Time Flies!!

So, my last post was almost two months ago! I think I said in that post that I was going to be more dedicated to posting.....oh well!! It is not that I was hanging out doing nothing. Just when you think your life is getting a little less stressful and you think you can relax, the "Man Upstairs" sends something more for you to handle -- the story of my life -- and where I will begin today.

When I started to post again in April, I was just finishing up helping my dear Mother-in-Law through some pretty serious surgery and rehabilitation. She, at 87 1/2 years old, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January and underwent a mastectomy in late February. While she was in hospital, she was found to have some other health complications, that were not life-threatening, but did require her to have a 30 day stay in a rehab facility. Attending to her needs, with the help of my husband and our niece, Dee, took a huge chunk out of my winter/early spring, but on April 15 she was given a "cancer-free" diagnosis from her oncologist. We rejoiced and felt pretty confident that our lives and schedules were going to get back "to normal."

But when man plans, God laughs...so the very next day -- April 16 -- at Noon, I received a call from my brother that my 72-year old father, who has Alzheimer's Disease. fell and could not get up. By 2:00 PM that day, less than 24 hours after my M-i-L's "all clear," I found myself once again in a hospital, now taking care of my Dad. After a week at Johns Hopkins, he too went to rehab (the same one as my M-i-L) to regain his strength, but he did not get any better. My dad passed away on Tuesday. May 5.

For the past three and one-half weeks, I have started the task of dismantling my father's life, going through his belongings, washing and then donating old clothes. clearing off shelves and laughing and crying while looking at old pictures and momentos. This has been a crazy, and unexpected, year for me so far. It has not all been bad though, there is a lot if good news to post as well and this time, I promise to sat in top of it!