A Good Friday

Isn't there a story that starts out....
They were the best of times...they were the worst of times.
I guess that's kind of how things feel.

This has been one of the best weeks with GK's family.
We all cried last night when they left.
I wish we would have met them many years ago.

I can't remember the last time we had ALL our family together.
It always seems we are minus one or two here or there.
Tonight we will be all ......oh wait.
Lloyd.
He's not here.
Mannnn, we were so close.

Gk is really enjoying all the family.
I told him this morning there has never been a time when I have seen the house so filled with family, friends and laughter.
He said he couldn't remember either.
I don't think there is any better way to honor Grammy.
A house filled with love for her.

Julie, Mike Sr and Mike Jr went to Costco for supplies.
Julie called to say she found some geraniums.
Sr and Jr are looking for tools to fix GK's cat.
Kelly, Wendy and Ingrid went to town for summer clothes and to mail goods to Lloyd in AG.
All the cousins are in the living room watching Spiderman.
Gk is home quietly putzing.
I just had some left over cool whip surprise delight.

The poodles next door went to the cut and curl yesterday and are looking and smelling pretty good.
GK went the day before and he's looking pretty sharp himself.
I took a lot of pictures, but I think I'm going to do the snapfish thing.
That way, if you want to see them you can, but if you don't want to you don't have to.
I'll let you know when I get it done.

The weather here is unbelievable.
I think it's going to be close to 80 today.
I hope this doesn't end up being another fat summer.
It sucks to be fat in the summer.
I'm working on it though.
I had low cal Mrs Buttersworths on my waffle.
She doesn't seem any slimmer so I won't expect great things from her syrup.
I guess the cool whip surprise offset the low cal syrup.
Oh well.
Fat people are comforting and jolly.

Yesterday Julie, kelly, Wendy, Ingrid and I went to town in the family wagon.
OMG, we had so much fun.
Laughed, and laughed and laughed.
Julie made Kelly sit in the back seat under threat of being puked on.
kelly was disgrunteled but relented.
She talked about puking and told puking stories all the way to town.
Only some of the windows unroll so it was a pretty warm trip.
The possibility for puking was high.
Julie held fast and kelly held back and a good time was had by all.
Fun.

More later as the day shakes out

Ciao'

Sunshine

Thanks to Mike Carlson for being my guest host on Tuesday and sorry for such a short blurb yesterday.


We are all running in qucksand.
GK's family extended their stay until tomorrow.
Thats a very good thing.
They are the nicest people.
My sister Kelly and her boys, Drew and Quinn arrived Tuesday.
Kelly's husband Lloyd is in Afghanistan.
Wendy arrived late last night.
My sister Julie, her husband Mike, and two of their kids, Ollin and Ingrid will be here today.
Mike and Julie's oldest, Mitchell and Fahren, both go to Gonzaga and will be here sometime tomorrow.
Last night we had eleven people at the dinner table.
(Thank you Judy for all the wonderfull food)
Tonight will be sixteen.


Gk is holding his own.
Still hard to believe it's even real.
He keeps expecting her to come around the corner and ask if he has anything good to eat.
I think after all the family leaves is when it will sink in.
Right now, being with family is such a happy time.
A happy time for the sadest reason.
I'm glad everyone is here.
I am grateful to each and every person.

Wyatt LOVES having his cousins here.
Wyatt LOVES LOVES having his Aunts here.
Wyatt LOVES LOVES LOVES having Wendy here.

When we told Wyatt about Grammy, he asked Mike if she was in Heaven.
Mike told him, yes, she is in Heaven now Wyatt.
Wyatt said...
"Well I'm glad for her, because now she can remember everything and her head won't hurt her anymore"
We cried.
Because it's true.

I remember when my Dad died.
Julie had come from the Island to get my kids.
When they left and I was alone, I turned on the t.v and realized that the world had only stopped for me.
They were still selling toilet bowl cleaner.
There were still problems in the White House.
And I was the only person crying for my Dad.
(You know what I mean)
Anyway the world went right on without him,
Didn't skip a beat.
That was so hard for me.
The most important person in my life was gone, and the world moved on.
The next day I was glad for that.
I wouldn't want to feel the way I did for very long.
Now I am reminded of him in happy ways almost every day and his memory brings me sooo much joy.
I am lucky.

