Tuesday, November 28, 2006
we leave on monday . . .
and i've created a blog to document our journey.check it out here:
wintering.
yes!
say it don't spray it 3:29 PM
2 i heard that
we leave on monday . . .
and i've created a blog to document our journey.check it out here:
wintering.
yes!
say it don't spray it 3:29 PM
1 i heard that
Sunday, November 12, 2006
we called him grandpa mac
and he gave us "whisker kisses." meaning he would rub his 5 o'clock shadow stubble on our faces instead of kissing us hello and goodbye. it tickled and left a red mark. but we loved it.and he gave me his harmonica about 10 years ago. the one he used to sernade my grandmother with. he would play old hymns and american folk songs.
and he died yesterday.
he was so sick. and in so much pain. and now he is at peace. and it is bringing my family together. i want to try to fly out to the funeral this week (in colorado) but i don't know if i can afford it.
please be praying for my family and that all of these crazy things that need to happen will fall into place just right. that my grandmother wont be stuck with tons of medical bills. that all the grandchildren can afford to fly out and be with the family. that my grandmother's health situation stays strong so she can move back out to oregon to be near us. that my mother not regret anything that may or may not have been in her relationship with her father - you know things like "i should have told him i loved him more," or "i should have called him more often" or things like that. that we will all remember to love and let ourselves be loved.
because with out that, what really is all this existence for?
blessings on all of you for the love and support and encouraging words you have shown to me and my family through all of this. sorry my blog has turned into such a downer. but it's my blog and it reflects my life. so yeah.
thanks again and again.
here is a bit of an email my mom sent out this weekend:
Clarence Calvin McLaughlin passed away November 11, 2006 at about 10:45 a.m. CST in the Viste Grande Rehabilitation and Care Facility. He had just turned 82 and had just celebrated 52 years of marriage to his wife Shirley. His last moments were a couple of breaths and he was gone, as witnessed by the nurse. Mom requests that, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Research in his name. If you would like to send flowers, how about a plant that can grow in his memory. Arrangements are being taken care of by Ertell's Funeral Home in Cortez, CO, and the service will be Nov. 16, 2006 in the morning at the First Assembly Church in Cortez.
Our family will be travelling by car on Tues and Wed for the service. Please pray for safe travel for all of us. Some will be flying. We plan on having a Thanksgiving celebration while we are there, as well.
Please pray for the financial resources, too.
Thank you all for ALL your prayers. Even though he has now passed from death to life, he waited for us to be able to talk of many things in preparation for his death. For this, we are grateful.
May you all have a blessed worship time this first day of the week, ascending to the throne of God, with your brothers and sisters in Christ. May he comfort you tremendously.
Bob and Colleen/Mom and Dad
say it don't spray it 11:31 AM
16 i heard that
Friday, November 10, 2006
how to dress like a psychic vampire (part 2)
greasy hair. check.dolphin earrings. check.
dolphin pendant. check.
brown blazer. check.
black ribbed turtleneck. check.
black dress pants that are juuuuuust a tad too short. check.
brown shoes. check.
WHITE socks that show conspicuously below highwater cuffs. check.
overall look: priceless.
say it don't spray it 3:20 PM
0 i heard that
slight revision
ok, maybe my hair looked more like thisi dunno.
say it don't spray it 10:39 AM
0 i heard that
first conversation of the day
the husband had turned off the alarm instead of snoozing it so i didn't get out of bed in time to shower or anything.so i simply wrapped my dreads up sort of like this
i walk in to work and sit down
PV: you have a head scarf!!
ME: to myself (thank you, captain obvious)
PV: it's sort of turban-looking - i like it!
ME: .:silence:.
say it don't spray it 8:55 AM
1 i heard that
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
update on grandpa
so, on top of everything else that has been happening, my mom called me yesterday and said that my grandpa has brain cancer.here's a copy of the email she sent out:
Nov. 7, 2006,
Hello all,
This has been a day of many phone calls. At one time Gloria was talking to Brian and Renee at the same time, then to Brian and myself with one phone on each ear. : ) Like I said in an earlier e-mail, this is the most we've talked in a long time. Praise God for the communication technology of the day.
