It’s been two years today since my Grandma Nada passed before my eyes and while I was holding her hand.
I’m missing you everyday.
I miss your guidiness.
I miss your hugs.
I miss our Wednesday phone calls.
I miss your cooking.
I miss you!
My Grandma
by Mandy Bauer
My grandma was special in everyway,
She made me smile everyday.
And she was always there for me,
Especially in my time of need.She was the one I ran to,
When I didn’t know what to do,
And she was the one who was always there,
When no one else seemed to care.
When I was down,
She made me smile,
And that smile,
Lasted a while.
My grandma was not just my grandma,
She was my best friend,
She was my heart,
And the day she died,
My world fell apart.
It’s strange that sometimes I still go to reach the phone when I am on the road wanting to share something exciting and she is the only one I want to tell. Then I realize once again that she has gone. The urge to pick up that phone is powerful as is wanting to still talk with her.
The poem is beautiful and missing her will never end. I loved her with every bit of who I am and miss her like crazy too!
You my sweet and loving brother are not alone in missing her.
Today my heart broke as I had the extreme difficulty decision to euthanize my beautiful 16 year old kitty and best friend named Java.
I was working in a hair salon in Seal Beach back in 1995 when a guy walked through the doors with a box of kittens. I’ve never been a fan of cats before as I grew up with dogs. I picked up one kitten and it held on to me and wouldn’t let go. He not only hung on for dear life but snuggled up to my neck purring. Instantly I fell in love with a kitten I later named Java.
1999
It took me 2 weeks to name him. Nothing at all seemed to fit his personality. It wasn’t until I was playing “Java Jive” by the Manhattan Transfers did his head started bopping around as it he was listening to the music. From that moment on his name was Java and it suit him to a tee!
2000
Java was a great cat. He never had any health problems or conditions.
2002
Java’s was an indoor kitty. I think I’m selfish as I didn’t want anything to happen to him. I wanted to keep
for myself safe and sound.
2003
When Java was 3 I purchased a second cat named Jojo. Jojo was the runt of the litter. I was told she might not make it.
But it was my ex who insisted we get her. She came home in the palm of my hands. Java was a good boy and taught Jojo how
clean herself. Jojo had no idea how to groom. Java and Jojo were best of friends. They would always lay together cleaning
each other or sleeping.
Java & Jojo
A few years later I purchased a third kitty named Jessie. Some how all my cats started with a “J”.
2004 Java and Jessie
At first Java and Jojo didn’t like Jessie. But in time they all became friends.
Left to right – Jessie, Jojo and Java
I would catch them laying together. After Jojo passed, Java never laid next to Jessie and seemed
if they grew apart.
top to bottom – Java, Jessie and Jojo
Java was an amazing cat. He reminded me of cat on the box of Frontline. Java would always lay down
extending his front legs and paws.
2005
Java had some big powerful eyes.
2006
2007
2008
2009
In 2010 after both my Grandparents passed and after taking my Great Aunt to Croatia I purchased a
dog named Rusty. I know not a “J” as I seem to name my dogs with an “R”.
2010
2011
Photos of Java and I
2002
Just prior to his last breaths he gave me three little kisses on the nose. No other animal kissed me
at the tip of my nose. At times I used to say Java give daddy a kiss and he did right on the nose. I’ll miss that!
9/22/2011
9/22/2011
I’ve had to lay to rest several family pets. Each time I held them while thanking them for all they have done. Telling them how much I love them and how much they were a part of my life. All of this while they took their last breaths. Of course I did the same for my Java.
Java lived 16 happy years. It came to the point where his quality of life was not the same. He started to hide and withdraw himself. He has been limping on his paw and also had some recent spine problems causing him discomfort and pain. I started thinking about his well being.
As a pet owner, we are sometimes faced to make these tough decisions. It took me a week to decide on what I was going to do. I checked my options and consulted with two vets. I could of put Java on pain meds and weekly injects at the doctors office, but it was just going to mask the underlying condition. The fact was that he was in pain and suffering. As selfish as I wanted to keep him around for my sake, I knew it wouldn’t be right. I made the judgement call to let him rest in peace. That’s what he is doing right now. I imagine him beside once again his best friend Jojo and walking beside my Grandparents and Aunt. As if I could hear them calling his name with their Croatian accent “Java“.
I dedicate this to my best friend Java! Java daddy loves you baby! You filled my life up with much joy. You brought me much happiness and stuck beside me during my toughest times. You are daddy’s number one. Thank you for giving me 16 wonderful years boy.
With the loss of both my Grandparents and my Great Aunt, I’ve been seeing a few things regarding death. Thought this article I found on Mashable was interesting enough to share.
