"R. I. P. Barbara A. (Tillotson) Northrup"

Barbara A. (Tillotson) Northrup, 80, of Endicott, born August 2, 1929 in Johnson City, NY, peacefully entered Heaven on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at Lourdes Hospital surrounded by her family. Barbara was predeceased by her parents, Asa and Margaret (Davis) Tillotson; a niece, Nancy Wagner; and nephews, Donald Tillotson and James Tillotson. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, M. Carl Northrup; six sons, Carl Thrasher, Colchester, VT, Robert Northrup of Colorado, Richard (Ann) Northrup of Maine, NY, Randall (Diane) Northrup of Endicott, Thomas (Christine) Northrup of West Henrietta, NY, Timothy Northrup of Endicott; and one daughter, Debra (Lee) Vivian of Lancaster, PA. She also loved all eleven grandchildren, Jason, Melanie, Kristine, Richard, Heather, Nicholas, Zachary, Josiah, Kathryn, John and Matthew; and great-granddaughter, Mosel. Also surviving are two brothers, Ronald (Diana) Tillotson of Endicott and Donald (Sandra) Tillotson of Vestal; and sister, Louise (Warren) Whittemore of Endicott.

She was actively involved in supporting her children's and grandchildren's activities and sports and squeezed in some of her own activities. She was a member at various times of: PTA, Union Business Women's Club, U-E Wrestling Boosters, Good Sam Club, U-E Football and Band Boosters, Round Hill Chapter 104 OES, Old Town of Union Historical Society, Supervisor for Organization of Triangles, Parents Circle for DeMolay, Precious Moments Club and U-E Class of 48 Lunch Bunch. She enjoyed attending musicals, sporting events and most any activity her children and grandchildren participated in. She loved her family, a good party, her trips to Aruba and Las Vegas. After her 20th trip to Aruba she was honored as an honorary Ambassador to Aruba. A lifelong member of Central United Methodist Church, she loved her church and the many friends there. She was an election Inspector for Broome County and had previously worked for Day Hollow Restaurant, H&R Block, Art Services, and as a "Temp" at IBM. She also was an Avon Lady for many years.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, 10 a.m. from the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott, with the Reverend Douglas Clark, Pastor of her church, officiating. Burial will be in Maine Cemetery, Maine, NY. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home, Friday from 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation to a Children's Charity of your choice in memory of Barbara.



Barbara was my mother's cousin and was an important person in my life for as long as I can remember. Hers was one of the first faces that I would search for when we would go to our Carpenter-Davis family reunions. If I didn't see her, somehow I felt uneasy. Scanning the faces, I would search for someone with a big smile and an unusually huge photo album full to the brim with mostly photos of her little daughter, Debbie, in pretty party dresses. Barb was so happy that she had finally had her little girl—not to take away anything from her six amazing sons, mind you. It's just that she had been wanting to have at least one daughter in the mix, so she could dress her in lace and frills and now that she had her, she took every opportunity to show her off.

At the time, I was too young to understand that was what was happening. All I knew was that Debbie was so lucky to have all those neat clothes and I loved to hear the stories Barbara told about Debbie's latest accomplishments. I just always found myself wishing that I could do something special, too, (just one little thing!) but I couldn't come up with one single thing that I would call special that I could do. I guessed I wasn't special at all. My face must have showed that quite clearly because the next thing I knew, Barbara had wrapped her arms around me and was playing with my hair as she talked with me for the longest time, asking me about what I wanted to do when I got older. I confided in her that I was scared because everyone else seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do, but that I had no idea. I wanted to be a mommy most of all, I had told her, and to get married to someone like Dad. Just talking to her made me feel better—it always has.

I never forgot that day...or the many others that followed as she seemed to keep a special eye on me throughout the years—or at least I'd like to think she did. She was a very special lady, and I will miss her every day of the rest of my life here on this big old earth...until we meet again in Heaven.



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Catching Up On The Past Few Weeks!"

The past past few weeks have been pretty busy for me, with more activity than I'm used to. It's hard for me to get around and go out because of the pain that I'm in, but each of these trips were necessary and thank the Lord, I'm still alive to tell about it all. (LOL!)

