In Remembrance of Len

My sister Carole's husband Len passed away at 5:40 am today April 29, 2017.  She said she had a feeling last night that he was near the end, his breathing was raspy.  He had fallen asleep on the couch and was very peaceful the whole night and then gave a final gasp in the early am.

They had rearranged the furniture yesterday to make room for the wheelchair.  They had decided not to get a hospital bed and not to put him in a home for his final days.   All her children gathered except for the ones in Florida.  He was cremated and they talked of having a Life Celebration in the summer at Makoshika outside of Glendive.  There were over 150 loving messages from their many caring friends on Facebook.  Len had recently celebrated his 79th birthday so he did well.

Len and Carole were married June 20, 1964 in Pacific Beach, California so it would be their 53rd Anniversary this coming June.

Carole and Len met at the San Diego Stake Dances when Carole was teaching kindergarten in San Diego.   Their wedding was held in the 7th Ward Chapel and the reception on the patio.   Many of her students and their parents were there.  We then had a luncheon and our home in University City.  Jeanne and Stan and family plus Mary and Dick and family and Mom and Dad had all traveled down for the wedding.  Marilyn and David missed it.

The following day we were all at the Pacific Beach beach and here comes Carole and Len.

Carole and Len joined us at the Pacific Beach the following day as they did not want to miss any of the family time together.  It was such a fun family gathering.  There were some sunburned boys though!

Finally, Back to Normal

On the night of February 22 I was hot, and then chills and really feeling sick.  Yes, I did have a fever, first time in forever.  I was not sure I would make it through the night, I felt like my heart was giving out (over active imagination I guess but my blood pressure was sky high and I had the worst, worst headache ever) and I went to the clinic as soon as it opened.  Probably for the first time in my life I did not even have makeup or hair combed, I felt that bad.  He gave me a prescription for UTI and Sinus Infection and I know I had tendonitis in the knees as well as a back ache and that headache which went on and on.  I think the pain pills are worse for you than the suffering so I did not take any, and got rid of meds as soon as able.  I spent about three weeks in bed or on the couch, seldom dressed, went nowhere and now I am working outside 2 hours a day to start to do the spring clean up.

Yes, that is still snow in my yard, but I am cleaning where it has melted.

I am monitoring my work time because otherwise I will be so achy.  Saturday I cleaned both decks of all the winter muck and I could not even walk in the morning I was so sore.  Anyway I am 84 going on 25 the way I want to get things done but trying to go slow.  I may get the Handyman to do the bagging and disposal of waste, I will see.  I don't mind the raking as long as I don't overdue it.  The bagging is harder for me.  But since I have lost weight it is easier than it used to be.  I feel fairly good except for the knees and legs.  Today I got some compression sox and I think they help alot with the varicose veins.  And the knee stopped hurting.  See how I feel tomorrow.  I am an old lady but I do not want to just sit, sit, sit, but I love being home.  March Madness is starting and I will enjoy that.  Mostly in the day time I leave the tv off.  I love the quiet.  Although I did watch a series while I was sick and listen to a lot of books.  I did not want to move.  I think the antibiotic used on me for the last two years has caused the tendonitis, will talk to Dr. Nelsen about that.

I love living up here, I love getting the yard cleaned up, I just wish I could paint and do more of the things needed.  Oh, well, the sun is shining and I am finally feeling well!!!

I found out it was late April or May that I had my annual exam last year so I will schedule with Dr. Nelsen and see how he thinks I am doing and if he recommends anything.  I decided after several years of no regular Dr at the clinic but Dr. Tonya I need to go back to Dr. Nelsen and he is not at the clinic anymore.  So life moves on.

Somehow my computer tricked me and went over to Internet Explorer and everything Microsoft instead of Chrome and Google.  I do not even know when or how it happened.  I like some of the things and not others.  But I just ask Cortana to find Chrome and I am back to the way it was.  It is very strange.  Have not decided yet what to do about it.

I have learned how to edit the Instagram pictures and put in my Picasa and print out.  I love the way my little Brother printer prints out such nice pictures and uses little ink.  I have been sending them to Matt.  I finally bought a little scale and read the rules of usps mailing.  Letters should not be over 1/4 inch thick.  I have been mailing them thick with too much postage.  I wonder if they get to him.  I will do better now.

This is a status letter for me.  I have worked 4 1/2 hrs on the fire prevention cleanup so far and I still have much to do, I will keep better track this year.  Actually last year Matt did most of it, I just did the back lot.

Today I watched the Kings/Heat game from last night.  Since I had not heard the outcome I was pleasantly surprised. They won!  The Kings are Baaack--lots of new young ones who looked great!!!!

Oh, yes, I washed my lettuce really well this week and actually iced it and everything, it has been crisp all week. Love that.  Marilyn thinks it is the lettuce that made me sick...not sure about that.