This post originally appeared on My Life Scoop, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about using social media and technology for a more connected life.
Death is a fact of life. When someone dies, they’re no longer physically here, but their digital self lives on. There are more than 5 million accounts on Facebook that are inactive due to death, according to the calculations of BlackBook Media’s Executive Editor Chris Mohney. And that’s just Facebook. Think about all of the other social sites and online services out there – the number of abandoned accounts due to death must be enormous.
After someone passes away, their digital assets live on in the form of computer files and data online. For some, that’s not a big deal. But for others, the thought of leaving digital assets unattended for eternity after death is unthinkable. Luckily, there are a number of services that allow you to delete, update, or transfer account information after you — or someone you care about — is gone.
Here are seven services that help manage a digital life after death. If you’ve heard of other services that also handle these services, add your thoughts in the comments below.
Entrustet is a free service that enables an account holder to pass on digital assets to up to 10 designated heirs and one executor, who is in charge of executing a person’s digital wishes after they pass away. Digital assets include social networks, financial accounts, blogs, e-mails and other Internet properties or files.
Check out the video above where Rocketboom Tech‘s Ellie Rountree interviews Jesse Davis, co-founder of Entrustet about how the service works and why it is important.
Legacy Locker was one of the first services to be offered in this arena and is a trusted service for transferring access to digital assets, including e-mail, social media and blogging accounts, to trusted sources.
Legacy Locker offers three pricing plans, starting with a free account that includes storage of information for three digital assets, one beneficiary and one legacy letter, which acts as a digital goodbye note sent after death. If the basic, free service isn’t enough, there’s also the $29.99 per year plan or the $299.99 one-time fee plan, which both allow for unlimited assets, beneficiaries and legacy letters, as well as document backup and video upload.
3. My Webwill
My Webwill ensures that a trusted person can change or transfer someone’s online accounts, including Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Tumblr, YouTube, and more, after a death. Choose the desired settings for each account and choose two “trusted verifiers” to confirm the death, and upon notification of that person’s passing, My Webwill performs the deceased person’s wishes.
4. Futuris.tk
Future.tk is a social network with an online messaging service that lets anyone schedule messages up to 50 years in advance. Using the free post-mortem feature, it can also schedule messages to be sent to recipients after a death. To use this feature, the sender must select trusted sources to notify Futuris.tk of their passing, after which your messages can be sent.
Because it offers unlimited messages for free, Futuris.tk is ideal for people who might have a lot of unfinished business to tie up with friends and family after death – or for someone who wants to send many personalized messages.
Deathswitch is a service that periodically prompts the account holder to provide a pre-determined password to ensure they’re still alive. If that person doesn’t enter a password on multiple occasions for a period of time, it deduces that the person is either dead or critically injured and begins sending out personalized pre-written messages to chosen contacts.
The service can be used in many ways, but according to the site, some of the more common uses include sending passwords, financial information, final wishes, last words, love notes, and funeral instructions.
With a free subscription, you can create one message to be e-mailed to one recipient. Or for $19.95 per year, you can prepare up to 30 messages with file attachments for up to 10 recipients per message. Like Futuris.tk, this is a great option for sending out bulk messages, except in this case you have to shell out for the service. You do, however, get the extra benefit of adding file attachments, such as photos and videos.
GreatGoodbye is a service that enables an account holder to schedule e-mails to loved ones, which can only be triggered once an activation code is entered by a trusted source. Once you prepare your e-mails, which can include videos, photos and MP3s for a price, your activation code is sent and should be passed along to a trusted friend.
The service offers three pricing plans – a free plan that only includes one e-mail, or the $20 per year plan, or $119 one-time fee plans that include unlimited messages with unlimited videos, photos and MP3s. All of the plans come with unlimited memory space that lasts for 20 years, data encryption, secure login, 21 days to block the sending of messages after a death notification and multiple levels of security.
AssetLock is a service that focuses on mass storage of important information that may be crucial for others to know after a death, including information on financials, estate planning, insurance policies account passwords, e-mails and final wishes and directives. It has the capacity to store letters to be sent after a death, as well.
The great thing about AssetLock is that it is very customizable. For example, you can choose the number of “recipients” necessary to unlock an account. So, it you want at least five people to verify a death with the service before they unlock information, you can do that. Furthermore, you can also specify the time delay between an account being unlocked and the information being disseminated.
Pricing plans range from $9.95 per year to $239.95 for lifetime membership, depending on the amount of entries and storage space you require. Compare plans here and check out the demo for more information.
