Azaleas in bloom

Dear friends and family,

Nick and I are trying out a new form of communication on The Ogler. If it doesn't work, we’ll try something else, but our current model of having me sit down and write short essays is becoming increasingly difficult. So instead, I will dictate to Nick or whoever else among my loving family members, and we’ll see if I can muster a little intelligence or insight.

It is important to me to say what I feel needs to be said. So we’ll give this a whirl.

I would like to be able to speak with each of you, individually; but that won’t be possible. Just talking to myself tires me out. I am able and happy to read emails from you also, so please keep them coming. Since I am not getting out much, this is how I can stay in touch with my loved ones.

No big changes overall in my physical condition. The fatigue continues, deepens if anything. This is a natural progression for brain cancer. I wish I could hope for better, but I accept this as the natural process that we work around the best we can. Ellen and the kids are great. I’m getting plenty of nutritious food, thanks to the many contributions of prepared meals by so many of those whom we love. It would be hard for us to get this all done by ourselves.

We have been blessed by daily times of prayer together, in which we all can speak with God about the significance and meaning of these days. There have been so many wonderful reminiscences. We've laughed and shared smiles as we look through photo albums of when the children were small—and Peter had hair. The blessings of family have been so dear to all of us. Being together has been in itself the best of ways to spend our time.

It helps to have had many warm, sunny days in which we have all gotten out into the garden, to do some cleanup and spring prep. I never guessed we’d get the garden whipped into shape this spring, but thanks to my willing minions (including my sisters), we've done it.  The azaleas are blooming, and the berries fattening up in anticipation of more golden days ahead. We can smell the lilac already.

Living is hard, but life is good. We are all blessed to be a part of God’s great creation.