MONDAY

“A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart”

Monday morning and we are getting our things together for the trip home. It is hard to believe that any of this has happened. We were tired, not as sore as I thought we would be, and still very sad. It seems to come in waves, especially when we are talking with people about Chan.

The sun came up over the lake and it was going to be a sunny, but still cold day.

Sharon wanted us to stop by her shop on our way out of town to say goodbye. I wanted to make video of us leaving so I’m videoing and JoAnn is driving. We were amazed at how much traffic there was as there hadn’t been much traffic at all during the weekend. On the first pass we missed Sharon’s shop and had to make a U-turn to go back. LOL For some reason we had the hardest time finding that shop every time we went there.   I made a video of us leaving Oscoda, so in this vid you will see us miss Sharon's shop (the green building on the right) again.  I'm not sure if we ever went directly there.  (And yes that is Vicky singing in the background, we listened to her anytime we were in the car).

Here's a link to the vid:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtRt5RUavKs

Sharon and her husband along with her greeter dog (and I can’t remember that puppy’s name to save my life) were there and were still so nice. Accomplishing all that we did would have been so much harder without Sharon’s help. She was just a great friend to us from the beginning to the end. Always willing to do whatever we needed.  And Sharon had changed the sign out front.  Fortunately, we noticed it this time.

Here is a link to Sharon's shop: http://www.oscodastomp.com/trulyyours

They do custom printing, ect.  If you have a project where you need signs or shirts, keychains or magnets, call Sharon.  Don't know if shipping would make the cost too much, but it is worth a try after all, she is Chan's friend. 

Also a big thanks to the bookstore for boxes, packing materials and handling the shipping for about half the boxes. We also bought some things that Chan and Amber made that they were selling for the town. Here is a picture of a few things that we bought. I have a cool mouse pad that Amber did, of course can't find it now.  I know it is here somewhere. LOL

Here is a link to the bookstore where we bought the Chan/Amber stuff.

http://www.oscodastomp.com/greatnorthernbookstore/index.htm

I'm sure if you wanted to order some of these things you could get in touch with them.  I don't have a picture of everything, probably should have taken a picture, but if you call I'm sure they could help you decide what you want to buy.  All the money goes to help the businesses in Oscoda, a project that both Chan and Amber were very involved with.

Altogether we packed upwards of 65 boxes of varying sizes and weights - zines, art, dolls, pewter pieces...loads of B&B memorabilia. Part of it was Chan's and part was Barb Hill's. At the con and on Ebay we will try to sell their things for their respective families.

Amber was so sweet to welcome us when we were really strangers into her home. She says she is shy, but she felt like family to us. She was very open about her mom’s wishes about her collections and for that we were so thankful. She said just before she moved to Colorado her mom had the “just in case something happens to me” talk with her, so she knew what her mom wanted as well as where to find everything from art to taxes. She was so good at helping us tell the difference between original art and prints. She helped us learn to look everywhere because her mom would work on something a little while, then tuck it away and start on something else.
Amber is a very talented artist in her own right. I hope to see her name in lights someday as an illustrator for a fancy, schmancy movie company. She has a kind heart and I can’t tell you how warm and welcoming she was. Chan would be and I’m sure is so very proud of her.

We didn’t get to meet Amy as she was working several hours away, but I hope to meet her one day.

Hurman is a big bear of a man. He is soooo tall. He was also very gracious to us, and couldn’t have been a better host. He took us out to eat and showed us the sights of the area. He loves photography (the bookstore is making some postcards from his pictures), bird watching, nature, his kids and Chan.  I hope only the very best for Chan’s family and friends. They are some of the kindest people that I know and I could tell they too loved Chan so much.

Amber and Chan

         

Chan, Amy, Hurman

                                                                                  

Sharon sent me a few pictures from Chan's memorial Service.  She said lots of Beauty and the Beast fans sent red and white roses and she said there were even red and white roses from Vincent and Catherine, all the way from the New York tunnels!

She didn't get pictures of all the flowers, but we hope to have more soon. 

This is a backdrop that Chan painted for the local theater. Does the castle in the background look familiar?

I’ve heard if you make a difference in one person’s life, you have really done something extraordinary. But when you think about how many lives Chan touched, from her family, to all the years as a teacher, to everyone in fandom around the world, she was a very special person and will be so missed by so many.

“If I had a star for every time that you made me smile,

I would hold the entire night sky in the palm of my hand.”