For caitlin’s birthday we spent the day celebrating her.  This is the letter our teen enclosed in the gifts he had created for her closest friends and family.

 

Everybody knows my mom had the voice of an angel, but did you know that she studied music in college and gave up her dream only when she found out she was expecting me…and decided being my mom was a much greater gift than performing on Broadway?  Thank you for choosing me mom.

Everybody knows my mom hated dirt, but did you know that one of my favorite memories of her is the day we spent outside lying on our bellies in the wet grass playing with my cars and army guys and trucks in the stream that ran next to the house?  Then we took a shower in our clothes.  Thanks for stretching for me mom.

Everybody knows my mom hated mess and cold, but did you know she taught me how to jump in mud puddles and that even a week before she left us she grabbed my hand as we ran through the rain and jumped in the  middle of the best mud puddle you could ever imagine.  Thanks for teaching me the joy in little things mom.

Everyone knows my mom had a heart for those who were hurt by someone else and was a volunteer at both the Battered Women’s Shelter as well as Rape Crisis, but did you know she grew up in a house of ritualistic abuse and violence and yet managed to not let it destroy her spirit or her life in the process?  Thanks for showing me how to persevere mom.

Everyone knows my mom was married to a man who nearly killed her, more than once, but did you know she also understood that he is my father and literally until the day she left us she spoke quietly to me of the need for me to make peace with myself and my father, for me, not him…I’m not there yet mom but am working on it…thank you for the courage to face my fear.

Everyone knows that the past several years, before and after Luke, my mom was doing well financially and living a fairly comfortable life.  But did you know that when I was little she worked sometimes 15 hour days in order to dig out of the hole created by the demise of her marriage to my father.  Eating top ramen for dinner more than once while making sure I had vegies and milk and yogurt and all my favorites.  Thanks for teaching me responsibility mom.

Everyone knows that my mom met the love of her life far too late in life but did you know, she waited for years to even look for this love because she was focused on me and helping me grow.  Thanks for the sacrifices mom.

Everyone knows that my mom lived large and loved even larger but did you know that she also lived a quiet life of sacrifice and devotion and service to those she loved and wanted to please.  Thanks for showing me both sides of the coin mom.

Everyone knows that my mom was pretty sick for quite some time, but did you know that she never stopped bbelieving it all had meaning?  That no matter where she was in this walk there was a purpose and she strived to learn all she could about the lessons she was meant to learn.  Thanks for helping me believe mom.

Everyone knows my mom had a deeply personal relationship wtih God, but did you also know that it didn’t matter to her what YOU believed?  Whether you walked the walk she chose or did not even believe in His existence she still stood in the gap for you and quietly prayed for whatever need you might have.  Thanks for introducing me to your friend mom.

Everyone knows that my mom was married to the man I call Dad but did you also know she fought him for years before agreeing to consider maybe possibly perhaps joining her life with his?  Believing that she had so little to offer and came attached to so much stuff {waving!!! Hi, my name is stuff.} Thanks for giving me a real father mom.

My mom was a good mom, no, my mom was an amazing mom.  She taught me to embrace all this world has to offer and to understand that as long as I am not causing others pain and they are not harming me?  You really can’t break it.

I miss my mom, her laugh and her hugs and her voice as she sings while she folds the laundry and her quick witted responses and her passion for everything she did but, she left me a legacy that will never go away and part of that legacy includes all of you in this room today. 

Everyone knows my mom had no real family to help her raise me, but did you know she went out of her way to make sure I always had an extended family around me?  She sought out men and women who would fill that space in our lives.  I grew up with numerous grands and aunts and uncles who meant more to her than any family of origin ever could.

Of course you know…for you are them.

Thanks for coming to celebrate my mom with me today.  I am quite sure she is hanging out, watching us laugh and cry and yelling PAY THE PIG!! on a fairly regular basis.

Three weeks ago was my little one’s birthday and at the teens’ suggestion we had a celebration. Her memorial was a time to reflect on who she was in our lives but this, this was different.

