Alice Valentine, my sister-in-law, welcomed me into the family with open loving arms and treated me like I had always been there. Alice needed to be needed. She loved and cared for people who needed her and gave generously to many charities. Alice cherished her Catholic faith and said the Rosary every day. Alice and I had a lot in common. She loved pretty things, her trinkets, dishes, and memorabilia which Ken, her brother, refers to as “clutter”. Haha. Each one had a history and a story. She could tell you where they all came from and where she got them. The Avon bottles in her uniquely orange bathroom brought back special memories to me as my Grandmother also had a lot of the same ones. Alice meticulously placed things where she wanted them to be. Her clown dolls and pillows on the bed in the guest room all had special places. I would try to remember how she placed them when I made the bed. Well, one day I decided to arrange them differently than she had them. She came in and said “oh they look nice like that”. It made me feel good that she liked my arrangement, but I’m sure she changed them back after we left.😀 Ken and I did spend time with her for a week in May. Had 4 visits at the Willows. We talked, took her a Frosty, showed her pictures of the kids and grandkids which she enjoyed. She had a special fondness for Joshua our grandson, who loved her little animals so much that he actually took a couple home with him when he visited her. I told her he still had them and she laughed. I loved Alice very much and I will miss her.