Anyway, the day started with a phone call from Mom notifying us that the cat scan done yesterday revealed cancer in Dad's brain. By the end of the day Dr. Cane (sp), Dad's primary physician, had called me with the details of treatment options, etc. His goal was to contact all of the siblings. We thank him very much for doing this extra thing for us. After everyone speaking to everyone, here's where it stands. The tumor is about 1" big just behind the speech center of the brain. And there is another mass in there and some swelling is going on. This may be the cause for Dad's right side not to be working very well, for his inability to communicate, and the moaning, etc. The doctor recommended making him as comfortable as possible at this point. Dad is very weak, not nutritionally strong-hasn't been eating well-and aggressive treatment (i.e. surgery or radiation) would do way more harm than good. So, he gave him some medicine to reduce the swelling and that may allow him to communicate...He may be moved back to the rehab center tomorrow from Southwest Memorial.
We talked of the hard stuff today, funeral preparations, costs, transportation, Mom getting resettled after........etc. This was hard to do, but is necessary. No one has $ to help them out and he has a life insurance policy of only $1000.. That's not going to go far! Brian is researching the costs (doing a very good job of it, too!) and checking what the Veteran's programs can do in this situation. He's prepared to go to Cortez, if needed.
Mom talked to Dad's sister (Betty) and brother (Jack) tonight to keep them informed.
Here we are at the end of another day and Dad is still with us. : ) Hug your families. Tell them of your love and show it, too. Share God's love for them with every day stuff.
Thank you for your prayers. It ain't over, yet.
love to all of you,
Colleen/Mom
thanks for the support you have been giving . . . this is a hard thing for my family. i am just scared i will be in europe when it all goes down.
---------------------------------------
if you live in portland, check out the post below . . .
say it don't spray it 8:26 AM
3 i heard that
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
fancy schmancey
did i mention i am going to the opera tonight? well i am. my sister works for the portland opera and got us tickets to see their production of FAUST this year. yay!and also, there's this thing i've been mentioning to people:
my cousin is in the awesome dance troupe (empryean movement) and offered me some free tickets to their next performance on saturday.
does anyone want to go with me?
it is a dress-up fancy fund raiser for the 88 keys after school program.
check it out here
i just need to tell her by tomorrow how many tickets i need.
let's get dressed up and be entertained!
come to that if you want.
~peace~
say it don't spray it 4:08 PM
1 i heard that
the list
1) i put in my notice. yeah! my last day at work will be nov 22nd. stepping out into the scary world of unemployment for the next 2 months. wanna celebrate with me?2) we leave for europe SO SOON and there is still so much to do!! ack!
3) when we get back, we will be having a make-up "christmas and new year party" with our friends since we will miss having it while we are gone . . . hooray for extending the holidays! i think my friend is taping the new year thing that they do in new york so we can re-live it in all its cheesey glory. wanna join us?
4) my mom called me this morning and told me that my grandpa has brain cancer. on top of everything else. it explains his "stroke like" behavior after the surgery i suppose. i'm just scared that if there is a "big family event" (aka: a funeral) in the near future, i might miss it because i'll be out of the country.
.:sigh:.
say it don't spray it 10:52 AM
1 i heard that
Thursday, November 02, 2006
the grandpa
well, my grandpa took a turn for the worst.on halloween, they transported him from grand junction to cortez to be in an assisted living center. yesterday, he started coughing and having problems. the center he was in was right across the street from the cortez hospital. so, they took him to the ER and my mom called me last night crying saying they don't think he will make it. and her mom is all alone right now. there is no family with them at the moment.
this is part of the email my mom sent this morning:
11/01/06
Dad has been taken to the ER at Southwest Memorial Hospital about 5:20 PST tonight. He was coughing and got some in his lungs. They got that taken care of, but , in the meantime, noticed he has an infection going on and his heart it bad. We thought at first that he may not make it through the night, but he's still with us (as of 8:10 p.m. PST). Praise God! More tests have been taken and have revealed possible kidney failure happening and some internal bleeding going on somewhere. He was admitted to the ICU for the night and Mom was told to go home and get some sleep. There may have to be a decision about dialysis in the next couple of days... I don't know if he's been put on antibiotics or whatever else is being done to care for him. Renee (my sister) did say that he and Mom had been having some good conversations about good times, though........
thanks for the kind words, prayers and support you have all sent our way . . .
say it don't spray it 8:47 AM
7 i heard that
