Dear Irene, Ruth, Rudy and all the Heroes of Preservation,

Bless you all for Preserving quality of life !

Too many of us grew up in the sterile 40's, 50's and 60's when much of real
life
was put out of sight in favour of the "nice".  Was it because many of our
parents were still living out the economic shock of the 30's, detaching
themselves from their own parents who were unable to protect them from the
fallout of financial crash and nuclear dust?   Was it the inevitable result
of all the 20th century emigrations from traditional home and family to the
promised prosperity of the other side of whatever fence one could imagine
and get to?   My mother woke up from drugged comma to say hello to her new
child, never feeling a thing.   My childhood grandmother died alone in an
asylum for the demented or deserted.   Neither benefited from family or even
their own presence at the events.   For those of us who have now shared the
times of birth and death with generations either side of our own, there is a
deep and wonderful meaningfulness in the process and participation that
those lapsed generations sadly missed.   1940's/50's Betty Crocker had a lot
to offer to the in-between times of life, but left out far too much through
the sterilization of the kitchen of experience.

Go for it e-brothers and e-sisters.   If the earth were a little smaller, I
would love to drop in and make you and yours a cup of tea, or take a turn
sitting through a midnight hour while someone gets a little sleep.

cp in bc





----- Original Message -----
From: "Ilene R. Tyler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 5:06 AM
Subject: Re: [BP] BULLAMANKA-PINHEADS Digest - 13 Nov 2004 to 14 Nov 2004
(#2004-282)


Hi, Ruth,

We lost my mom in July.  Dad had been her primary caregiver until the last
two weeks of hospice, which my sister-in-law and I did together at home.  He
appreciated the support, and could not have done that final stint alone.
Meanwhile, he ignored his own signs of fatigue and discomfort, and after
only a month we learned that his cancer had returned.  Since then it has
meant his being in-and-out of the hospital to diagnose the lymphoma
precisely and undergo aggressive chemotherapy treatments.  Inbetween
treatments, he recovers at home, hence my taking a turn with him now.  His
mind is good, and he is a good patient, and we have lots of reminiscent
talks about family.  Yesterday's highlight was watching Michigan beat
Northwestern, followed by watching Michigan State beat Wisconsin.  That
means Michigan might go to the Rose Bow, a big deal for us Wolverine fans.
Dad is a wonderful companion, and has a strong mind and heart.

I've brought some work up here and stay connected with my fancy wireless
connection to broadband internet, which my brother hooked up for us to be
able to feel less of a sacrifice.  Dad uses Web TV and loves getting email,
so often we're both checking for messages.

It's a beautiful day, here in Michigan, cold enough to see a dusty white
frost on the ground early, but sunny enough to know it will melt away soon.
We'll go for a ride later, and I'll make a tasty spinach omlet for
breakfast.

Love to you all,

Ilene

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>