Long Time No Post

Wow.  It has been a long time since I have posted.  Hope my few followers have not given up on me.  Such a busy and sad summer for me.  In June, I traveled to Phoenix to help my mother for a couple of weeks after her stroke.  I recounted my poker adventures on that trip.  So, in August spending another week in Seattle helping family with their transition to new house, and then getting a call that mother had suffered another stroke.  Back to Phoenix for another week.  This time the stroke affected her speech and ability to form thoughts.  She is a strong willed woman, and certainly did not want to live with both the physical problems and mental problems now existing.  Her vow if she ever got really sick was to "stop eating and drinking till she died".  So, that is exactly what she did.  Her plan was to go in 5 days, maybe she had read that somewhere.  Unfortunately she was in excellent health and it took her twice as long.  She passed away last Saturday with my sister and brother-in-law by her bed.  We cared for her that last week with hospice care in her old home, now my sister's.  My younger brother was with her for several days before I got there and was also able to say goodbye.  Betty was 89 years old and lived a good life.

So, my poker game has been held in suspension.  Really did want to play last night, but just not feeling up to it yet.  Think I will grieve for a while longer.

Picture from last January's visit.  She loved to work puzzles and play bridge.  Now some of the other players at her retirement community will have a chance to win 1st place.  I got all my card smarts from her.