The teens and my mother and I met the day on the back deck to watch the sunrise as Caitlin loved to do. We had fresh blueberry scones and Earl Grey tea with a splash and quietly started her day.

What followed was hours of celebrating my beloved. We went to the ourdoor market for fresh crab and scallops and warm from the oven bread and headed to the beach to let Ben and the other critters run through the surf.

It was as if the world knew this was a special day. Throughout the morning and into the afternoon the weather was amazing. A bit of a wind and a little cool but overall an amazing day. We set candles adrift in the creek as we all said our goodbyes one more time,

As friends gathered at the house and we started up the grill, the storm began to rage. For those of you who have any doubt? Caitlin loved the storms. It was one of her most favorite parts of living here in our corner.

We gathered in the kitchen and dining nook and shared laughs and tears and soft smiles as we ate her favorite meal and just enjoyed being together.

Our teen wrote a letter for her friends and I am going to share it with you all, I just need time to treasure it for a bit first.

I wanted to let you all know we are well, one step at a time.

Luke

This site began as a way for my beloved to meet others in the life as well as a means for us to communicate when we were on opposite sides of the country.  Over time it became so much more and I have gone back and forth as to what to do with it.  I am loathe to take it down as it is such a real part of who she was and I suppose I am not quite ready to let go of this yet.  So, for now it will stay.

I want to thank all of you who have stopped by and reaffirmed the love that was mine.  Your comments and emails have meant more than I can possibly say.  I owe a few of you some email and I will get to it, I just can’t promise as to when.

Several of you have asked about the boys.  They are coping as we all are.  The little man is angry.  At his father for taking him away from Auntie Moo, at me for not taking better care of her, at God for taking another mother from him.  He has not been able to be here at the house ~ the hurt is too big ~ but he did stop by just today to gather a few things of hers to take with him.  He chose their favorite quilt, a scrapbook they had made together and a picture of the two of them.  He climbed up in the hammock with Ben and eventually our teen joined them  and they  talked and cried and talked some more.  He has said good bye to far too many people and this one is a hard one for the little man to accept.  But he is walking through it with a lot of help from the big guy in our world.

Our teen is devistated which is no surprise obviously.  He logs lots of time in her hammock as well or in her chair in my office.  He and his friends are clinging to my mother and are all still in a daze of sorts.  They gather here three and four nights a week and we have lots of ‘remember when’ conversations.  They are learning to live without her but it will not come easy.

Me?  I find myself asking ‘are you sure?’ because as sick as she was it just can’t be real that she is not here with me.  That she is not snuggled up next to me when I reach for her at night or waiting in my office when I come through the door at the end of the day.

So life goes on and we are all grieving as we try to adjust to a world that is a little less bright

 

Luke

I am my beloved’s…. 

Whether she is snuggling with a wee one or throwing the frisbee for Ben or laughing with her best girls over a game of cards or quietly whispering long into the night with our boy.  She amazes me.

She enters your life and it is forever changed.  She loves with a passion that is not to be explained.  She defends those who others malign – right or wrong – she never lets the underdog stand alone.   She may not agree with you but she will fight to the end anyone who wants to prevent you from having your say.

She never met a stranger.  Once you entered her world you were a friend….true she does hold some more closely than others but all she encountered were friends.

Koolaid mom – that’s what our teens friends call her.  She is the one they come to with their hurts and angst and confusion and confessions.  She keeps them fed and schooled and makes sure they get some rest and dries tears and hands out hugs and lectures and now and again condoms…for those who just need to know that somebody cares she is there.

Be they 2 or 92 she is passionate about the underprivileged.  Organizing adoptions for Christmas and caroling and lunch at the winter shelter and coats for the kiddles and slippers for the grands…walking many of them through the daunting task of applying for benefits and wading through paperwork.

These past few years her health has been an issue she has battled quite fiercely.  She has fought tirelessly to be ‘better’ and has worked so hard and not being sick.  It has broken her spirit at times to have to sit by the sidelines and not be fully involved.  She has missed being here more than I can possibly tell you and often has me read to her the posts of so many of you…praying for you as you go through your struggles…rejoicing with you as you attain your victories…and missing you always.

