The End

 I started Funny the World in March of 2000 and for most of its life wrote daily entries for nearly 25 years.  But I've decided that it's time to end.

In the early years there were lots of interesting things to write about -- dogs I fostered, my Weight Watchers stint (when I had hundreds of followers), our various cruises, when I wrote at the ship computer, and lots of other things, but now my life is pretty boring, as far as writing daily entries.  Ned brings me my breakfast (a bottle of Ensure and coffee) in my recliner, where I have slept the night.  I watch TV and the squirrels all morning, feeling guilty for not  going into my office.  i make a few tortured trips to the bathroom, limping carefully on my walker (afraid of falling again) and back again.  The afternoon is pretty much the same.  My life is the television, the squirrels and the dog.  Not much to write about.  I'm also still depressed about losing Charlotte.

So this is my last entry.  For those of you who have stayed with me all these years, I thank you so much.  I have loved writing these entries, but these days I even bore myself.

Thank you.  I love you.

Good bye.

(I will keep this blogger up so I can write Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing occasionally, but no other entries)

Sunday Stealing

 Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves.

1. Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
   Hmmm...I don't think so.  I've read a lot of books that made me think more and research more, but I don't know that any has changed my life.

2. Do you prefer to read fiction or non fiction.
   Both.  I especially enjoy (auto)biographies, but I love fiction.
   
   
3. If you could be a character in any novel you've read, who would you be
   A lot of us have answered Jo from "Little Women."
   
   
4. Has reading a book ever made you cry?
   I pretty much cry at everything!
   
   
5. (Which one and why?)
   The most recent was Nightingale by Kristen Hannah.  It was very emotional.
   
   
6. How many books do you read a year?
   I have read 30 so far this year.
   
   
7. Name a book you had to read, but hated.
   
   
8. Why did you hate it?
   
   
9.  If someone wrote a book about your life what would it be called?
   Funny the World, of course
   
   
10. Have you ever written (or started to write) a book?
    I co-authored a book about a theater company in San Francisco and 10 years later I wrote the follow-up.
    
    
11. If you could pick a book you've read to make into a movie, what would it be?
    Oh lord, I don't know.  So many books I;ve loved have been made into terrible movies.  I guess I'd prefer to have a book be a book.
    
    
12. What was your favorite book as a child?
    I loved all horse and dog books.  I loved the Black Stallion books and the Lad a Dog books.
    
    
13. What are you reading right now?
    I just finished "Disclosure" by Michael Crichton

Family picture

 We finally got around to taking the family picture today.  I'm not sending Christmas letters any more, so people will get this photo instead.

I checked with our family portrait from last year and my 50 lb weight loss is very evident!

Thanksgiving

 What a great day we had.  I started the morning watching the Thanksgiving day parade.  I decided I'm entirely too old.  Of all the performers, I only recognized the names of two and with all those big balloons, I didn't  recognize most of the characters.  I did recognize Snoopy.

And of course I enjoyed seeing Santa.

After that I watched the dog show and we were all happy to see that Vito, the pug, ended up being the Best in Show.

In the afternoon, Ned made dinner.  I offered to help, but he told me that all I had to do was to taste.  I told him I thought I could handle it.   

He gave us a full table of food, including fresh green beans that Marta made.

And, of course, there was that delicious pumpkin pie for dessert.  Surprisingly my blood sugar didn't skyrocket this morning.  And I managed to have a full night of sleep.

Much to be thankful for!

Getting ready

I was so proud of Ned today. After watching a video I made for Jeri about how to make pie crust he made pie crust while I was napping, then made a beautiful pumpkin pie. So happy to see the beautiful pie!

He also redressed the sore on my arm, gave me a sponge bath, redressed my legs and took Walt to Kaiser for his final rabies shot. 

I am so thankful for Ned today — and every day 

ouch again

I was going to write yesterday, but I was too sore to sit at my desk.

I had written that I had a fall.  That was a few weeks ago.  Then on Saturday, I had another fall.  Ned and Marta were out and I was going  to feed the dog. The bowl was just a bit farther down than it was easy to reach and  grabbed onto my walker, but lost my footing and fell over backwards, hitting my head and scraping my arm rather badly.

With Ned and Marta not here, we had to call 911 and six firemen came out to lift me up and check to make sure I was OK.  I'm going to send them a food package as a thank you.  This is the third time they have come to lift me up.

I am feeling SO uncomfortable walking anywhere.  I'm afraid I'm going to fall and if Ned isn't home, I'd  rather just sit in my recliner and not chance another fall.

Depression

 I have had some messages from readers wondering where Funny the World has gone and I promised to  get an entry up today, though it may be shorter than I intended...but I will put an entry up tomorrow too.

Charlotte's death has affected me more  than I expected.  I was sitting in my recliner the other day wondering why I just didn't have the energy or interest in getting up, writing a journal entry and making a dent in all the letters I have to answer.  I finally decided it was depression.  She is in my dreams (and I don't normally dream) and several times a day I think of things I want to share with her.  Tom told me the other day he plans to come up with Walt's sister for the memorial service and that got me crying.  I just miss her, dammit.

I bought a pair of earrings that I paid too much for but it just was so Char that I had to get them.

I decided for the first time since Jeri was a baby, I am not writing a Christmas letter this year.  I just can't seem to sit down and talk about how our year has gone when Char's death is such a huge cloud over everything.

In addition to that, I am feeling weak physically.  I have had another fall and did not injure myself, but I am afraid to do anything without my walker and am actually nervous doing anything if I know Ned is not at home.  It's too easy to sit in my recliner and watch the squirrels (the dad and 2 youngsters) play while an NCIS marathon is on.

We got Char's wheelchair which is a godsend.  Ned and I went to the doctor the other day and the clinic we had to go to was w-a-y at the other end of a long hall.  No way I could have made it with my walker.

So there are reasons I have not been writing, but I hope to get back to regular entries again.  Next time I'll talk about my legs and what a godsend Ned has been, but I find that an hour is about all my body can handle at my desk for now.  I hope  to work up to more.