On Wednesday 2/9/2011 I received terrible news that my beloved Great Aunt Rezi
passed away in her sleep in a hospital in Croatia. She suffered a massive stroke in December
She was 88 years old
2008
My Tante Rezi lived with my grandparents for 30+ years
Here she is with my Nephew Nolan back in 2001
2001
She was born and raised in Croatia (former Yugoslavia)
In the photography below: My Tante Rezi, Sister Julia, Nephew Jayson and Nephew Justin
2002
My Grandparent brought my Aunt over when I was 3 or 4 years old
She was like my second Grandma to me
2002
Tante Rezi and Princess, now both are together again
2002
My Aunts Happy 80th Birthday
2002
I used to always sit next to my Aunt
2002
She loved to help my Grandma in the kitchen
I kept those pots as they have fond memories of my Grandma and Aunt cooking
I know in those pots was my Grandma’s rice and gravy for the turkey
2003
A few times after a night of gambaling at Pachanga we went to Deny’s
The girls treated as they hit a jackpot!
They both were putting money in the same machine and it struck big!
2003
My Sister Julia took this photograph below. One of my many cherished moments!
My Aunt had this printed and framed next to her bed
2004
Miss those Thanksgiving Days!
2005
Always smiling
2006
My fourth Nephew Tristan was born in 2006 and here
we took a trip to Northridge to meet him.
2006
My Aunt loved to be with the grandchildren
Here she is with my Nephew Justin
2006
I did my first studio session at my Grandparents house
My sisters applied makeup to my Aunt, I remember she said she felt pretty
2007
Here she is sitting in her comfy chair made for her height
2007
My Uncle John and Tante Rezi. He always knew how to make her laugh!
2008
My Aunt used to always want her picture taken in the garden so she could send it to her
family in Croatia, of course I couldn’t resist!
2008
In 2009 my Grandma Nada passed away and 2010 my Grandpa passed.
My grandma’s wishes was that my Aunt returned to Croatia to live with
their youngest Sister Slavica. So we boarded a plane and set off to Croatia in May 2010
2010
My Aunt had 6 huge suitcases and 2 huge duffel bags full of clothes.
It was amazing the plane got off the ground
I had six more boxes at home that was going to be sent airmail
2010
We arrived and were greeted by family.
Below her Nephew Kristijan, Aunt Rezi and and Great Niece Tea (Kristijan’s daughter)
2010
My Tante Slavica and Tante Rezi reunited once again after not seeing each other for 30 years
Sisters reunited for 7 more months
2010
My Tante Slavica, her daughter Jadranka and Cajo (Jadranka’s husband)
and me in the middle on the balcony at the Summer house on the island of Pag
2010
I remember my Aunt smiling. My fond memories are of her
smiling and singing. If I only knew those Croatian songs!
2010
Tante Rezi, thank you so much for being in my life. You had taken great care of me through my years. I hope that I was able to return some good deeds that you have done for me. I was blessed to have you live with me. I believe we helped each other through the loss of Grandma and Grandpa.
I had the hardest time saying my final good byes in Croatia. I knew I was never going to see you again. I enjoyed our weekly/biweekly phone calls, I know they were short and sweet but it made me happy to hear your voice and know you didn’t lose your English or forgot who I was. :+) I know our family took great care of you and loved you beyond words. My heart is filled knowing this. Also Grandma and Grandpa are with you once again. Once again the three amigos are together. Just the way I will always remember.
I love you very much! Please watch over us and protect us! AND when you have a moment kick my mom’s bed from time to time to let her know you are watching over her and to let her know “you will never forget“!
October 11, 1922 – February 8, 2011
Rest in peace!
Oh this is such a beautiful, well thought of and heart felt tribute to our beautiful Tante Rezi.
I am at a loss for words . . . (you know that doesn’t happen often).
Love you little Tante (as the boys say Grandma Rezi). My the Lord and your family in heaven guide you to your eternal resting place. I wait for the day to be reunited to hug and love you once again.
Please kick the bed, Grandma already rings the doorbell EVERY time Justin yells and raises his voice to me and I have to get up and control his anger. (Thank you Grams ) So kick the bed, slam a door I will know you are around, and I will NEVER forget you.
Love always, Julia and the boys Justin and Tristan ;*(
1999
2000
) So kick the bed, slam a door I will know you are around, and I will NEVER forget you.
1 comment
It’s strange that sometimes I still go to reach the phone when I am on the road wanting to share something exciting and she is the only one I want to tell. Then I realize once again that she has gone. The urge to pick up that phone is powerful as is wanting to still talk with her.
The poem is beautiful and missing her will never end. I loved her with every bit of who I am and miss her like crazy too!
You my sweet and loving brother are not alone in missing her.