Let's start with my monthly trip to the pain clinic with my sister, Carol. On Wednesday, 25 November 2009, Carol picked me up and we went to Groton to see Dr. Ortiz. The next day was Thanksgiving, so the waiting room was packed that day because they had over-booked appointments. We had quite a long wait and both of us were in a lot of pain to begin with, so it didn't go over big with us, but we always handle it well because we usually have a good time together.

I had what I call a "cruise control" appointment, which just means that everything was pretty much the same as it was the last time that I saw him, so there was no need to change anything. Carol did have some problems, so they worked on them and then we left.

After that, we went to Shur-Save for our groceries, went to the Post Office, then headed over to Mom's for our monthly get-together with Sande. We usually have such a nice time, but this time, it was a little strained because Carol said something to Mom about how Dion and I wouldn't be coming for Thanksgiving, and as usual, the whole thing got blamed on me.

I couldn't wait for Carol to take me home because I was in so much pain.

The next day was Thanksgiving and I needed to go home to rest up if I were to have any hope of being able to go to dinner—anywhere.

When Dion got home from work that night, he put away all the groceries that I brought home with me, plus he helped me get undressed and he put me to bed. I was in so much agony that I was in bed for the night by 6:30 p.m. and he took care of me like no nurse you have ever known. He was loving and tender, plus he even read to me. He is so wonderful to me—I love him so much!



Thursday, 26 November 2009...Thanksgiving Day. Dion and I definitely decided that we would go to his mother's for dinner and that we were not going to go over to my mother's and join them afterwards because they complain and say that it's just not good enough that we show up later anyway, so why spoil a perfectly good day?

We had a wonderful time at Dion's mom's. The dinner was delicious and as always, his mother was as adorable as can be. She is always so sweet to me and she makes me feel loved. It's so peaceful and calm over there—totally different from the chaos that has become the norm at my mother's now.

Besides Dion's mom, Dion and me, the following were present for dinner: Daren, Cheryl and Dara; and Donna, Bob and Matthew. I looked around the table and immediately wished that Duane had been there—I miss him so much. After that, I wistfully thought how nice it would have been if Drew, Vikki, Dana, and Katie would have popped in and joined us. I don't know about the rest of them, but I miss them a lot.

When dinner was done, Dion and I went home, sunggled together and watched some DVD movies. All in all, it was a great day. There was no arguing or back-biting and it was a day to be thankful for.



Monday, 30 November 2009...Dion took the day off from work today so that he could take me back to Dr. Ortiz's for my third in a series of "trigger point injection treatments" on my left shoulder. The first two times I received a series of twelve shots in each visit and this time I received somewhere between 8 to 10 shots, but they were big ones, and they hurt really bad! (I have to remember to tell Dr. O. that after he left the room, the pain went all the way up the left side of my face and my ear, plus it hurt my left arm and the top of my left hand.)

Dion and I stopped at the Phoenix Bookstore on the way home, but I didn't go in—I just didn't feel good after receiving all those shots. Then we went to Penny's for lunch. It was really nice, but we had to wait for quite a long time, which Dion can't seem to tolerate very well. Once he got food in his tummy he was in better spirits, though.

Then we went to get my prescriptions, which they promptly messed up at Rite Aid. Ever since Josie, the long-time pharmacist they had, left for medical reasons, that place has made mistakes and messed up my prescriptions every month. And to top it all of, they're rude!

When we finally got home, I called Audra and wished her a "Happy Birthday" because thirty years ago today, I went with Carol and the doctor into the delivery room and helped deliver her into this world. I was the first one to see her! She was "my little baby." I'll never forget it—it was wondrous to behold.

We ended the day much like any other—in each other's arms. There is nothing better for me than to fall asleep being held by the man I love, with my ear to his chest, listening to his heart beating steadily, as he strokes my hair and tells me that he cherishes me. Heaven is here on earth, sometimes.



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Our Eight-Year Wedding Anniversary!"

