Peace, New Resolve, Lovely Day in Salt Lake City, Kait's Good Reports, Happy Birthday Mom! Coming Soon: Aunt Lavina's Interview

My family has needed each other a lot these past few days.

My Aunt Pam tells it best:

"My son, Ross Richard Werner - born June 25, 1982 died 5:00 p.m (PT) August 14, 2010. Ross slipped away quickly and quietly because he cared so much about his mother and his siblings. He didn't want us to have to see him suffer. The hospice worker was surprised that he went so quickly. But that's Ross' way. He was always thinking about everyone else and their comfort.

"As I said my goodbyes to Ross tonight, I felt him smiling and at peace. He wants us all to be at peace because he is at peace and free from pain. If you want to honor him, be happy and be at peace. He loves us all so much and wants me to communicate it to all of his extended family. We will all miss him so much."

This song brought me peace: Sweet Peace.

Aunt Pam put it so beautifully, I have nothing else to add, except a determination.

I will honor him. I've had a hard time being happy, because I have this aching feeling that won't go away. I wish I had gotten to know Ross better.

This lovely thought gets me through:

Families can be together forever.

Think of the possibilities: The endless amounts of time family and friends would spend together getting to know and love each other. I'm excited to get to know my grandparents, all my ancestors... my wonderful family too. If it is really true, and I believe that it is, it's amazing. If it's not... well, then so what if I choose to believe it? It's a lovely, comforting thought.

The day Ross died, I spent a wonderful day in Salt Lake with my Aunt Lavina. I forgot these past months how much I miss Salt Lake City.

Good Report (with some Lovely Simple Pleasures mixed in):

I missed (pined for, not didn't catch) the bus. I missed Trax. I missed my old routes.

I missed my study spots

My favorite book store

I want to live there.

Or here:

I practically do live here during the school year. It's my study haven.

The kid's section has an ice cave and a wooden playhouse where you can go to be cozy while you read. Little Kaitlin would've been all over that.

I come here too... reading, meditating, and pondering happen along with the studying

I miss the Marriott library

My table on the second floor is calling to me.

I've been wanting to live here for a while now, next to Temple Square.

It would be amazing to study by this

Or this

I loved walking by these things

The majestic beauty,

The quiet grace,

The simple, lovely sights

Temple Square is just meant to be photographed.

I brought my mom's very nice, expensive, precious, new camera (Thank you Mom!) I had to do this right and get some nice photographs. Investigative work needs photos.

Passing through temple square and snapping lovely photos was just an added bonus

I could not have asked for a better interview with my great-aunt. In fact, it exceeded my expectations. This is hard to do, I mean, it's Aunt Lavina. If you don't understand the significance of this, you will, when you read about her. This wonderful woman deserves to have a book written about her. There was so much I could have put in, so much more to be catalogued. Someone in our family truly does need to write her story in book form. She has so much material, you know. Not to mention her personal history is already recorded, just there to be used as a great resource.

Just as I knew she would be, she was so full of pearls of wisdom and gems of knowledge and history. I cannot wait to post her interview! I want it to be perfect... but it's coming soon, I promise.

After the interview, Lavina took me to one of the loveliest lunch spots I've ever been to. She is so good at making each one of her great-nieces and nephews feel special. It was almost as if she knew...

Picture this: Audrey Hepburn homages + I Love Lucy 50's style themes + Retro Antiques + Adorable Cupcakes and Café foods

Bliss...

Even their cups of water were cute!

Those fluffy pillows were silky. Silky!

I've decided if I could jump into a pile of silky pillows, I could thereafter live a full and happy life.

Those cupcakes were so tasty...

Pink is not usually my favorite color, but it fit! It was all pink and happy.

Happy Kait

Mini's in Salt Lake is such a swell hangout, I was jolly. (I even flashed the braces. I usually try not to do this for a camera.)

You should go there too if you want to see the things I just told you about. If it's not your cup of tea, I get it... Me, I was happy as a clam.

Aunt Lavina got the award winning cupcake, the Chocoholic. I got the Diva. (Raspberry and cream cheese! Ooh la la.)

That 50's retro had me grinning. They had 50's aprons! You're talking to the girl who was giddy when she saw these

They're from Shabby Apple.

I think I'd cook every day if I could wear that. Or... I'd just prance around, pretending to be her:

Shabby Apple routinely reads my mind, putting out the lovely vision of fashion I'm dreaming of.

My faves:

Old style, movie-like fashion with French, 1940's and 50's references. This to me, is va va voom. Splendid.

Anyhoo. Now that we're done with that self-indulgent stuff, it's a very wonderful, lovely and virtuous lady's birthday today. I owe her everything, including my life.

I asked her which picture of herself she wanted, and she said she'd like this one:

Little Tammy, Age 6

Happy Birthday Mom!

Thank you for loving me, for listening to me, for doing things that make me feel so special. I hope you have a beautiful day, filled with simple pleasures and the many things that you love.