April 27, 1918 - February 25, 2008

Hi, all-

I haven't posted all week, because grandpa died on Monday, and it's been a week of viewings, funerals, family in town, planning, etc.

He died (he didn't want to "pass away," he said; he wanted to "die") at home, where he wanted to be. It was peaceful, everyone else was in another room at the time and didn't hear him. There was no gasping or choking. He hadn't woken up since the afternoon before. My sister-in-law, the RN, was taking care of him and gave him his doses of morphine with a little dropper, so she could do that while he slept.

His daughter, my mother-in-law, made a quilt for him with everyone's picture on it--all the kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. He would sit up at night with a flashlight, looking at all the pictures of the kids on the quilt.

It seems like, when someone dies, everyone says how great the mortician made them look. But this was the first time I actually thought that they did a good job. He looked so much better after they did their thing. The man was still handsome, even in a casket! We sent the quilt with him.

It's odd not to have him at the other end of the block any more. At the same time, though, he was so exhausted from living with this cancer. I couldn't ask him to stay. But I'll miss him.