Dion and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary on Tuesday, 17 November 09. We didn't do much to celebrate—we just stayed home, snuggled, and watched movies. But you're never going to believe the movies we watched! Dion bought two DVD's for me that I've been wanting so much and I know it was a sacrifice for him to sit through both of them and watch them with me, but he did it because he loves me.






The movies that he bought for me were:



"The TinkerBell Movie"

and...



"TinkerBell and The Lost Treasure"

They were both amazing movies and nothing else he could have done for me would have topped that! I was completely surprised and happy with what he got for me. He's the best husband in the whole world!




Until next time...stay safe,stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy 18th Birthday, Jonathan!"

Today, 10 November 2009, was our son, Jonathan's (we just call him "Jon") 18th birthday! It's so hard to believe that he's 18 already. It seems like it was only yesterday when he had to hold on to my hand when we went to the antique car shows with his brother, Joshua, his dad, and me. He would look to me for protection and security, and he used to be so little. But now...oh my goodness, just look at him now! He must be at least six foot three or four inches tall!

We're very proud of the man that he is becoming. He is a sensitive, caring, young man. For the most part, he is very good to his father and me--much more so than most young men his age. He has been a blessing to us for most of his life. He has been agreeable and helpful, and hasn't given us too much trouble when we've asked him to do things for us or even when we've asked him to just wait for something that he really had been wanting for a long time. He has always been wonderful about doing chores for his dad, like mowing the lawn or helping him clean out the gutters, and when we all got together to clean out and organize the attic and the dining room, he was right there, all ready to pitch in. And when we actually did the work, he was fast, efficient, and he gave me some great ideas to speed up the process that really helped! (In the photo above: That's my husband, Dion...Jon's dad...with Jon, the "birthday boy" himself, today, right on his birthday. I love my handsome boys!)




There are so many memories throughout the years, but I think my favorites are when I'm listening to the laughter of he and his dad as they watched movies/DVD's in the livingroom while I was in the bedroom, surfing the web on my laptop or reading, staying out of the way (they never put it that way—it's just a cute way of stating it) so that the guys could have some special "alone" time—I thought they needed it because they don't get much time together, really, and once the time is gone, you can never get it back.




So, Happy Birthday to you, Jon, and remember that we love you very much and always will.




Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde

Please check out my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy Six-Month Birthday, Little Noah!"

You may have guessed by the title of this post that our adorable little grandson has just recently turned six months old. The second of November was the big day for little Noah and, as always, it was marked with laughter and smiles, all the way around. I don't think that his Grandpa (my husband, Dion) or I have ever seen him cry, since the day he way born. He is such a happy, well-adjusted little boy. He exudes joy and he makes people want to smile just by looking at him--I've never seen anything quite like it.



Noah's giggle is quite infectious, too. His tummy seems to rumble with the joy of it. And somehow, he can't seem to stop after he has started. He is just too precious for words! Quite honestly, I'm sure that I would still love him, even if he weren't my grandson. But the fact that he is my grandson fills me with such pride that I could burst to overflowing. To think that Dion and I are that little treasure's "Grandma and Grandpa" makes me ecstactic beyond words. By the way: did you notice that Noah is sitting up all by himself? Isn't he amazing?




The Lord has really blessed us this time. Praise the Lord big time!



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"I Confess To A TinkerBell OBSESSION!"

There are so many people that love TinkerBell, too. I have her EVERYWHERE at home, do you? I have posters, bank checks, keyrings, backpacks,note cards, address labels, necklaces, earrings, Christmas decorations, yard art, you name it! I guess I must be OBSESSED! I have even named my computer TinkerBell and put beautiful little TinkerBell stickers on my laptop and even inside my CAR! Weird, huh?






And now that the new TinkerBell movie, "TinkerBell: And The Lost Treasure" is coming out, Dion (my husband) has ordered that and "TinkerBell: The Movie" both for me for presents for our eight-year wedding anniversary, which falls on a Tuesday this year (17 November 2009). I can't wait to watch them. Here are the clips that are posted on YouTube.com from "TinkerBell: And The Lost Treasure" for you to enjoy:

















I bet you're just as hooked on TinkerBell as I am now, right? Well, there is plenty of TinkerBell memorabilia out there for you to choose from and you'll be able to surround yourself with TinkerBell things to your heart's content.

