I have really been slow on getting out any kind of posts this year. I think that being on Facebook has kind of taken away some of the fun in putting things out there for "fans" to read, plus the fact I actually have to sit down and peck out the words on the keyboard. So anyhow, I have been on a few bike trips this year, not as long as I have gone on and not as many Patriot Guard missions to ride to either, which is not a bad thing come to think of it. As far as photos go, I have found over the last few years that I am not Ansel Adams when it comes to landscape photography, so I just don't shoot many any more.
The last few years have seen the departure of three women in our family. My sister Kathy in 2015, my Mother-in-law Bernice in 2017 and my Mom this May 20th. I have long been thinking about a blog about my Mom's passing and have not gotten around to it till now. I got a call from the rest home here in town in the evening, that Mom was unresponsive with no blood pressure or pulse. She had returned to her room after having supper. They asked if I wanted her taken to the ER or not. I was a little taken aback by the casualness, but I guess they handle these situations a lot out there. I said I suppose she should be taken out to the ER, so I drove out to see what was going on. By the time she got to the ER she was back with us, talking to the doctor etc.. Next the helicopter dropped in. I never did find out why that was called for as she has a do not resuscitate directive, but we never got a bill for it. I called Jan to come out to keep me company while they were running some more tests, but it looked as if she was doing better all of the time. After a while it looked as if they would be keeping her overnight for observation, so Jan headed home, but before Jan got out of the parking lot the doctor was back saying that suddenly she was fading fast, so Jan came back and we moved Mom into a different room to keep her company while she was making the transition from this life to the next stage. Death is not so hard to witness when you know that they are ready and have been for some time, and Mom made the jump to the next stage late in the evening of May 20th at the age of 97. Jan and I were both touching her at the time, I put my hand on her forehead and said the Benediction. The Lord bless you and keep you, that one. So I have been with both of my parents when they are passing on, and actually I recommend the experience as it really brings home the reality of death. Jan has been with both of her parents too, so we are aware of it and are trying to get all of our ducks in a row so to speak for our kids. Our Moms both had things pretty well taken care of years ago, and with my sister Kathy's death a couple years ago we wanted to leave little legal work undone. Mom was as sharp as a tack right up until the end and we would talk politics or whatever was on her mind. I have been somewhat surprised by how much I think about her now that she is gone. I guess it is the idea that someone that has always been there, isn't anymore. Anyone that had known her might not be surprised at one of her last words, "whatever". So those were the last few hours of Bernita C. Kuehl, the first woman that I ever loved. The funeral was at the Trimont Covenant church on a date that saw farmers rushing to get crops into the ground after a cold damp spring, so attendance was a little low. She was interred next to my Dad and sister Kathy at Cedar Hill cemetery west of Trimont.
As I am writing this her home has finally been sold after being on sale for over a year. The fact that the street has been torn up since last Spring with a major construction project did not help. So pretty soon we will be able to wrap this up and move on with things more pleasant.
I suppose that I should get back to the usual Christmas letter format, so I'll start with January first. The weather ranged from a -24 to a +45 during the month and some of the time within days of each other. Jan and I did managed to get out between snow storms and cold snaps to Rochester for doctor appointments, family get togethers and assorted locations for basketball games for the Sam and Gus. Other than that nothing out of the ordinary.
February pretty much more of the same, although paging through my notebook I notice a trend that has been growing over the years- a lot more doctors appointments to be met and traveled to. Jan and I helping Eli and Lindsey while he has been recovering from a torn shoulder among our visits. The weather, always a subject in this part of the world, was somewhat more cooperative, so that we could make a couple basketball tournaments. Later that month Jan had back surgery in Maple Grove to help with back pain that had bothered for some time. That turned into a three day stay at the hospital. I did spent the nights curled up on a kind of couch in her room. Funny thing , I slept better there than I usually do at home in our king size bed. Maybe it 's the humanitarian in me, keeping her company in a strange room. We eased on home and she went right back to bed for a while. That was a lot more painful than she and I expected. I've also been running out to the rest home to see Mom once in a while, plus a care conference here and there. Jan and I did pick out a love seat for her at Hanska furniture for her room that was a hit at the home, the aids all wanted to try it out. I also have been fooling around with bike maintenance and Eli's 64 Falcon project car.
I'm going to stop here and pick it up with March in the near future before this blog gets too long, so stay tuned.
