Thank You

Exactly four years ago today we were busy saying goodbye to Derek. I was holding the telephone to his ear as Tess in Florida said her tearful goodbyes, I couldn't hear what she was saying because the breathing machine made so much noise. People talked to him. At noon his heart finally rested. I still remember standing up and looking around after we were done and seeing the entire room crammed full of family and friends. FULL. A lot of you. I didn't realize that everyone had squeezed in. There were certainly a few speed limits broken that morning as people traveled long distances. The rule about how many guests in a room was overridden by those wonderful nurses.

I will never forget turning around and seeing everyone there. Thank you.
During the next week we were surrounded by a large crowd of loving people and we supported each other. Our little towns pulled together and opened town halls, inns, and other resources to make everybody's transition a little easier.

Wow. Thank you.

I know that most of you do not check back here because I haven't been writing at all,
but just in case you are reading this....

Four years ago we said goodbye to Dude.
He was a really good kid.
At noon today just take moment to say Derek's name.
Thank you.

Thank you Derek for being all that you were.

A note.

Yesterday Beth was planting some flowers at Derek's stone and there were a few items that were there. His car key and the little Buddha are still there but someone had placed some silk flowers, and there was a prom corsage with a note, since Beth didn't know what it said, she brought it home for translation.

(We do too)

[Babelfish]

[Last year]

[Twenty One]

Going for a walk.

1:37pmMST / 11:37amEST

Derek, his Nana, and Foxy his dog going for a walk.

A quickie post while we have a signal.

1:15pmMST / 11:15amEST
We are driving near the Grand Tetons and we have some reception so I thought that I would type in some of the stuff that I have been writing, but now that we are parked for lunch I have changed my mind, twice.
A few minutes ago in the town of Morin, Wyoming we spotted a herd of horses. So after we took some pictures I decided to upload some horsey pictures for Maureen T.
Maureen likes horses and may feel a connection with horses in Morin Wyoming.

Then I changed my mind again.
Just as we were parking we got a call from my sister Leslie. In fact she is still on the phone with Beth.

Well the news back home is that our trusty dog Foxy died yesterday.
She was about fourteen and a half years old, which adds up to a LOT of wonderful bowls of food.

Derek got her when she was one year old. That means Derek was seven years old, I think.
I will probably write soon about some of the funny things that Foxy did.
She was a great dog. She was our last dog.
Thank you Leslie for taking such good care of her this summer.
She had some kind of heart defib problem since a few days before we sold our house, so this was not unexpected, and she was still happy and healthy until the end.

Anyhow, back to the horses for now. Here are a few pictures Maureen and when we get to Cody and have a signal I will upload a whole group of pictures just for you.

While those are uploading later this week I will be able to type some of the stuff I have been writing in my notebook.
I have been trying to avoid the rants. When i start sputtering about a subject I just wait and write later after something funny happens. My rants and raves will stay in unpublished form so that I don't alienate you guys. I have to do some research before I open my big mouth.

So we are going to Cody soon to see some rodeos and I am assuming that I will have a signal there.

Bye Foxy, have fun rootin around in that big dumpster in the sky.
I bet Derek is so glad to have his dog back.

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COMMENTS

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chemo-sabe said...
Aw shucks, print your rants (unless they're political...too much of that crapola...and you probably would alienate someone). Other than that, I can't think of anybody's rants I'd rather read!!
I'm so sorry about your pup.
love you
chemo-sabe
August 17, 2007 2:14PM

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Sherm said...
Awww damn. Little Foxmoor is no more.

No wonder Champ has been more cantankerous than usual. He’s pining for his little buddy (and whatever sympathy cheese he can weasel out of us).

Another splash on the ground for dear Foxy.

Hope yer rodeo went well. Go to the BBQ cook-off and eat plenty of hot brown stuff.

There’s someone out there (in Wyoming or an adjoining state) that has an old minuteman missile silo for a home that they have tours of occasionally. A real swords into plowshares kind o’ deal. Or swords into a really cool underground home.

I’ll look for the link but ask around, can’t be too many of them.

Fireworks were epic, so was the traffic. Wouldn't miss it for anything. Over 9000 shots.

Hugs all around. The little one adds kisses.

August 19,2007 10:01 AM

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Recipe for Derek's Soup (from Jenny)

Jenny said...
Recipe for Derek's Soup
1 or 2 chopped onions, or about 1 cup, sauteed till soft
4 or 5 (i usually double that) cloves of garlic minced, sauteed till soft
2 small or 1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, 1/4" slices works
1 can coconut milk
1Tablespoon curry spice or 1/2 teasp. coriander,
1/2 cumin,
1/2 cardomom,
1 tsp turmericf
ew handfuls frozen spinach
1/2 cup toasted cashewsv
egg or chicken broth or just watersalt,
pepper to taste

start by boiling squash,
then drain water and add all the ingredients,
stir
gelling takes 45 min to 90 minutes, depends on how fine squash is chopped

Mia's Dragonfly

Jenny said...
This afternoon, I called (Momma) Mia to catch up on her Thursday afternoon off. She had an important story to share with Beth and Warren. Yesterday at 3 pm, on the 30th, while Mia was at work, a dragonfly, a big blue one, about the size of her palm, flew into the Clinic, down the hallway and fluttered about the nurse's station. Mia held a paper bag open for the dragonfly, and he crawled in. She carried the bag out the door, and he flew away. A patient in the waiting room commented - Why, that nice nurse saved that dragonfly! - not quite understanding what had just happened. Mia was greatly moved by this experience, and was thankful that there were witnesses so she knew she wasn't hallucinating.I hung up with Mia around 3 pm and a call came in. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some leaves clinging to the brick outside the window. Since I am twenty-six floors up, I leaned forward for a closer look. I asked the client if I could call him back. I fumbled with my new camera phone, without any luck. Outside my window, hanging on to the brick of the building exterior, was a giant green dragonfly. He was so big, I thought his wings were plant leaves. The green of his body seemed to be tinged with yellow, and the wings, with blue. I stopped fumbling with the silly camera phone, so I could just be there, while he was there. I took about five deep breaths. He let go and rose up, out of view. Looking at my hand now, I'm sure he was the length of my entire hand. No tall tales here, but no witnesses either.
I called Beth.
A big hello, she said.
Hello, Derek. Hello.

Jenny

Three years ago...

It was exactly three years ago from now that our life imploded. i won't dwell on it, I just wanted to note it. Derek, I love you and miss you.
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Sherm said...
Yeah it has changed the way I look at this part of the year. It used to be a transition into summer fun and now it's an introspective time thinking about our kids here and gone.
That's the sad part.
The good part is that we're still faced with a new day, every day, and peeks and glimmers of hope, love, and some interesting people, too, will make it worth getting out of bed.
We’ve paid the damn dues; we might as well keep showing up, eh?
It’ll ease up; your grand adventure will certainly help.
If it doesn’t, you’ve got an interesting collection of folks to call.
June 1, 2007 6:16 AM