11 very long days ago, after a day spent with family, an evening of cards and dinner with good friends and a late night reminding each other of our love my little one and I lay snuggled in the hammock on the back deck watching the storm rage.  She kissed me softly as we whispered our good nights…an hour or so later I woke to Ben whining and scratching at me…

Despite the best efforts of our local EMTs and the physician across the fence my beloved left me that night.   An autopsy revealed what we already knew, her heart had simply given all it had to give.

Whether you knew caitlin through this venue or on a far more intimate level, you knew her heart encompassed all her crossed her path.  She has fought Polymyotitis, Brachacardia, a pace maker, brittle diabetes and most recently Congestive heart failure.  Fought with every fiber of her being to stay here with us but whoever is in charge of these things had other plans.

Were she here to whisper in our ears one more time she would want you to know that this was not an end but rather a graduation.  She is no longer in pain no long fighting to breathe no longer tied down to shots and pills and treatments.  She is devouring a brownie extravaganza with extra fudge and she is dancing down the lane as a melody falls from her lips.

I still find it hard to take in…I am 18 years older than her and always knew she would be the one facing life without me.  This was not in my plan and so not in my control.  I reach for her at night, listen for her when I enter the house, smell her scent on my sheets.  My heart is heavy with an emptiness beyond measure.

I am sure I have done this very poorly and have no other words to say it with.  Just know that she was loved beyond measure and the reality of her not being at my side has not quite hit.

Hi…so it’s been ummmm forever…where do I begin?  Rather than try to expain the past few months or where I’ve been let’s just start with this week shall we?

My house is full…and it is, as always, heaven.  I have wee ones as young as two weeks up to age 6, then there is the 12 to 19 crowd and then the adults and pseudo adults and of course Mom.  My house is bursting with energy and I love it.

In total there are 19 staying here and another 10 staying in hotels as well as the ones who wander in and out who actually live in this part of the world.  Our first ones arrived on Sunday and the last will leave a week from this Sunday so it’s been busy.  We celebrated my son’s 19th birthday followed by Crapaw’s 65th and then there was Thansgiving….lots of to dos going on.

Thanksgiving was amazing…all the traditional American fair along with Mom’s spring rolls and tempura vegies and a most amazing pork loin with raspberry chipolte sauce and Master grilled vegies and my pumpkin cheesecake…we ate til I thought we would all burst…and then today we have the best part of Thanksgiving…turkey sammiches…you know the ones, on white squishy bread with relatively no nutritional value, mayo or miracle whip (the vote is out) cheese, and lettuce…yummmmmmmmy or leftover stuffing and potatoes ….or potato pancakes and donuts made from the leftovers…yup yup yup

Today the girls went shopping at stupid o’clock…I mean really…who doesn’t want to get up at 4 am to go shopping? (I begged off this year but normally I am so there)  I did meet the girls for breakfast at Denny’s at 8 though and then we all went to Old Towne to buy ornaments for each other, cause it is tradition.

At 10 the men – those 10 and older – went to mini golf and movies and the women – those over 6 – went to manicures/pedicures and a movie and me?  I stayed home to snuggle…we have five wee ones this year ranging in age from Miss Elise who is 15 days old up to Eden, 4 &1/2, who are actually staying here with us and the six of us had a blast.  We took a nap or two, read books, fingerpainted with pudding, threw the frisbee for Ben, made pockcorn and cococa (honest, that’s how Miss Sarah says it is) ate cheese and apples and yogurt and baked cookies and had pink bunnies for lunch…it was a blast.

Tomorrow the boys are off for the sorta kinda semi annual football match against the Pastor’s family and then to get trees and the girls are breaking out the Christmas ornamanets…YAY!

So loving this time of year…

As for us?  Things are a bit up in the air, that’s the best I can offer.  My health is pretty fragile right now, a whole nother post, and Master is not fully confident that moving me cross country is what’s best for me at this point…so we are in limbo…I meet with my cardio team this week and we go from there I suppose.

