ok, so i WANT to journal.

When my son was small, I would take him grocery shopping with me.  And for his amusement, I would do my shopping personna, Natasha, who talked with a Russian accent, especially at the marked down bin.

Looook, there ees special keck (cake).  Looooks like dead clown.

and it did.  i distinctly recall that cake - it WAS a clown design.  It had X's for eyes, and and reminded me of something out of the Stephen King movie, It.  Hard to imagine a kid getting that cake and not being traumatized.  But..Natasha made the obvious observations and one little boy laughed because of it.  He also laughed when Natasha talked with the cashier.

Ees HOW MUCH?  Are you sure?  Dead clown cake was better deal!

It has been a while since Natasha was set free in a grocery store, but the other night, I took my mom shopping.  I was pushing her in one of those wheelchair carts, and suddenly, Natasha was there.  Poor mom laughed so hard she started coughing - not to mention, I was drawing some stares from other shoppers, so I had to chase the accent back  into segregation.

Someone I loved died today...we all gathered at mom's and dad's house and we reminisced about beach trips, visits to his house in New York, all the things we did together with him.  Things he said and did. We cried.  We laughed a little.  And now later, I'm in such a mood...

Life is much too short.  Just look at what happened in Virginia yesterday - a senseless, horrific tragedy.  And that's an understatement.

You know, none of us know how much time we have left on this earth, but I, for one, plan to resurrect Natasha.  When it comes to leaving ANY mark, I don't think I would mind so much being remembered as the crazy lady who shopped with a Russian accent.  If I leave nothing else to this world, let it be a smile.  And perhaps a dropped jaw or two, and a shaking of heads..