WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

present and accounted for

. . . saw my name in Grace's post and figured I had better post. ;-)

Life has been hectic for me over the past ten days. A very dear friend, who I loved like a mother to me, was diagnosed with cancer last August. A week ago, her leg broke and she died seven days later. It was time. She was 87 y/o and ready to go, but it was a hectic final week. Her only child lives in another state, and thankfully was planning to come and stay with her mother until the end, and already had a flight booked to arrive the day after the leg broke. The timing was amazing.
I was this friend's main caregiver along with her housekeeper ( she was widowed), as she was unable to drive her car since December, and still living in her home until the end. I had driven her to all her medical appointments (oncology & eye surgery) since last August. She was a very independent person who wanted no life support, had a DNR order, etc., because she had told me so, many times. Luckily, at the hospital ER after the leg break, she was alert and able to tell me what the envelope looked like that held her written medical directives, and where they were to be found. At 12:30 in the middle of the night, I drove back across town to her home to retrieve them, and deliver them to the hospital. None of us knew where these papers were, not even her daughter. Good thing I knew where a key to her house was hidden.

All I have to say is this:
-Have your will, powers of attorney, medical directives, etc. updated if they are more than several years old, and if you don't have them, GET THEM DRAWN UP. NOW. I am not kidding.
-You will NOT live forever. Do NOT put off getting these documents drawn up. Do it NOW. Tomorrow might be too late.
-Be sure your offspring (or whoever) knows where those papers are located.
-Be sure your offspring (or whoever) know who the attorney is that drew up these documents, where your bank accounts are, investment company, etc. Make a list of this information, put it in an envelope, and mail it to your kid(s), or whoever, and say "do not open until ...."
-Donate generously to your local Hospice agency. WOW. They truly are everything I had heard people say they are.
- If you don't like what you just read, get over it, and get over yourself.
Okay... that is my PSA (public service announcement) for the day. I'll get off my soapbox now.

I, too, just saw the news this morning about Japan and have watched some video footage of the tsunami wave there, on CNN's web site. It is so devastating. Between that and the NewZealand quakes, we are reminded of just how insignificant we humans are in comparison to the power of this ever-changing earth. The historic flooding we had here, ten months ago, brought it home to us in our area.

As for sewing . . . I have been working on a shirt pattern for myself. Believe me, if I could go buy one at the store and have it fit properly, I would do that. I am long overdue for a white long-sleeve shirt, and will probably finish it in time for hot weather and need to start on a sleeveless one. Ack. Three test garments later, I have the pattern finally adjusted properly. Hooray! Whenever I have time (see my post above about dear friend...) I will get this shirt finished, and hopefully over the next week.

posted by Doris W. in TN @ 2:58 PM