He has decided to scale back the majority of His business and has either sold it off or simply hooked his clients up with other consultants in order for Him to truly be retired…

My son is doing great…thinking about moving south for a season and spreading his wings a bit.  Mom is worried but knows that he is a good kid with a good head on his shoulders and he will be fine…

I am truly so thankful for so much this year that I can’t begin to tell you…I look at our community and the effect the economy has had on my little town and my heart hurts…I am so blessed with all that I have and I think I tend to forget that as I struggle with what I lack…and I am aiming to change that..

One of the things I have been struggling with is this place…pouting and ignoring it because life is far different than I envisioned it when I began this site…but as He has pointed out to me on a regular basis…this is not meant to be a smut site or a sex site or even quite frankly a BDSM site …it is meant to be His site and for me to be able to right about the day to day struggles and joys of becoming His…

SO hopefully my lack of being here will change…

I am so ashamed of the state of California….the overwhelming passage of Proposition 8 stuns me and I am so sad to realize how paranoia can control an entire population.

I truly am sorry….

Lately when I come here to write I find myself starting a post and then deleting it…time and time again I read what I have written and decide I want to hold it close and not put it out here for all to see…and I am not sure why.

I journal daily in my leather bound journal that lies next to my bed…I have for decades…and I journal nearly daily for Master on His private site that was begun just for the two of us back when we were getting to know one another…but those are both very personal and very private.  For our eyes only.

My journal – Master of course can read whenever He chooses to – but to the best of my knowledge He never has ventured forth.  I suppose it’s because He knows I will eventually tell Him my heart and He is willing to wait for His girl to come to Him rather than invade what He considers to be mine…and it is pretty much the only thing He considers mine…which is fine with me.

I love my readers…love sharing my world with those who stop by…even those who feel compelled to point out the errors of my way and remind me yet again that this is so very wrong to choose to live this life…so why the hesitation to let you in these days?

I am not sure and am even more unsure about how to change it…

Things here on the left side of the map are wonderful…the back and forth about what is best for me versus what is His heart’s desire is making me crazy and I have taken huge steps back and just wait for Him to tell me whether to pack or unpack…the uncertainty is a bit annoying but I trust all will become clear and unmuddled soon…

I am currently sporting some most delicious stripes across the back of my thighs and the sweet spot just below my ass thanks to time spent with the cane and the single tail two nights ago…we even ventured into time with the whip but it is a work in progress…and I have to admit I love the thrill that passes through me when I hear the crack of the whip but the pain that follows is not so much a favorite.

We are alone this weekend with the exception of tonight’s poker game so He has promised more to come…

I love my husband…I love my Master…I love being His and having Him make all the major decisions and I just follow along and do what I am told…it’s the way it’s sposed to be right?  That’s how the rules work…it’s one of the best parts about being a slave – I don’t have to make decisions…cause quite frankly I suck at them…

So when He lays down the law – especially when it means I have to face some really tough choices of my own? – His yes needs to stay yes!  Maybes are not allowed…they confuse me and make my world off balance..

And yet – is He not the Master?  If He wants to change His mind He is more than allowed that privilege…right?

But that doesn’t mean I have to embrace it does it?

We are in the midst of a crisis – okay, maybe not a crisis but it might as well be one…and I don’t like it…I feel all out of sorts and insecure and as if I have no place to go to find that security that normally comes from Him…cause He is the source of my confusion…

What would said crisis be?  He is waffling on the move…because of me…because of my health…and it’s scaring me and it confuses me and it makes me want to lay down the law with Him (stop giggling…I could so do it if I had to!!) and tell Him that we are going – that it has been His heart for nearly a year now and He is not changing things for me.  I have a great team waiting for me at the Cleveland Clinic and we have family there and I will make friends…and and and

But just as I need His yes to be YES…He needs me to respect that His yes can sometimes change…

le sigh even…

Does anyone have a clue why this post gets more hits than any other on my blog? Just askin’

I’ll be back with a real post this afternoon – He just has to okay what I wrote…and no He doesn’t pre approve everything I write – just when it involves a beating..