Today the sun is shinning
The kids will all be out playing soon.
The yellow and white pansies are growing.
The birds are singing.
I have happy memories of my Grammy.
I am lucky.

Kelly Oakley

I wish you could of seen kelly in her pajamas standing on the deck shooting a 22 at two pitbulls in the pasture.
Sometimes it's the little things that make you laugh.
That did it for me.

On The Lighter Side

1. A bicycle can't stand alone because it is two-tired.

2. What's the definition of a will? It's a dead giveaway.

3. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

4. A backward poet writes inverse.

5. In democracy it's your vote that counts; In feudalism, it's your Count that votes.

6. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

7. If you don't pay your exorcist you get repossessed.

8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat minor.

10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

11. The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

12. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

13. You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

14. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.

15. He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

16. Every calendar's days are numbered.

17 A lot of money is tainted. 'Taint yours and 'taint mine.

18. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.

21 The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

Thanks Mike Carslon.
I needed that.

GH2

Oh My.
Phone rang yesterday morning at 7:00, Gk said "I need you".
I ran.
It wasn't Gk.
It was Grammy.
She was in a featal postion on her left side, unresponsive.
Called 911.
It took about 2 1/2 minutes for them to get here.
I think they know they way now.
She had vomited at some point during the night and may have aspirated.
Call Mom, get dressed, Gk ready, head to the ER.

Grammy is still unresponsive.
They give her iv meds to try and comfort her, but as they day unfolds they find it VERY dificult to comfort her in anyway.
Off to x-ray.
Pneumonia, with an upper GI bleed.
As it turns out, anyone with any type of dementia will suffer more from any type of wrongness.
So take fever, times three.
I was just thinking when I woke up this morning....
I think the GI problem may be with the ani-inflamatories they prescribe for her shingles pain.
Hmmm.

O.k, so by noon they have put an "ng" tube in place.
Thats a down the nose to your belly hose.
Now to get her in a room on the second floor two down from Gk's suite.
At least we have friends there.
Honestly, I still have GK's discharge papers in my purse and now I'm walking the hall behind Grammy's Gurney with a bag full of her belongings.

As the day goes on she becomes more fitfull.
She ends up pulling the tubing out of her nose OUCH and the i.v from her arm OOOOUCH.
Still completely unresponsive.
They put big cotton mits (like boxing gloves) on her to prevent her pulling anything else.
I just talked to the nurse and she said sometimes people tend to have an opposite reaction to medication and this morning she seems to be more restful without.
Still not peaceful, but better.

It breaks my heart to see GK go through this.
It breaks his heart to see her this way.

I am so glad his family is still here.
They make him so happy it helps to ease his pain.

More later.

Florene Coroline Fahrenholz

Florene Caroline Fahrenholz
August 16 1917 - April 2 2007

Miss You

Juicy fruit and 7-up
Macaroni and cheese and custard.
Sliding across the back seat of an LTD
and my belly jumping as she sped over the hill.
Do you chew your nails Marilyn?
The smell of her perfume when she hugged you.
The best hugs with a little bit of a roll.
Lifesavers.
Summer dresses she made.
Humming birds
Scratchy gabordine gouchos with a matching vest.
My land have you ever grown.
A little kick with her toe when she sat down next to you.
Ha!
Baths in the utility sink.
Tom Jones on 8-Track.
Her BIG bed.
Letters in the mail.
Balancing my belly on her feet in the air as she stretched and held my hands.
Ice cream.
Do you know the capital of Nebraska Marilyn?
OMAHA as she clutched her chest.
Gold belts and white pants.
Sneezes.
The rocks on Singer Hill.
Flowers flowers flowers.
Did you wash your hands?
Pictures standing next to the car.
Great Grand Babies.
Going to town.
Rose dishes.
She loved me.
I loved her.