Monday's Music Moves Me ~ In Memory of Sue, Friends Forever

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Holy cow... can you believe that it's week 99 of Monday's Music Moves Me??? One one more week until our 100th week Grand Gala Giveaway??

Don't forget to enter for some totally awesome prizes!!

Welcome to Monday's Music Moves Me!!! We want to make this one of the BEST meme's in all of Blogville, but we cannot do that without YOU.... so come share your music with us and bring your friends to share theirs with us, too!!

Running this little dance party of ours is the sweetest and most wonderful Marie of XmasDolly. The cohosts helping to keep the party rockin' and rollin' are ME, Callie of JamericanSpice, Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, and our newest, and of course just as fabulous, Cathy of Cathy Kennedy's Blog. Also, because life gets to be so hectic at times, we occasionally have one of our faithful followers/participants help us with our cohosting duties. This month, we have one of our original cohost's Larry of Cakeblast helping us out, so don't forget to go visit him and follow his blog also!

This week is FREEBIE week! Since today would have been my best friend Sue's birthday (I wrote a tribute post yesterday, if you'd like to know about her) and I miss her terribly, I decided to post some songs in her memory.....

You're My Best Friend ~ Queen

Next is one of the ugliest rockers ever, but MAN can he sing!! BTW, check out who is on drums for this particular performance - the Queen of England's Golden Jubilee......


With a Little Help From my Friends ~ Joe Cocker



This next band was Sue's favorite and this song in particular was her favorite. We would have our monthly girls night out to get.....


Comfortably Numb ~ Pink Floyd




Happy birthday Sue, you were always my best friend, I will never forget you, I miss you dearly, and you will always be in my heart. Thirty years is a lot of memories to keep.

So, what's moving you this week? I can't wait to hear what you post. Here's all you need to do to play along:Step One: Head on over to You Tube, pick your videos and post them on your blog! Upcoming themes are to you LOWER RIGHT of XmasDolly'sblog.

Step Two: Grab the 4M Button and the Hosts' Buttons and place them on your site... we all have them clearly visible on our sidebars.

Step Three: Make sure you are following your hosts - either on GFC, Linky, via email, Twitter, etc. and we will follow you back. This one is really important if you want to participate in our Grand Gala Giveaway coming up in 2 weeks.

Final Step: Most important, SIGN the linky, visit the other participants AND LEAVE A COMMENT! You know you like comments, so do your fellow players.


Each week we've been having a random drawing of all our participants to be our Spotlight Dancers to be in the lucky #1 and #2 spots of our linky. Marie has been trying each week to reach the Spotlight Dancers via email, but many of you don't have your email address available on your blog. I have also tried to help her a couple of times and we have left messages on all forms of social media for our wonderful players. Soooo, if we can't find your email address easily, you'll miss out.

During our Grand Gala Giveaway, we are only featuring ONE spotlight dancer; and our fabulous dancer this week is:

Annie of Annie's Home

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Now don't forget to go on over to XmasDolly's blog and grab the exclusive Spotlight Dancer's button and display it on your blog to let everyone know just how special you are!

Now everyone, don't forget to add your post to the linky and visit and follow everyone on the linky.... PLUS this is the last week to enter the Grand Gala Giveaway - next week is week number 100 and we will be choosing the WINNERS!!! Good luck everyone.

ROCK ON, MY FRIENDS!!

***Just one more note, please keep your songs PG - this is a family blog.

If you do have one song/video that has some questionable lyrics or content,

PLEASE put a disclaimer BEFORE the video so my readers can make an informed decision as to whether they wish to view it or not.

Thank you!***

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Flashback Friday ~ My Best Friend Sue, Gone But Always in My Heart!

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Alicia from More Than Words says she started Friday Photo Flashback because "I have so many pictures from my PRE-digital camera days. I thought it would be fun to scan them and share them here with you.. I'm having so much fun doing this, that I would love for you to join me, too! So dig out the photo albums and put your scanner to good use! Don't forget to link up so we can all visit and comment on each others blogs!"

Sunday the 22nd would have been my best friend in the whole world, Sue's birthday. Sue and I were best friends for over 30 years, she was maid-of-honor in my wedding to Bill and I was maid-of-honor in her wedding.

My Wedding - 1997

She was the kind of friend that you could call on the phone at any time day or night and with just the word "hello" either one of us could tell what mood the other was in and say, "I'll be right over."

It was really hard on us both when I moved to Florida because it meant that we wouldn't be seeing each other at least once a week and on the phone every day. She spent my last day in Connecticut with me, while I finished packing and getting the cars ready to take the trip. When she left we both hugged and cried for a long time.

We still kept in contact with each other via the phone, letters, cards, and e-mail, but it just wasn't the same. I missed her SO much.

Then our contact got less and less, but when we would talk, it would be for hours and it was like we never even lost contact. Until letters, cards, and phone calls I sent or made weren't returned... until I got an anniversary card that simply said "Love, Sue" - it just wasn't like her at all.