It’s answer the questions day…I have so many emails to get to that rather than try to answer all of the questions there…I will attempt to hit most of them here…

Why caitlin smiles?

Actually, it’s Master’s fault.  He calls me caitlin ~ has since we first started talking.  In fact there are people in our lives who have asked if He knows my name because He rarely says it…

Early in our relationship we had plans to meet in Denver ~ He was there on business and I had the weekend free.  At this point we were friends, just friends, nothing more than friends…we had exchanged pictures but there is still the ‘how will we know each other?’ thing going on…So when I asked Him if I should wear something that would help Him identify me He said ‘ No ~  I’ll just look for my caitlin smile’

In conversations with people ~ He will tell them that ‘nothing brightens my world like caitlin smiles’ and it has just become a most romantic silly thing between us. So when I started writing – it was the most “innocent” name I could come up with that would still let Him know I was aware…

How is Keith?

Keith is fine.   He is back here, working at the club, living over the club, comes over for dinner a couple nights a week.  Protects me when I go to Karaoke and makes my body tingle when he holds me close to dance.

We have shared a few nights here and there but with all of my physical issues it has not really been possible to play with him much.

The other issue we are dealing with is the fact that he is not quite the Sadist he thought he was…he sat in and watched a particularly lengthy and violent scene between Master and I and it upset him.  He was so worried about me and left the room several times because he could not bear to watch Master beat me…we all talked about it the next day and he conceded that perhaps he was more into the ‘lighter side of bdsm’ as opposed to full on Sadism.

What’s the latest on the move?

Still happening sometime after the first of the year although I don’t have a definitive go date yet.  I have been weeding through my world and attempting to decide what stays what goes and what we don’t need anymore.

We are flying out to Ohio this week to see the guys at Cleavland Clinic and buy a piano…quite the combo don’t you think?  I am seeing my cardio guy here and the auto immune specialist but evidently the plan is to wean me off of my old guys and on to the new guys so we are double dipping…my insurance company LOVES me…

As for the piano?  I have a baby grand here in the house – I got it as a graduation gift when I got my Master’s  – and had initially talked about taking it to Ohio but then, what would I have to play when I was here?  We went back and forth and finally He decided that we would just buy another piano for the Ohio house.  Buying a piano is like buying a car – you have to test them and take time – so we are going shopping this week as a first step…of course, my last two cars were ones I fell in love with right off the bat so it may all happen this week…wish me luck…

Any change in the relationship with your Master and His son?

Not really.  He has chosen to let our son make his own choices in this and has not pursued him to ‘make things right’ there is nothing that would change from Master’s stance.  This child (yes he is older than I am but he is acting like a spoiled child) made some potentially devastating decisions within his job at the company and Master dealt with him as He would with any other employee…He has not cut him out of His life…has not walked away from him…He simply fired and employee who needed to be terminated.  Unfortunately our son does not see it this way.

We have weekly emails and phone calls with the grandkids and Mom hears from our son fairly regularly…his wife refuses to speak to or about us and thus the lines have been drawn…it makes me sad and angry at the same time but it is so not my job to fix…

Are you still singing?

I am assuming you mean at church and what have you?  If so, yes…music is my foundation and if I am ever unable to sing?  Put a fork in me…I am done…

I don’t sing each week as it is often too much for me to be on stage for 40 minutes or so but I do special music and sing on worship team now and again.  Rehearsals have begun for both Christmas and New Years’ concerts and I am acting as if I will be able to sing…I am also doing one final play with our Light Opera Company.  I have been performing with them since I was a freshman in college and here I am…25 years later….doing my last show.

We are going to be doing Chicago and casting starts next week…I long to play Roxie but we shall see…of course Mama would be good too…

I am also singing in the Sound of Music at the high school…I get to be Mother Superior simply because I can hit the notes…it was too funny when they came to ask me…

Have you and your Master been scening?

I so don’t like that term but the answer I suppose is yes…and that would be a whole nother post…