Thad and Joel left this morning with the truck at 7AM.  I pray they have an awesome time of "fellow"ship!!      These pictures are for Bob & Winsome King.  They called me for my birthday from Australia and we talked and talked and talked.  It was very special.  As I promised ,dear Winsome... the pictures taken Sunday night. 

Steve told me to take their picture like this cause, he says, this is the way it always is (Bobi visiting and Him paying attention... perhaps???).

   So there you have it!  People at my surprise party and also the pot luck last Sunday.  Connie ( Jeff's) had these labels made for my birthday.  I thought they were pretty neat.  Tom & I have a terrible time getting a decent picture of both of us.  So I opted for this one with Tom's eyes open! 

EDIT: Last paragraph last entry

It was Norma's old time friend's daughter who called to find out about Doug & Norma. The mom is actually gone now.

   ...to go down and get the house all cleaned out.  I am so terribly blessed as our children are totally awesome.  Two of the boys are (ok, ok.... two of the men) are coming down with us to help one is flying with wife (Jeff) and the other one (Thad) is driving down in the moving truck so Tom & I can fly.  Greg is staying behind to prepare the place here to receive the goods. 

   I talked to Norma yesterday.  She sounded great.  She gave me a list of things she wants to have at her new home.  My job is to find them.  Possibly a little difficult since so many people have been in and out of their house getting this and that. 

   Yesterday I got a call from one of their doctors that does housecalls.  Her office had finally got our number from the telephone company.  When the phone in CA was shut off, they give our number as a forwarding number.  I was able to fill her in on what was going on, she seemed relieved to know.  I didn't even know about this doctor, however Norma has talked about a doctor that comes to the house on occasion.  Also, an old friend of Norma's daughter called looking for Norma & Doug.  I think it only gives out this number for a month. 

   Trying to upload some photos....

   Yes, I wrote you all this morning.... but it just would not upload and I had to leave for work.  That is my excuse and I am sticking to it! 

   The doctors are saying Norma is terminal, but then all of us are really terminal.  She just has the advantage of knowing it is sooner than later for her.  That could really help us all if we knew "when" our time was up.   But, it is so hard being so far away.  I still wish I could care for them myself.  But I want them to be able to be around their friends too. 

   Our kids are such a blessing as they rally around to help out in times of need.  We are so blessed.   They are so willing to be self sacrificing to help out. 

   We have to go down and clean out the house soon.  Like we have two weeks to do it.  Yikes!  At least we are getting things organized and figured out.

   I am hoping to share a little conversation I had with Margarite soon.  She was a crack up and you will see why when you hear her ideas.

   You might be saying, "WHAT?"  So let me explain.  NO WORK, WORK day is the day when you CAN work and you really MUST work, BUT it is not the kind of work you get paid $$ to do.  For example, right now Tom is out washing the Vette.  Now he doesn't get paid any $$ to do it, and it is WORK, but there is a different reward that comes and it is very satisfying.  Now truthfully, I don't think the same about vacuuming.  I would pay someone else to do that.  It is hard on the shoulder.  But I am cleaning the kitchen and making Latte's and that is work but it is the satisfying kind.    I gotta go my milk is through frothing.

   We made it home and unloaded everything, and were in bed about 12:30AM.  Then Up at 6:45 (we overslept).  Tom off to work, me sitting here typing.

   I don't think we are doing anything unusual when someone you care about is in need.  We built this house so we could care for them.  Aunt Norma told us she wanted to live with us and we realized we couldn't care for her in our little three story house with no bedrooms or bathrooms on the main floor.  So we found some property (with the Lords leading) and built this 5600 sq ft house with two rooms and a bath just for them.  It was later, when I realized they wanted to KNOW they had a place to come to "IF & WHEN" they really needed it.  I understand better now.  So anyway, they have lived in the same house for over 58 years, no children... but lots of friends.  (God has put this house to good use so far anyway.)

   Uncle Doug has been a delight at the assisted living place where a friend temporarily set him up while Norma is in the hospital.  Apparently there was not much talk in the dining room until Uncle Doug got there.  I want you to know Uncle Doug sits on his personality!  This is what he has always called his 'behind'. 