It was 2009, and I remember the phone call like it was yesterday - it came from Sue's daughter, Kimberly. Sue was in the hospital.... she was extremely sick, she had been hiding it from me. She had kidney cancer that had spread to her lungs, metasticized and was now in heart failure, she didn't have long to live.

Normally I would do what she would have done for me, jumped on a plane and gone to be with her... but I couldn't do that. I had major spinal surgery 6 weeks before this happened and I could barely walk, let alone get on an airplane. I was devastated, my best friend in the whole world had to go through the worst thing in her life without me. I know she knew in her heart, she knew I was there with her in my heart - we were always like that for each other, there is no way it would end now.

So although Sue has been gone from this world for 3 years, she will never be gone from my heart.... Happy birthday my dear friend, I love you and I miss you, and I will never forget you!!!

Sue's Nursing School Graduation Party - 2000

I loved to see your old photos and hear your stories... so don't forget to post your Flashback Friday Photos and link up with Alicia.



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Happy Birthday Sue - I Miss You So Much!

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Today would have been my best friend in the whole world's birthday, but she passed away in 2009 and I miss her more than words can say. She was always there for me when I needed her and vice-verse. She was the maid-of-honor in my wedding to Bill and I was the maid-of-honor in her wedding.



From my Wedding 1997



As a tribute to Sue, I'd like to rerun a post I wrote shortly after she died:

Have you ever had a friend that you knew would always be there when you needed her no matter what? Well I have... Let me tell you about my best friend Sue.....

Sue and I have been best friends for 30 years!! I used to babysit her little kids when I was in my late teens. Sue got married the first time when she was WAY too young and then got divorced young from an abusive husband. I envied her strength in her ability to do that. She has always amazed me in her ability to pick herself up and carry on, despite the horrible things thrown at her.

She then met her second husband and had two more children and I got married and had two children. We were always there for each other, like during the births of each others' children,usually the first ones there after the babies were born (sometimes before the rest of the family) and the first one there if there was a question or when something exciting happened.

Then whenever there was a problem, all there had to be was a phone call, there didn't even have to be more than the voice of the other one saying ones name. She would say, "Lorie" or I would say, "Sue." The next words out of the other persons mouth would be, "I'll be right there!" And we would, for as long as was needed. We were there for each other's divorce, which were actually within 6 months of each others -- funny how that works, but we were in it together and we survived together.

Now it was her kids' turn to babysit my kids, so I could get back on my feet, again, with Sue's help, and learn to love again. Mend my destroyed heart and soul... and I did. I found Bill and Sue was right there to stand beside me as Bill and I exchanged vows and pledged to be man and wife. I was there standing beside Sue as she and Dennis did the same (unfortunately she wasn't as lucky with Dennis as I was with Bill). I was there, though, with the promise to smack her up side the head if she EVER decided to get married again!!

When I moved to Florida, Sue was there on that last day as I packed up my house and drove out of the driveway -- both of us with tears in our eyes. We continued to call, write, send cards and emails. It didn't happen as much as it should have, but we always were in touch. I was there when her mom died, and she called me immediately when my dad passed. Every birthday, hers in July and mine in December, we passed along our "Friendship Ball", a sterling silver ornament that has a hinge that we would wrap up in this little blue bag - that was falling apart, being held together by tape - that we had put inside a small trinket of our friendship. The important part was the ball, which would be hung up in a special place of honor in our house during the 6 months while in our possession. It was a wonderful thing we shared.

Then 3 months ago, the unthinkable happened.... I got a phone call from Sue's middle daughter, Kim. I knew that couldn't be good! Sue was in the hospital.... not doing well at all, she had been hiding her sickness from me, I had just gotten a card from her in March for my wedding anniversary with no word that she wasn't feeling well (WTF). She had kidney cancer that had traveled to her lungs (already had TWO courses of chemo - never told me!!) and it had now metastasized and she was in heart failure..... OH GOD..... they weren't giving her much time...... OH NO, I can't handle this..... she probably doesn't have more than a few days, maybe a week..... I'm beginning to hyperventilate...... She just wanted me to know that she loves me and always will........

O.K..... now I have to stay calm and let Kim know that it is alright, I'm alright, and I love them all -- they are my family. But, there is no way that I can make it up to Connecticut, I've had spinal surgery 6 weeks ago and cannot fly. Now, I feel even worse..... my best friend is dying and I cannot get to see her before it happens and wont make it to the funeral. Kim assures me that they all understand and that she will let Sue know how I feel and tell her that I love her (when did Kim become a grown-up?). I know in my heart that she knows -- she feels it as deeply as I do, and neither one of us will ever forget everything we have been through, and all the wonderful things we have done and the fun we have shared!!

Three days later, I get another call from Kim.... I begin to cry as I am answering the phone..... I feel it before I can say "hello"..... Sue is gone, from this world, but NEVER from my heart!!!

Today is Sue's birthday..... So Sue..... Happy Birthday.... I love you and I miss you, and I will never forget you!!!

2000 - Sue's Nursing School Graduation Party

I hope you are all bless with that kind of friendship in your lives. It is something that is rare and wonderful and I will never regret one moment of it.

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