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write The Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy Blogaversary To Me!"

If it hadn't been for "Teena in Toronto" who owns the blog called "It's All About Me", I would have completely missed my "Blogaversary" for this blog. Teena left me a "Happy Blogaversary" message, for which I am very thankful (Thank you, Teena!) and it reminded me that as of 27 October 2009, I have had this blog up and running for a whole year now!

So, "Happy Blogaversary" to ME! And to all of you, of course, because without you, I probably wouldn't even bother writing this blog. Thank you for reading my posts and for always encouraging me when you do. This has been a great year for me and I have met a lot of wonderful people. You have changed my life and also become a valuable part of my life.

Cynde


Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Birthdays and Other Stuff..."

Boy, it sure has been an eventful couple of weeks these past few weeks! On Tuesday, the 29th of September, my sister, Carol Lee, took me to my monthly trip to the pain clinic in Groton, NY (she has to go to the same doctor as I do, so we ride together and make our appointments together every month). It just so happens that this day it was also Carol Lee's birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Carol Lee!"


The only photo that I have of Carol Lee at the moment is the one that was taken about six years ago (see above) for a "four-generation" photo. It has from left to right in the top row, Carol Lee's daughter, Audra; then Carol Lee on the right; then on the bottom row it has Carol Lee's mother, Mary Ellen, with Carol Lee's granddaughter (Audra's daughter), Olivia, in her lap. Carol Lee looks basically the same now as she did then; if anything, she has only gotten prettier.




After our appointment, we did the usual and picked us a few groceries at Shur-Save in Trumansburg, then went to Mom's to spend time with Mom and Sande there. We look forward to the gab-fest that we have there together every month. It's the only time that the four of us can get together; and this time we had an extra special, surprise treat: Audra was able to join us, too!

I brought along a bunch of pictures of Noah (my grandson) for everybody, and they all picked out their favorites so that they'd have some to show off to the rest of their family and friends—even Livvie picked one out for herself. It was so adorable.

Then, on Thursday, the 1st of October, Dion reinjured his back at work again. He really did a number on it this time—he can hardly stand up straight at all. He was bent over so bad that he couldn't even stand up straight. It was just pitiful and it totally broke my heart. It is so unusual to see Dion down for the count like that and it really scares me. It also makes me wonder: if something happens to him, then who is going to take care of us? Because right now, Dion takes care of both of us. I'll just have to trust in the Lord, that's all. So...all of you out there reading this, would you please pray for my husband. I can't bear to see him in pain. I love him so much.





The next thing that happened was on Friday, the 2nd of October. Our grandson, Noah turned exactly five months old on that date. Isn't that amazing? And, as you already know by the photos that I have been posting, he is an adorable little guy. I'll post a couple again, just for a reminder. Here's Noah:















The final thing that has happened is with my nephew, Carol Lee's son, Bret. He had to go to court today to find out what his sentence would be after something that he did in March 2009 that he regrets very much.

Bret got a DWI; and then when the police went to arrest him, he took off, so they had to chase him, so he was cited for resisting arrest and fleeing the scene. I can't remember what else. Anyway, the Judge, who happened to be the same judge that denied me my right to get my pistol registration, was the one he had to go before.

The purpose of this court date today was for sentencing from when he went before and was found guilty. Carol knew that there was a chance that Bret might go to jail, but for some reason, she didn't think that he should have to go. I feel really bad that he did have to go, but we do have to face the consequences of our actions, and the only thing that I can figure is that the Lord must have thought that Bret must have needed to go. I am sure that the Lord is watching out for Bret, and not matter what happens, He is in control. I believe this with all of my heart—I have to—because if I didn't, then I would just break down and cry.

It breaks my heart to think of the possibility that Bret may be scared or claustrophobic, but Carol Lee hasn't mentioned it, so it must not be a problem. I've been praying for him and plan to write to him several times while he's in jail. I just hope he'll read my letters this time.



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!