   There is money in various places around their house.  Some of it is in Norma's bra & panty drawer.  Tom said he wasn't going there.  Their checks are in a certain closet under a certain pile of towels, etc.  Norma told us to take what we needed, but we really don't need their money.  After we left we were wondering if we should have taken it and put it in their new account, just so it isn't laying around the house.  So many people have keys to their house it is amazing.  They just seem kind of vulnerable right now.  It is hard when we aren't close to look out for them.

  Here is a picture of Shirley.  She is an old friend of Doug & Norma that lives at the same assisted living place where Uncle Doug is staying.  It is very nice, but not plush.  It costs $4200 per month but includes your meals and help with bathroom stuff and meds. 

   Shirley grabbed hold of me and kissed me on the lips.  Now I gotta explain.   I was leaning over her when she was in bed (she is hard of hearing) and telling her we were taking Doug to see Norma.  Then I told her she looked real cute in that red night gown, necklace and all so I was gonna give her a kiss on the cheek.  Well, she redirected the kiss to her lips.  So now I have kissed a 92 year old woman on the lips.  She is delightful.  She insisted on taking us out to dinner at Norma's favorite restaurant in Napa.  A Mexican restaurant.  She had a "virgin" margarita.  Here is she, in her red night gown.

....typing away on a borrrowed laptop, listening to "The Lost Dogs", while Tom visits with Uncle Doug.  I am sitting in the back.  We just left the hospital.

Uncle Doug held hands again with Norma, and they kissed goodbye on the lips.  Then Norma said he was lucky cause she doesn't give those away very often. 

Good news is that they found some places where she has been leaking blood in her bowel and clamped them.  We still are awaiting the biopsy results x three.  One of them was taken almost two weeks ago.  The biopsy site is her lower esophagus where they found a mass.  The doctor said they have been treating her with blood products so far. 

Norma is a little down again today.  She is showing some positive signs by sitting up in a chair and walking a little yesterday.  But today I think she is just very tired out and she doesn't know what the future holds.  She is so 'on top of it' where financial and other practical stuff is concerned and constantly dialogs about things like the yams left on the counter that will go bad, where the toilet cleaning brush is, , etc. 

We turned in a change of address so their bills will come to us.  We are gonna open a special checking account to be able to pay their bills.  Hopefully I can do this successfully online. 

Tom's boss was hoping he would be back to work tomorrow, but there isn't too much chance of us being able to do that.  Thursday will be the best we can do.  And I will need to go in Thursday myself.  That means some real serious driving tonight. 

UPDATE:  Just got a call from the doctor saying the biopsy is back and it is positive for cancer.  Norma has not been told yet. 

Today was hard.  Aunt Norma seemed discouraged and like she has given up.  We both cried together.  We took Uncle DJ down to see her.  They held hands and told each other, "I love you".  It was very nice.  We stayed for a long time.  Norma told DJ she couldn't take care of him anymore and that she thinks she needs someone to take care of her too.  She looks so skinny and sad.  I couldn't keep from crying.  All the way driving back to Napa was so sad.  The nurses couldn't believe that such a little old lady who is so sick has been caring for her husband all by herself, when he is in need of assisted living care.  She is a very strong woman as several of the nurses have commented after they saw her history and all that she has lived through such as cancer, and two discs in her spine are now fractured on top of everything else.  Then the doctor that was there said to me, "It is very good that your brought her husband to see her."  I am not sure why she said that but I wondered.

We are staying at Norma and DJ's house for the next several nights.  It is very quiet here.  I am using a loaner computer to type this.  I am tired and we didn't have dinner tonight so I would like a bowl of cereal, but there isn't any milk in the house.... so tomorrow............. 

We are heading out again today.  This time for the Bay Area.  Aunt Norma June is very ill, in the hospital and Uncle Doug cannot care for himself.  He does have temporary care.  We are hoping to get some things settled so that we can take care of bills etc. before we come back home to Washington State. 

Prayer is appreciated.  Norma was never able to have any children of her own so we are it.  She has been a very inspirational lady.  Uncle DJ is a character that you just gotta love. 

Sorry I am not keeping very good contact with everyone.... I will try to make it up when we get home.  I have a ton of pictures etc to show you all... but no time to post now. 

Bye, bye.......   Please pray for comfort for Norma, and peace for Doug.   Thank you Lord.

Updated, this is the one I meant to stick in here.  

I like this attitude!!!