That's apparently from a Counting Crows song. (I saw it online, so I can't guarantee the source.)
But it really hit home with me today when I saw it.
I had just come in from the garage, where I had been looking through my storage boxes for something -- some sort of Christmas decoration -- that would honor Mom and yet not set off the tears every time ( Read more... )

My sister Kathie called last night.
She has been contacting different agencies about Mom's death and finding out what forms to fill out, etc. 
She can't remember which agency it was, but one conversation went like this:
Kathie: "Hi. I need to notify you that my mother passed away".
Customer service rep: "OK, I'll need her social security number and ( Read more... )

Sorry, can't think of a witty title for this post. I'm just brain-fried. 
I received some lovely sympathy cards today. Two were from Mom's half-sister and half-brother. (Twelve years ago, she found out that her father, after divorcing her mother, had married another woman and had five children with her. Mom never knew they existed, and they never ( Read more... )

This a rough draft the obituary (composed by my sisters) that will appear in the Laguna Woods Village Globe (formerly known as Leisure World News) weekly newspaper, hopefully within the next two weeks. A shorter one will be in the Orange County Register on Tuesday, and a very short one will be in the LA Times tomorrow. If anyone has access to these ( Read more... )

I'm home... Got a couple hours sleep last night after crying half the night. Saying goodbye to my sisters today was tough. Of course, getting on the plane looking like Dawn of the Dead didn't help.... But the best part of the day was that the lady who was going to pick me up at the airport brought two other friends from Bible study with her! It was ( Read more... )

Mom passed away today at 2:40 pm, just 5 minutes after they took her off the ventilator. This confirmed our belief that we did the right thing; she was being kept alive solely by machines. We had our chance to say goodbye to her, which we are very grateful for. (We look at it this way: if she had been home alone and had the seizures, she would have ( Read more... )

Hi ( Read more... )

This is the email I sent out. If you want to be added to the email list just let me know.

Hi,

Yesterday they told us mom has developed pneumonia, something that happens on ventilator patients. Not good.

They were still trying to figure out why she had a fever so they did a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) yesterday (had to flip her over so it was an ( Read more... )

Mom has had more seizures and is in a coma.
The doctors say she might come out of it, but that I should probably come home now.
I am going to try and get a flight out tonight or tomorrow.
I wont have email access but will try and keep in touch.
Thanks for your prayers.

Mom had a seizure last night ( Read more... )