and so on.

He was the last member of my Grandma’s immediate family. And when hugging her and comforting her, I thought about how I would feel if there was no more Denise or Mark or Mary. I think that i can get through just about anything so long as one of them is around. And by that I mean on this planet. I don’t know what I’ll do without them.

I love you Uncle Roger, very much.

I’m sick as a dog today and I will most likely be sick as a dog tomorrow but the fact remains that my Mami and Papi and I are traveling to McHenry County to go to Autumn Drive. At which point, my parents will meet Josh’s family for the 1st time ever.

nervous nervous nervous.

At least if things aren’t going well I can just fall victim to my Bronchitis and have to cut out early.