Jill Victoria

I had wondered about sharing this story before, but never really thought it mattered. It happened right before my wedding day, so though it struck me deeply, it was also one of the last things on my mind to think to share here.

As I was watching a TV show on the paranormal, I was reminded by a scene of a strange occurrence that happened the day before my wedding. The story portrayed in this TV show involved a phone call from someone who was in no normal position to make one.

Most people who know me well are aware of the fact I’m very interested in the paranormal. This is one of those strange things that I find fascinating, and I invite you to take it as you want.

During my bridesmaids luncheon the day before my wedding, I was emailing back and forth with my wedding coordinator via my BlackBerry. When one of the emails she sent with pictures of the bouquets for me and my bridesmaids didn’t come through, me coordinator Leslie called me. I told her I did finally see the pictures and I loved my bouquets. We discussed more things she wanted to clear up before I and my wedding party arrived at the Hazelhurst House in just a couple of hours for the rehearsal.

While she went over things, she also mentioned that she had received a phone call asking about our wedding rehearsal. Leslie said that the person asked if the rehearsal was at 1:00. She corrected them and told them no, it was at 2:00.

I asked her who it was. I heard Leslie shuffle through papers and say “The caller ID said “Janice Cole”.

For half a moment, I was speechless. It takes a lot to really shock me, but Leslie saying that name really did it for me. Janice Cole is my husband’s deceased grandmother’s name. She died before I met David. We live in her house.

Not wanting to tell Leslie she talked to a dead woman, I simply stammered out the answer, “Um, we don’t know anyone by that name right now”.

I told my mom, who stood next me and asked what was the matter, that Leslie just said that “Nanny” called. At the moment, I happened to be standing next to a picture of her in my in-law’s house. I felt rather touched that she wanted to make her presence known for the wedding of her grandson.

I told my then future mother-in-law Deb what just happened. I’m still not sure exactly what she thinks of that.

We still never really figured out how the caller ID could have said that particular name. The phone at our house doesn’t show her name when it calls out. Besides, no one was at this house at the time to even make a call from a phone here. No cell phones are in her name, and Leslie didn’t know that Janice Cole even existed prior to her conversation with her.

Just one of those things, you know? A slight paranormal touch to my wedding. It still makes me wonder and makes me feel I somehow have her blessing because of it. Everyone tells me that Nanny and I would have gotten along wonderfully.

I hope we can.

Time is ticking, and its going by a lot faster than I thought it would. In my past experience, anytime I’ve anticipated something big and exciting, time has slowed to a crawl. With my wedding day approaching in just 23 days, I feel like I can barely find time to breathe, let alone do all that needs to be done.

Last week I didn’t have to watch the kids because they were sick. David’s great-aunt Sara died the Saturday before last, so we had the visitation and funeral (I missed the latter due to a migraine) to attend. This past Saturday was Krista and Spencer’s wedding! David was best man for Spencer, and Spencer is one of David’s best men for our wedding.

And yes, I took some mental notes at Krista’s wedding. Honestly, it seemed surreal to me that it was less than a month till my own wedding. I felt like I needed to be planning my wedding while I sat there, watching them say their vows. Strange how that happens in my head.

It was a very nice ceremony and reception. I’m sure that both Krista and Spencer are glad that they’re finally married. They should actually be at sea today on their cruise ship for their honeymoon about now. Luckies!

Sunday was a day of moving furniture from the house David and I will live in to his uncles homes and to John and Yoly’s. I FINALLY got to put together the dining room set that my mom have me three years ago! It looks nice in our dining area. My mom came over and helped put it together. I love seeing the house transform.

Still so much to do! School is getting more intense as it nears the end of my first block of classes. Then I also want to be able to hang out with friends. Its tough to find time for everything and everyone.

I’m excited for what’s to come and what’s happening now. Life is definitely keeping me on my toes!

This week certainly didn’t go as I had thought it would. Memorial Day morning, David’s maternal grandfather, Aubrey “Pop” Varner passed away. He had been going down hill since the day after David and I got engaged. We honestly thought he was going to die that night, but he made it another three months.

Pop was a great man. Even though I got the briefest of time with him (just over a year), I felt like I had another grandfather for a while. I have two of my grandparents left (on my mother’s side), but I lost my paternal grandparents at very young ages; my grandfather at age three and my grandmother at age 10. Having David’s grandparents in my life meant a lot to me. Still having his grandmother means a lot to me even now.

I felt like I lost a grandparent too. It really hit me that Pop was gone when I walked up next to his casket and for the first time since I’ve known him, he didn’t reach out his hand for mine.

This whole week has been emotionally draining. Wednesday was the viewing, first from 2:00 to 4:00, then another one from 6:00 to 8:00. Yesterday was the funeral, which I’m sure Pop would have loved. After Laurie (David’s aunt) read the eulogy she wrote, she invited others to stand up and tell stories about Pop. It was a great time and we all had laughs. Pop loved to tell a story. I don’t think I ever saw him without him talking. Everyone in the family agreed that Pop would have loved to hear everyone telling stories about him.

We laid Pop to rest up in Commerce, Georgia. He was buried close to his son, Terry, and his granddaughter, Emma. I’m going to really miss him.

As if I didn’t know it already, this past week proved even more to me that I am marrying into one of the best families in the world. I come from a family that is close and connected, and I always knew that I’d have to find someone whose family resembled my own. Finding a guy who values his family and actually knows his grandparents, his aunts, uncles, great-aunts and uncles and cousins is a hard thing to find these days. So many families are broken and distant. David’s family, both the Cole side and the Varner, are amazing families. You know that a family has come together when people from the Cole side were bringing food and attending the funeral for a family member on the Varner side. It really touched me to see that.

Now that Pop is laid to rest, David and I will be spending the rest of the week and on till Monday at Kris’ house while we dogsit. Obviously, I’m writing this from Kris’ computer. David is playing XBox live and Finn is begging for both of our attention. I swear, he could fetch a ball all day!

David and I will be going down to Fayetteville for dinner with David’s parents, John and Yoly and maybe GrandMom. I am so looking forward to getting at least a little bit back to normal.

I’m still doing pretty well with Mary Kay. I need $76 more dollars in sales to reach my goal for the month and to be able to get a $100 rebate. If anyone wants to purchase anything, let me know!

Hopefully I’ll reach my goal and have a good weekend. I’m still looking for another job and debating going to learn to be a nurse’s aid. I hear it’s a quick training and that they are in high demand right now.

I hope everyone else has a great weekend!

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