August 31, 2023

Dad's service was Wednesday. I had hoped more of the family would hang around a few days but most everyone left on Thursday. Before Wayne and Kelley left for the airport, Wayne wanted to show Kelley where we lived, went to school, church and the family farm since she had never been before. Doyle and I went with them. 

Before they came by Doyle and I walked the cornfield. It is a very pretty stand of corn. 

You can click on the picture to see it bigger. On the left side of the photo you can just make out the roof of the house over the top of the corn.

Corn is close to being ready for harvest.

Have a good one!

Family Photos

The service celebrating Dad's life was well done. My Uncle Philip, Dad's brother, brought the message mixing some memories with Dad from his perspective that brought laughter and smiles from many. 

I learned that at least 5 people from the Church in  Perrin Dad was pastor of from May 1977 to August 1989 made the trip to Missouri for Dad's service. I was very touched by that. 

My church family sent this beautiful spray of flowers. I had to chuckle as I am the one who usually does this. I appreciated them doing this.

This was also a great photo opportunity for the family!

This is my cousin Tony Curp (son of Bill and Beverly Curp) and my sister Karen Shonk (Barbara's oldest)  . Beverly is my Dad's sister. She died in 2017. She was 5 years younger than Dad. Tony was leaving from the cemetery so we took pictures with him before he left.

This is Alan (Dad's youngest brother and youngest of the siblings.) We are the same age and only 3 months apart. This is his family. L to R Alan, Lyndie, Aaron and Andrew.

Aaron's wife Suzan and son Nolan (born November 30, 2022) they also have a daughter, Vera (born August 3, 2018) She was at school.

This is Ann Underwood and her son Clint. Ann is my Dad's cousin. Her mom and my grandmother were sisters.

L to R Kai (4), Addison, Taylor, Destiny, Fiance Ryan, Kelley and Wayne. Taylor's wife, Whitney and kids did not make the trip.

Korin (9) Kashton (10) Kennedy (13) standing by Keannon and Vanessa.

Back row: Sheryl, me, Karen, Darla

Front row: Wayne, Barbara and Mark. Missing Barbara's youngest Brian.

I can't identify all these people but they are family in some way and some had already left!

Dad's headstone. