Jan 21, 2013 A Family Loss



Dinga chewing on a chunk of ice


Friday morning the valley fog was lower than on Thursday and there was a definite rime line on the canyon sides.  It was still 32 when we got up.  JB left for Down There at 9:30 am and was back by 2:00 pm.  I did laundry, dishes, etc.  The high for the day was 40!  The dogs thought Spring was on the way and were outside most of the day.

It was pizza and movie night, so we watched "The Dark Knight Rises."  Long, like most Batman movies, but I loved the twists and especially the ending.

Saturday was sunny again with a high of 35.  But it was a very sad family day as Uncle Jack passed away from complications of the flu.  He was 87, and he and Aunt Nene had been married 68 years.  Not sure yet when the memorial service will be, but Nene has asked me to give the eulogy.  A great honor, but a weighty one.  I will go over to stay with her a few days before the service and then stay a few days afterwards.

JB and I worked on making MAX's parking place larger.  JB broke up the ice and hardened snow, then I shoveled it out.  Dinga was thrilled at all the ice chunks.  She loves chewing on them.

Larry and Elsie drove up in the evening with the first fresh eggs of the season.  We played "marbles" so the guys could have their egos stroked.  Elsie completely made up for her bad luck during the last game, but that night the dice hated me.  Was still a close game.

We have been much warmer Up Here than down at their place for the past few days.  They haven't even hit the mid 20's because of the fog and inversion layer.

Yesterday was nice again, with a few high clouds and a high of 28.  It has been warming up so much that the wasps are venturing out of their inside nest.  We had more than 20 in the loft during the day, and at least four downstairs.

I tried to start reading The Elephant Whisperer, but these days are for writing, not reading.  JB is going Down There on Tuesday to do grocery shopping.

The weekend seems like it was two weeks long.  When your private world changes dramatically, time slows down and your reality shifts.  In this case, our mortality was brought into focus and it was driven home, once again, that all we really have is this moment, regardless of our age or circumstances.  This moment, and only we can make the most of it.  When I lived Down There, I would go out after such an event and seeing life going on as if nothing had happened, I would scream at the Universe, "But don't you understand?!  There has been a change!"  And the Universe would whisper back to me, "Ah, but I do understand.  All is as it should be.  Change is the only constant, and you are Loved."  Now living Up Here, I look out at the snow covered mountains and canyons, and, still, all is as it was.  But it is soothing and I am calm.  And I feel loved, and know that angels surround is all, comforting and protecting.

Thought for the day:  If we discovered that we had only five minutes left to say all that we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they loved them.  Christopher Morley