Catching Up, Forever Catching Up

I am must catching up on about four months of Blog entries, so what have I been doing that I have gotten so far behind?  Well, for one thing, I have been depressed and trying to pull myself out of it without much luck.  Last night, Linda gave me quite a good encouraging pep talk and I realize I am silly to get so down, I have so many blessings, I love my home, I love the quiet lovely place I live, I am healthy, and I have so many wonderful things to think about, write about and do, I just have no time for such nonsense as depression and feeling lonely!!  I also started knitted, if I ever finish this project and it looks at all decent, I will take a pix...  Also...

There was Christmas and getting ready for Christmas.  I made about 15 fleece blankets which I hope the recipients enjoyed.  I enjoyed doing it, tried to find material that personalized them but then the material I would choose would not be available so that did not always work.

Then there was Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I decided to fly to San Diego for Thanksgiving week and that turned out really fun.  And Maria's family, all but Matt, came for Christmas the week before Christmas.  They were only here a few days but that worked out really well.  We had such a great time and played such interesting games and ate such good food.

And then there has been the snow every since.  It seems that most of my day is just taking care of me, Sadie and the house and the steps and deck.  And it snows and snows.  Luckily I have had such great service from Nathan's Handyman Service.  They have been wonderful.  Sometimes not getting to me till it was getting dark but always seeing that I had wood on my deck and my deck, stairs and driveway clean.  I also have a new home teacher, Joe.  He and his wife Monica have been wonderful to me and he has cleaned my driveway several times and even took my broken mailbox home and fixed it.

So I need to start uploading the pictures from the past few months.  I am going to run out of time in my life, the way the months just fly by and I had my 84th birthday.

Oh, yes, and then there has been the books, I have listened to so many books.  I listen to more books than I watch tv, though I also do that.  Although I have stopped watching the news since the election, it is all such negative atmosphere since before and after...I just don't want to deal with it, especially since we have no control over anything anyway.

And then there have been the power outages this winter, about four so far I think.  Snow, power out, snow power out...such is my life.  And my eyes get so dry and hurt, seems I am always dousing them with Systane, is there another problem?

Oh, How They Grow Up--James Hardy Family

Pictures of Lea and her boyfriend at the beach at sunset.

  Is this neat or what!

Jacob and his date for Prom.

Missing Her Husband on Valentine's Day!

Amy, the Nurse with Smoky Joe in bottom corner.

Pretty Lea

Lea and a girlfriend ham it up.

Melissa and Maria Celebrate Valentines Day in San Francisco

Keira Turns 6!!!

I wasn't there but Keira celebrated her birthday six wearing a dragon costume and her Grandpa held a balloon for her to punch and graffiti fell all around her.

February Snow for the Stewart Children

Kristi and her children came up on Sunday and have found the snow is delightful to play in.  That is, except Molly, the little one, who does not like to wear winter gloves and hats and all those things that keep you warm.

The children were delightful to have around and Kristi has them all well in tow.  Kristi did most of the cooking and she left my house looking better than when they arrived!!!  Here is hoping they will come and visit me again.

P S They live outside Las Vegas but were in Reno visiting Mike's family...lucky for me.  Why didn't I do more with my hair and makeup that day ???  I get lazy living alone.

Brynn

Ryan

Molly

Kate

Pretty Mermaids

Maria is always looking for interesting things to do in her search for JOY this past year and so she and Linda ended up in this Mermaid exercise class at the Hotel Del Coronado.  They said it was great fun and don't they look beautiful!  

Great Grandchildren Rule

The Stewart children go hiking with Grandma and Grandpa Pulsipher and Craig and Sarah in Carlsbad.

Meagan felt it was very important for her daughters to be at the Womens March on January 21 so here they are with Nico in toe and Dad to help and a Love sign to show their allegiance.  

 These will be cute pictures for them to look back upon someday and say, "I was there."

Eden gets the blue eyes and fair Irish skin and both the girls have the same kind of freckles I did.  So cute.

Snow, Snow, Snow

Today we took a walk in the snow and it was so beautiful.

I stopped by the wall of snow from the snowplows and it is way above my head already.

84 Years Old!

Carole sent me a throw for my bed, love it!!  And I got money, one of my favorite things and a cute little shawl topper.

And the Snow Descends!

Along Came Bill

This was interesting on Facebook.  Bill's daughter Sara had a repeat of her wedding with all the family present, looks like it was a wonderful celebration.  

The lady in the green short dress is Bill's first wife and the lady in black, second to end on the right, is his third wife and the lady in black next to him in the center is his second wife and mother of the bride, Sara.  I think Bill has dementia or ? as the last few times I talked to him in 2012 or 2013 he was confusing me with the other women in his life.

He had six children, three boys with first wife, one daughter with second wife and daughter and son with third wife and they are all friends...wives, children and so on,  so this is a very interesting family picture.  Beautiful people and Bill had a beautiful soul.  The last time I saw him in early 1990s he was divorced from second wife and about to make the leap to third wife.  The last time I was talking to him he was on the way to divorce but not sure it ever happened.  He is probably about 85 or 86 now.  He once told me that his two first wives were both millionaires and friends with his third wife.  He told me I was very lucky I had escaped...