I've had a rant going on all week about sending 20 bucks per child to get the teacher a money tree for the last day of school. 20 bucks X 22 kids= nice reward. Ok but I'm not going there today.
Today, I'm taking a moment to remember my friend, Wanda. Wanda and I met when we were in 5th grade at a county-wide scholars bowl competition. She went to a different school and the first thing I noticed about her was how dad-gum smart she was. I wouldnt see Wanda again until 7th grade when we were in a band competition together. We both played clarinet. We both done horrible and sat beside each other in the crapper band. We had alot of fun too. Then at every competition we would get together and joke around, have fun and just be silly teenagers. When we got to 11th grade, I would drive 15 miles once a week to get her to tutor me in Spanish class junk, cause we had the same teacher that traveled to both our schools and she gave me heads up on tests and stuff. We continued a great relationship throughout school, and beyond. She was at my wedding, although was alittle late cause she got lost. LOL. She was there when both my dd's were born. She came to see us when we made it home. Wanda, graduated school with a 4.0 gpa and won the Wal Mart academic scholarship that year, and another scholarship to college as well. She graduated a few years later, with a nursing (RN) degree.
Its at this point, where she didn't talk to me much anymore. I figured it was just work, and we both had things going on. She met a guy who was a Physical Therapist and before I knew it, she called me from Mississippi telling me they up and got married and were moving the next week to accept jobs in Alaska. Wow. what could I say? this was not Wanda I knew. But, then again, I hadn't spoke to her in quite awhile. She sounded happy, and I was happy for her.
Here's where the story takes a turn: They moved to Alaska in August of 96. During the first week there, they went kayaking. The kayak overturned, and Wanda fell out along with him( Jay Darling) and she was alittle large and couldnt get back in the boat. Neither did he help her. She stayed in the cold water over an hour. Finally, he decided to paddle back to shore. And she got out and fired a flare for help. Jay was furious with her. And, because she fired this flare which attracted someone to help her, he told her he wanted an annullment. She got very quite. Wanda never argued, she wasn't bitter. She never raised her voice in the time I knew her.
The next day, the story goes, they were riding up the mountains along the bay that they had the "accident" in. Jay says Wanda wanted to stop and take pics with the bay behind them. They didnt stop at the visitors overlooks on the main roads. No. They went up an old dirt road, to a desolate place to take pics. Jay says Wanda wanted a better view. Here is where it gets muddled. Jay told 3 stories:
1. Wanda bent over to pick flowers, and Jay had to "go" so he turned to "relieve himself" on a bush. He turned around Wanda was gone.
2. He was taking Wanda's picture and she slipped and fell head first over the cliff.
3. I really don't remember what else he told the police... sorry.
At any rate, Wanda fell off a 1500 foot cliff and landed on a ledge beneath. Thats as graphic as I can get.
Jay didn't alert the police right away. He pretended tobe upset and went to the nearest neighbor (over 2 miles away) to tell of what happened. Jay had also, recently, lied about their income and taken out 2 life insurance policies on Wanda totalling 1 million dollars, with an additional accident policy that would double the rewards. He also had Wanda, sign over another policy her parents had on her, to him....recently. Jay called the life insurance people the day Wanda died. Not to tell them what happened. But to make sure they had the right address to mail these policies to. He called them a week later to tell them Wanda died.
He landed in jail finally for insurance fraud. A few years later, and to this day is in jail for that. The reason this is all fresh on my mind is because he went on trial 3 weeks ago for Wandas death. They gave closing arguments Monday on this and now the jury is out. It is such a horrible thing. Her mother has grieved for 10 years over this. Wandas father died a few years ago, too. I want you all to think of justice for Wanda today. Her blood screams for justice. She was my friend and I miss her.
To read more on this in the news go here.
http://www.homernews.com/. Its the top story. I go everyday to check for updates.
Thanks for listening.
Today was such a fun day! Once a year I make freezer jam. There is a strawberry farm not far from here and they only hit the peak season one month out of the year. This just happens to be the month. I phoned the owner and requested 5 gallons yesterday, bought the supplies and commenced this morning in my yearly ritual.
On a lighter? note... Another storm today. It blew out neighbors tree down across 3 of their cars. I'm glad it went that way instead of in our yard. Is that bad? I mean, 3 weeks ago our first tornado of the season ripped thru and pulled our metal roof up,and ripped metal off the sides of our house, broke the antenna, and broke branches out of my weeping mulberry tree. They're predicting another round tomo night. I'm going to flip the trampoline this time. Poor thing, it was hurled thru the air twice by hurricanes and then by this last tornado.....
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