TheMosmillers.org

Carolyn's European Blog

We may not have a ton of activity here at the site, but Carolyn is making up for it with her own blog chronicling her European adventures. Hop over and take a look.

Clare Mosmiller (1937-2008)

I was fortunate enough to be able to sing at Aunt Clare's funeral this Tuesday. As expected, the service was beautiful, even more so that due to the fact that it was nearly entirely handled by family members from top to bottom. I always take something special away from our gatherings whether they are joyful or sorrowful for this reason.

I was not fortunate enough to know Aunt Clare all that personally due to our age difference and my health, but she always treated me as if we did. In recent years I felt like we had a special connection, perhaps due to the fact that she seemed to understand the impact of my health condition more acutely than most. It was clear at a glance that she wanted the best for me and was worried that it might not happen, and that meant a great deal to me.

If you have any stories or experiences you would like to share, post them in a comment and I will add them to this post. Some comments made by friends of the family are available as well as some fantastic pictures are available online already.

Sad News

Mary Wilson died in the presence of her family last night around 9pm after fighting with numerous health issues for the past few years. I hope that her sons and daughters can take some comfort from the fact that so many of our relatives visited during the past week. I think the packed parking lot at the top of the hill says a lot about what our extended family is all about.

If you see this post, feel free to add a comment to it or send me an email in which you share a memory or quality that you respected about Mary. I will then roll those remarks into this post. I will get this started below.

I feel that Aunt Mary's greatest legacy is evident in how tightly knit the Wilson family is, and how easily they accept the rest of us into the fold just as a matter of course. As an only child with health issues in my branch of the family, it would be easy to be left out of most family events just due to my unusual circumstances, but that has never been the case with the Wilson crew. Whether they're just having a low-key cookout or a holiday event, I know I'll always be able to drop by whenever I am feeling up to it. Additionally, one or more of her children would be down fairly regularly just to help out with something or to visit. I know most families are like this, but the atmosphere surrounding the Wilson clan is so inviting and close-knit that I feel it is worthy of praise.
Andy
Andy,

Thank you so much for the comments about Mom. She was clearly the binding that has held our family together. Her commitment to family was unparalleled, extending well beyond the Wilson clan. We are extremely blessed to have such warm and wonderful relatives to share in the laughter and sorrows of life. Thank you for providing the forum to express our thoughts.
Jim
I loved Aunt Mary for her outspoken nature,sense of humor and her love of the whole family. I always felt welcome in her home. She was quick to serve up some macaroni salad and roast beef. She would even try to feed the ten or so friends, who just wanted to use the bathroom after boating. She would always take time to help me with my many problems at the MVA. I'm sure I would be walking now without all of her help. I picture all of the Flahavan's, Uncle Will, Uncle Walter, and Marty Corry welcoming her to heaven, and waiting patiently to get a word in...well, maybe not patiently...she will be missed.
Mark
It hasn't hit me full force yet. I think in the spring when I go out to yell across the way, it'll sink in. We've all lost something here.
Skip

Thanksgiving Feast

Thanks to Jim and Susanne, we had a great Thanksgiving family gathering again this year. That stuffing is fantastic I tell you. Fantastic! Next year I am going with a tub so I can take enough home to last me several weeks. Hehe.

Croquet Pictures

I have posted a bunch of pics from the croquet event I hosted yesterday. Wander on over to the "Pictures" section and take a look. They're at the bottom of the list.

Big Alaska Trip

I put up pics from mom and dad's Alaska bus trip and cruise. Don't worry, they didn't use the bus for the cruise part. Head on over to the pictures page and have a look.

A Few New Pics

Mark sent me a few pictures of his kids at the ocean during the recent tropical storm, so set aside your questions about his parenting skills for a moment and head on over to the pictures page to have a look. Just messing with you, Mark. :)

New Galleries

Two new picture galleries are up for your perusal. One has a few pics from Maureen and Shannon's birthday trip to New York, and the other has a bunch from my parents' trip to Cape May last month. Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, dads. Have some fun with your kids today, and feel free to send along pictures if you got 'em.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day all you family moms. I hope you had a great day.

Zap Finale

There was some waiting involved in today's treatment, but now I am done for good and planning my retreat into the wilderness, never to visit a health care facility again! Ha ha! I would like to thank Dr. Oh, nurses Candy and Trish, and all seven members of the radiation staff who did the actual zapping each day.

I expect it will take a while for me to get back to "normal", but that will give us the time to plan the trips I discussed some time ago. Designated coordinators, start your planning... Now!

My Reunion Story

I think you guys might enjoy this little gem from our Easter gathering just passed...

I was sitting outside on one of the picnic table benches after eating when the call to egg picking was issued. Naturally, all the kids came running inside from the sandbox and blacktop. Connor Wilson was no exception, but he had to make a pit stop next to me to pick up his shoes and socks first.

It turns out he's pretty proficient with the shoe and sock donning process. I gave him a hand with one shoe that was a little too tight for him to pull on by himself, but he handled everything else on his own while chattering on about how great egg picking was going to be, and how he hoped everyone wouldn't start without him.

I bet nobody would have even noticed if he had come in barefoot given the flurry of egg picking activity at the time, but Connor knew that he had to get his house in order, so to speak, before moving onto the next activity. Cute and responsible!

Easter Gathering

As usual, the family reunion was a great success, thanks to great company and Mike's hosting. It was great to see all of you guys as usual. Hopefully I'll see some of you soon for the aquarium trip, too. Happy Easter everyone.

Happy Easter

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep.

Job 19:25, I Corinthians 15:20

Easter

Happy almost-Easter everyone. I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago on this site and provide an Easter wallpaper image for you to use if you so choose. To apply it to your desktop, first click the link above, then right click on the resulting image and select Set as background from the menu. Depending on the browser you use, this could instead read Set as wallpaper or something else with a similar connotation. If the image appears too large or small for your screen, send me a comment and I'll add more instructions.

On a related note, I have a tough decision to make this year on account of my ongoing health situation. Do I kick my butt and go to my church's Easter service in the morning, or do I get myself to the family gathering in the afternoon? I really don't see how I can manage both. My thought is to read the scripture on my own and get to the reunion, but I welcome your input on this matter. If you have other ideas, I'm happy to entertain those as well.