The Christmas Card

December 17, 2009

Last week I learned that my namesake died. It was in the obituaries in the newspaper. Grandpa’s older brother Gene died on Saturday, December 5th. He was 85. Gene was Grandpa’s most beloved brother, and I was called by his name by Grandpa for the last two years of Grandpa’s life. Gene’s health had been [...]

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My 28th Birthday

November 17, 2009

Today was my 28th Birthday. It was a day like any other day for me because I celebrated this past Saturday with my family. Even Saturday was very low key. Beyond picking out supper (roasted leg of lamb with potatoes and home made chocolate éclairs for dessert) and everyone singing the worst screeching rendition of [...]

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That Brillant Color

October 13, 2009

The season starts with hints and whispers. Autumn’s first glimpse comes in the glint of firey color amidst the green, the first note caught in a cool crisp breeze. But autumn, like spring, comes quickly after that first glimpse. Spring bursts forth in green, springing up, exhilarating like a rockets swift ascent. Autumn bursts asunder [...]

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Autumn Walk

October 12, 2009

On Sunday I went for a walk. It was a brisk fall day, the perfect day for an Autumn walk. The clouds scuttled across the sky, the sun breaking out in bursts as I made my way up Grippen Hill. Leaves fell in herald of the coming winter, and my thoughts drifted a bit, thinking [...]

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The Burden

October 2, 2009

(This was originally written for the extended family. I shared it, along with some of my other writing, at the memorial we had for Grandpa.) Grandpa is gone, and it is natural to think about what we have lost in his passing. But there is something I would like to share today, something that I [...]

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Laughter Through The Tears

September 29, 2009

This is a long, rambling post. It is rambling, and with such bad structure, because there is so much to say, I can’t say it all, and I don’t know quite how to say it. But maybe, somehow, you will understand what I mean. I meant to write a post like this some time ago, [...]

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The Empty Couch

September 25, 2009

Grandpa on the couch We all grieve in different ways. Some people grieve loudly, others in silence. Some people take a long time to grieve, other people finish grieving in a short time. Grandma told me she was grieving long before Grandpa actually died, and I think that is true for me also. But that [...]

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The Next Great Adventure (Reposted)

September 24, 2009

On September 24th, 2006–three years ago to this very day–I began caring for Grandpa in his final journey through Alzheimer’s. Shortly after that, I posted a piece on this website titled “The Next Great Adventure” (the original post can be found here). That adventure has come to an end as suddenly as it began. I [...]

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September 11th, 2009

September 18, 2009

At 5:00 AM on Friday, September 11th, Grandpa slipped away. He lingered a week after he took his final turn. A week where he did not eat, and drank only a few drops. He passed quietly. Thank you all for your kind comments. The family took it as well as could be hoped. We all [...]

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Saying Goodbye

September 9, 2009

(I didn’t edit this for quality of writing. Maybe some other day) There were a lot of things I wanted to write before this, but life never goes in the neat little order we desire. I wanted to write about how Grandpa and I would laugh together, the foolish games we would play, and how [...]

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