Butt…butt…. E

 I put on pants today.  I had developed bed sores from sitting in my recliner for weeks and Ned decided that in addition to the ointment he was using I should keep my pants off. Everybody in the house has been seeing my bare butt for days. (And it’s helping, fortunately). But I wanted to work in my office so I had to actually put pants on.

I actually worked for an hour and a half before my butt hurt so much I had to quit but I did get some stuff done, including sending letters to each of my 15 Compassion kids ( thanks to their email system which allows me to copy letters to other kids).  I didn’t get any real letters written (which I hoped to do ) but I did spend 30 minutes longer than I have done in the last month. 

But now my butt hurts again and I guess it’s time to bare my butt again. 

Ned and Marta have gone off for several days and my caregivers are Jeri and Phil. 

Falling

 I seem to be falling a lot more. Yesterday I fell trying to step up into the house. 

Ned couldn’t lift me himself so we had to call 911 and the firemen came and got me up.

Then I half fell in the bathroom (which is too small to really FALL).  I’m afraid to walk anywhere. 

magic day

Yesterday was so special that I had to write about it.  Plus so many people have said they are sorry  to see FTW ending...and so many things have happened since I "ended" that may be I'll continue...at least for a bit, to catch up on all that has been happening over the holidays.  But I have to start with yesterday.

I woke up yesterday, not wanting to do what we were going to do.  It was the day of Char's memorial.  I knew I would be emotional all day, wondered if my one pack of disposable tissues would be enough, and I got ready for the day.

Now the "magic" of the day started with getting dressed.  I have these terrible ed sores on my bottom that hurt terribly whenever I sit and so Ned has had me not wearing any pants because everything I put on hurts.  But he dressed me and there  was no pain.  There was no pain getting into the car or riding 2 hours to the memorial and there was no pain whatsoever during the 5 or so hours we were there.  As soon as we got home and I got out of my clothes, the pain was back.  I had talked with Char in the morning and asked her to help me get through the day...and I guess she did.  I've also has problems going to the bathroom many times during the day, but I only had to go twice and the handicapped bathroom was perfect.  Jeri and Marta helped me and things went perfectly.

At least one person (and many more) person was there from every one of the Pinata families.  Tom and Alice Nan drove up  from Santa Barbara.

Jeri and her godmother, Jeri

The "ceremony" was a series of people giving their memories.  I cried a little, but laughed a lot more.  Everybody was great, especially Ned (who talked about the pumpkin pies) and Eric (who brought lots of stuff to show and was just terrific).  Jeri read my comments and added her own.

When the "formal" part was over, there was visiting. One woman came and introduced herself as Lupe and said she had been one of Char's caregivers during her last days and she had heard so much about me that she wanted to meet me.  

It was so nice seeing all the gen 2 Pinata "kids" (many of whom are now grandparents).  I had a nice chat with one guy who seemed to know me quite well and I didn't have a clue who he was until someone pointed out that he was husband of one of the pinata people...last time I saw him he had hair!

Before we left, there was a picture taken of the pinata people who were still there...great photo.  Char was usually the one hold in the "who invited all these tacky people."  I got to do it this time.

I  realized what a healing event this was.  I still miss her terribly, but the pain that I have been dealing with since she died is much better.

There was clam dip at Dana's for the Pinata people, but after,, but Ned, Marta and I came home.

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!