And time marches on
Time marches on bringing more news of loss. My aunt passed away on Monday. She had muscular dystrophy and had been bed-ridden for some time now. She developed pneumonia. When they took her to the hospital, the doctor was upfront and said she wasn't going to make it through this time.
So, the news came in on Saturday. They were going to take her off the ventilator on Saturday. And then it was Sunday. They finally disconnected the ventilator on Monday and she gently passed away.
Aunt Dotty was a very neat and special woman. Although she suffered greatly through her life, I can only remember smiles on her face. We had a special relationship due to some care giving I did for her mom, my grandma, after she had a stroke. I would send her flowers every once and awhile to cheer her day.
I miss her. I grieve for her. She is in a better place. I know that. But I miss her and I always will.
Love, hugs and flowers to all.
I can't believe it has been since March
I didn't know that I had been away for so very long. I am in the process of healing. I am working very hard with my psychologist and with Paul to snap out of things. Mostly, I try to focus on the positive and stay away from the negative. Therapy is definitely helping these days. I don't know what I would do without it. I always feel comfortable there with whatever feelings I am having that day.
Paul and I have had a visitor to our house, Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley is a paper doll that was sent to us by my niece, Mandy. He came with instructions to send back information about Oregon. Well, Paul and I didn't think that sending just information was quite what we wanted to do. So, Flat Stanley has been going out places with us.
Flat Stanley went to the world's largest Costco, the Bonneville Dam, Multnomah Falls, and the fish hatchery. Flat Stanley went to work with me. Flat Stanley even took us to the coast and Newport. We went to the aquarium and to Devil's Punchbowl, Cape Foulweather, Depoe Bay and Lincoln City. Flat Stanley has had his picture taken at every spot we went. We are sending back brochures, kids activities, pictures, and movies of Flat Stanley. I know that Flat Stanley wants to go to Crater Lake too.
On are way to the coast, we stopped at the outlet mall in Lincoln City and remembered the last time Mom was there with us. And, we went to Cape Foulweather and looked at all the myrtlewood knowing it was her favorite. We stopped at the pottery store (a little house on a back road) and I felt the need to spend money there too. On the way home from the coast, Paul and I talked about how much Mom would have loved that weekend at the beach. We discussed how my brother never got out here to see what I know he would have loved. We did it without tears. We are healing. It is still hard to comprehend the losses we have suffered in the last year but we are healing.
Well, I better get back to work. Love to all from Paul, Louise and Flat Stanley
