10:00am

This picture taken on my morning walk sums up how I’m feeling today. Dreariness abounds with a road that leads to you don’t know where.

Our good friend Rose has a tumor on her liver. She is having it biopsied today. Her daughter had planned a surprise birthday party for her tonight.

Rose is in the middle of a home addition project. The foundation along the stairs to her basement was caving in and she had to tear down an old addition as part of the repair. With much concern over finances, Rose decided to put a new addition over the repaired foundation that will house a bedroom and laundry.  Rose had done her laundry in her unheated basement for years. In the winter, the washer would sometimes freeze. She has been sleeping upstairs in her half story loft. The new addition will make life easier.
I can’t stop thinking about Rose. I think about how our phone calls always start with a long silly HELLOHHohh and we share a laugh before getting on with the topic at hand. I value that easy laugh.

Yesterday she answered the phone with a hollowness in her voice. She had found out only the day before. Rose said that her good friend Nancy was with her. Daughter, Malainey, was coming that evening and she had a ride to her biopsy today. There was nothing I could do for her now but she would be needing us in the future. She was told about the surprise birthday party and wants to go ahead with it. She said she wants to stay positive through this.

Rose is dear to many people. We will all provide her with a great support network. I assured her that Merv and I would be there for her. And then I said “I love you Rose”.  It just came out. It felt so good to have said it. I pretty much say “I love you” only to Merv which might be why on hanging up I appended my goodbye with the word “sweetheart”. That was also reflexive and it felt weird but I guess it shows how dear Rose is to me.

 3:00pm

Milainey let us know that while Rose came through her biopsy fine, she is too tired to have the party tonight. Soon though.