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{Straight From the Heart}   *The Wedding Dress*  4/25/00
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Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"
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The Wedding Dress

By Pamela R. Blaine



I remember so well how we all were sitting around the dining room 
table that evening.  We were resting a few minutes and talking about 
the arrangements for the sale.  It seemed like Mom should still be 
there with us, that she should come walking into the room with that 
familiar, cheerful airy whistling sound that wasn't quite a whistle 
and yet there was a tune.  Mom always whistled her own unique whistle 
whenever she was preoccupied with what she was doing.   

We comforted ourselves in the knowledge that Mom had lived a long life 
of more than 84 years.  One of the things that she loved was to travel 
and she was very proud that she had been in 49 of the 50 state in the 
U.S.A.  She had only recently made her biggest trip to Alaska on a tour
with her friend, Margaret.  I think she would have visited all 50 
states except she had not yet overcome her fear of water and of flying 
so that made Hawaii a little difficult to visit.  She had outlived two 
husbands, and many close relatives and friends, which calls for a great
inner strength which came from her Christian faith of many years.  
Most of all we remembered how she had been a wonderful mother to my 
brother, Jerry, and I.

When you lose your last parent, there is something akin to  the feeling
of being orphaned.  Even though I didn't live close to Mom, I had the 
habit of picking up the phone when I wanted to and giving her a call.  
I would find myself many times later thinking of a question, heading 
toward the phone,  and thinking, "I'll have to ask Mom about that".  
Then reality strikes and then the pain of realizing you can no longer 
make that phone call. 

I guess I was sitting there at the dining room table feeling a bit 
desolate that evening.  Everyone was talking about which things went 
into the sale and which things we were keeping in the family, when 
suddenly my eyes focused on an old battered opened suitcase in the 
corner.  I jumped up as I said , "Where did that come from?".  
Everyone just looked at me, not quite understanding what was going on 
in my head as there were all kinds of things laying around that we had 
been going through, so what was the big deal about an old suitcase.  I 
went over and grabbed up the material that I saw laying there, it was 
a dress, a very nice dress.  It was a dark navy blue with tiny white 
polka dots and the material was of excellent quality, even after all 
those years.  I felt my whole body tremble and I must have been covered
with goose bumps because this was something special.  You see, I 
remembered.I was only four or five years old but I remembered...Mama 
said, "Pamy, this is my wedding dress."  "This is the dress I wore 
when I  married your Daddy."

I've wondered so many times since, where did that dress come from and 
how did it get there in the dining room that night.  I only remember 
seeing it that one time when Mom was cleaning a closet.  No one 
remembered putting it there or seeing it there before and we had been 
going through everything together.  However it got there, I do believe 
it was there for a reason.  It brought those memories back and somehow 
comforted me.

 I brought the dress home and had it cleaned.  Just recently, my 
daughter, Jeanna, had her engagement picture taken wearing her 
Grandmother's wedding dress!  I wonder if her Grandma is looking 
down and whistling a wedding tune.

Pamela R. Blaine  c April 2000
Pamyblaine@aol.com

Send Pam an email and let her know what you thought of her story!

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I've been married to Michael for 33 years and we have 4 children and 
3 grandchildren.   We live in West Virginia and part time in Missouri.
I like to write stories but I especially like writing songs. I have 
loved music and writing ever since I can remember. I write stories for 
my children and grandchildren.  I also want to, hopefully,  encourage 
and help other people.  You can see some things I have written on my 2 
webpages: 

PamyPlace http://members.aol.com/mblaine/pamy/PamyPlace.htm                      Pamy's Place http://www.heartwarmers4u.com/members/?proseb
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REQUEST:

From:	blister@foxberry.net (Marilyn Kemmerling)

Dear Michael,        
     My husband, Bliss, has been battling T-cell lymphoma for the past 
two years, with times of remission between the chemotherapy and 
radiation treatments.  Now, however, the cancer has come again on the 
skin of his face, and he will be having radiation again along with the 
chemotherapy.  Please pray for him, and for the doctors who are 
prescribing his treatment.  We have had many people praying for us 
during the past two years, and we know that God has been with us 
throughout this time.
Thanks,
Marilyn 


  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    THUNDER27@aol.com   http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/  \    "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \   Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body I live for the Son
   \_\/   of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  Galatians 2:20	



Video Imagery (Michael's Video Production Business)

"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video 
we gave them. They loved it, to say the least!  Within thirty 
seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too.  They said it was 
the best Christmas gift we could have given them!!  You did such 
a beautiful job!  They were so suprised and so touched---they 
really, really, really loved it.  Thanks for helping to make it so 
special to us all.  My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for 
the video too!  Thanks again!"
         
Kelli  (RKaGe@aol.com)    College Station, TX 

Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies!
Check out the web page for Michael's video production business!
 Video Imagery 
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html