ELSIE AND DIANNA (Kanda's Mom) BEST FRIENDS FOREVER (1967 -
CARLA, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR DESIGNING THE PERFECT PIN FOR MY DEAREST FRIEND, ELSIE.
In trying to come up with a very special gift for my dear friend of many years, I have decided on your BEST FRIEND ANGEL PIN
with some special changes. Could a large heart be centered between the angels engraved with ELSIE AND DIANNA, Elsie's
sons's birthstone of October and Elsie's birthstone of April anywhere on the angel or with her name on the heart,, the same with mine,
my daughter's birthstone of May and mine of February, our children's birthstone being above our birthstone? I would also like a religious
CROSS AND A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER or FLOWERS arranged on the angels if possible. I trust you so if you have any ideas, please
do not hesitate to create this ANGEL with what I have requested and maybe something unique I would not have thought of.
I, KANDA'S MOM, AM VERY PROUD TO ADD THE PERFECT BEST FRIENDS PIN: ( PIN ABOVE) MUSIC PLAYING: "ROSE GARDEN" LYRICS TO FOLLOW ALSO
Elsie and I met in 1967 in Northern Illinois, she from Tennessee, I from Southern Illinois and we became instant friends. I had just recently
married, at only 18, Elsie was older and it was as if she took me under her wing along with her three children. Her husband Bill, and my husband
Jack, also became very close friends, loved fishing and had so many other common interests as did Elsie and me. Elsie, Bill and family moved
back to Tennessee and we back to Southern Illinois. For many years we just kind of lost touch, went on with our lives since we were over
400 miles apart. Tragedy struck their family when they lost their only son in a car accident in 1979 and then more tragedy when we too,
lost our only daughter in 2004, so we traveled to Tennessee to visit with our old friends, who so very well knew our pain and had been through,
since 1979, what we were just beginning, the loss of our grown child. Even after very little contact for years, it was like it had always been, except
of course, we were all some years older. Elsie and her husband, Bill, have also had health issues, but handle them with such dignity and grace.
Over Easter of 2006, while driving to Tennessee, we were just in AWE of the majestic and sweet smell of the great Smoky Mountains and in seeing
such beauty, it somehow humbled and sent such a peace over us. While visiting Elsie, we had time alone to relax, talk and Elsie gave me
me the greatest gift of all, her heart, that which she felt would help me in going on without my daughter as she had gone on without her son.
I truly realized as I listened to her words of wisdom that she and I had always had a bond, common interests and now THE MOST PAINFUL
BOND OF ALL, THE LOSS OF OUR GROWN CHILDREN, HER 19 YEAR OLD SON , KENT AND MY 30 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, KANDA..
Elsie is my ANGEL on this earth and she worships God everyday, active in her church, as is her husband, likes to go shopping, hangs clothes
on door knobs, loves Resales and Rummage Sales just as I do and we both are just absolutely crazy over shoes. I was surprised that we
both carry ANTI BACTERIAL HAND GEL IN OUR PURSE. I thought, in a joking way, no wonder our friendship has lasted almost 40 years, especially
when I found out she, too, hung clothes on door knobs as I do.
What a warm connection Elsie and I will FEEL in our hearts each time WE wear these pins, even though we are over 400 miles apart, A FRIENDSHIP
OF ALMOST 40 YEARS. EVEN THOUGH IT IS PAINFUL, THIS PIN WILL ALSO BE OUR BOND TO OUR CHILDREN WHOM WE LOST SINCE MOTHER AND
CHILD BIRTHSTONES ARE ON EACH ANGEL.
ELSIE WILL FOREVER BE MY BEST FRIEND AND I LOVE HER DEARLY AND SHALL WE NOT FORGET, BILL , WHO ALSO HAS NOT ONLY READ
SCRIPTURES FROM THE BIBLE TO HELP EASE OUR PAIN WHILE WE TRAVEL INTO OUR FIRST YEARS OF LIVING WITHOUT OUR ONLY
DAUGHTER., BUT ALSO HAS GIVEN HIS HEART AS HE REMEMBERS GOING INTO THOSE FIRST YEARS WITHOUT HIS ONLY SON.BILL AND ELSIE: THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WE LOVE YOU BOTH DEARLY.
JACK AND DIANNA
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May 2007 Vacation to Tennessee
Photo taken at
THE CHURCH OF GOD
Pastor Darrell, Bill ( our dear friend) and Jack
Elsie ( our dear friend) and Dianna
THANK YOU TO ELSIE AND BILL,
PASTOR DARRELL
AND CHURCH FAMILY
FOR OUR SPECIAL PARYER
Recently,
May 29th to June 2nd
of 2007,
we once again traveled to
Jacksboro, Tennessee to visit with
our special friends of 40 years.
WE, SO MUCH ENJOYED OUR
VISIT THIS YEAR,
GOING BACK TO CADES COVE,
SEEING OUR FIRST BEAR,
BILL AND ELSIE'S
GIFT TO US
AS THEY KNOW WE LOVE
THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS.
OUT SPECIAL THANK YOU TO
OUR DEAR FRIENDS.
I BEG YOUR PARDON, I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDENLYRICS
I felt the song "ROSE GARDEN" went so well with the ROSE BACKGROUND and also to our lives because we, have not only seen the sun, but also the "RAIN," and as many parents, we too, have lost a child.
ROSE GARDEN LYRICS
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime
When you take you gotta give so live and let live and let go oh oh oh oh
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
I could promise you things like big diamond rings
But you don't find roses growin' on stalks of clover
So you better think it over
Well, if sweet talking you could make it come true
I would give you the world right now on a silver platter
But what would it matter
So smile for a while and let's be jolly love shouldn't be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon
But if that's what it takes to hold you I'd just as soon let you go
But there's one thing I want you to know
You'd better look before you leap still waters run deep
And there won't always be someone there to pull you out
And you know what I'm talking about
So smile for a while and let's be jolly love shouldn't be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime.....
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime.....
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime
When you take you gotta give so live and let live and let go oh oh oh oh
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
I could promise you things like big diamond rings
But you don't find roses growin' on stalks of clover
So you better think it over
Well, if sweet talking you could make it come true
I would give you the world right now on a silver platter
But what would it matter
So smile for a while and let's be jolly love shouldn't be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon
But if that's what it takes to hold you I'd just as soon let you go
But there's one thing I want you to know
You'd better look before you leap still waters run deep
And there won't always be someone there to pull you out
And you know what I'm talking about
So smile for a while and let's be jolly love shouldn't be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime.....
I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime.....