Thirty-six Years Old

Today, July 15, 2010, is Camille's thirty-sixth birthday.

SoJam Year Two (Without You)

Dear Camille,SoJam 2009 at the Carolina Theater

Just like last year, the first week of November 2009 is crazy busy. The week started with All Saints’ Day and the solemn Mass of Rememberance. Then there was the LARC Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday, held again at the Trinity Center in Salter Path. And tonight I am sitting in the Fletcher Auditorium at Carolina Theater in Durham anticipating the exciting start of the Collegiate Competition at SoJam 2009. Almost a perfect repeat of that busy week we shared in 2008.

On Tuesday I walked around the Trinity Center recalling our brief stay there last year. The drive from Raleigh had been long, and we were in a strange place surrounded by people I barely knew and who you had never met. This time the faces were familiar but there was a emptiness without you and Brad.

I wish you could know how much I miss having you here at the concert tonight. Last time I felt so excited to share the concerts with you. I sat next to you hoping that you could delight in the masterful performances with the same pleasure I felt. Tonight the seat next to me empty and I don’t have anyone with whom to share the music. It’s just not the same.

I am praying very hard that my loneliness is temporary, and I will be able to share every concert, show, movie and event with you again soon. I love you and I miss you and I wish you were here.

Love,

The Last Root Beer in the Fridge

Dear Camille,

There’s one last A&W root beer in the fridge.  It’s been there since early May.  I can’t bring myself to drink it, and I don’t want to throw it out.  It’s yours, and it’s waiting for you.

You do such a good job of managing things like groceries and supplies.  You know what you want and what you need.  How many times did you ask me to take you to the fridge and show you what remained?  Using just your memory you manage your needs quite well.

And I’m getting better too.  Since May I’ve realized that purchasing iced tea by the gallon from area restaurants was wasting a lot of money.  I invested $17 in an iced tea maker, and now there is always a pitcher of fresh iced tea in the fridge — and it costs just pennies compared to the restaurant iced tea.  I’ve got the recipe just right, and I make great tea every time.

So the next time you’re at home, don’t worry about checking the fridge for iced tea.  If we’re out I’ll make some.  And the money we save?  Well, we can use that to refill your root beer after that last one is gone.

I love you so much, Camille, and I’m praying every day that you will come home.  God bless you!

Love,

P.S. Brad misses you too!

Honey, I shrunk the LoveSac!

Hi Camille,

Brad on the KidSacIt was a lot of fun while we had it, a gift from my mother from back in 2005. It was a SuperSac built for three people - me, you and puppy. When we saw our first LoveSac at the CCI dormatory in Orlando, I thought how wonderful it would be for you to have one like it where you could stretch out and relax with your dog — and your boyfriend. But then we brought home the reclining loveseat, and no one had to kneel on the floor to get you in and out of that. Soon only puppy dog was using the SuperSac, and anyone with a nose could tell he used it often.

Well, without you around and no desire to use the SuperSac myself, it seemed that it was time for it to go. But Brad loves his bed in the living room where he is close to whoever is watching TV or entertaining guests. I had to give him a replacement, so I bought the smallest LoveSac I could get — a KidSac, just six feet across. Brad adopted it immediately. And so, I successfully “shrunk” the LoveSac leaving plenty of room for my old college rocking chair in the corner and a clear, unobstructed view of the fireplace.

So don’t be surprised the next time you see the place. Something certainly changed, but only in size.

I love you and I miss you and I pray for you every day!

Love,

Going Solo at the State Fair

Camille at the North Carolina State Fair, October 2008Dear Camille,

It’s hard to believe, but for the first time ever I went to the North Carolina State Fair without you.  I discovered areas of the fair I had never been to before.  Without the wheelchair I was able to visit the forestry exhibit and the hillside gardens for the first time.  I’ve always wondered about that steam whistle we’d hear every year.  It came from the steam-powered sawmill in the foresty exhibit.  I sat there for hours mesmerized by the sawyer and the steam engine.  It was fun, but not nearly as fun as it would have been if you had been there with me.

Love,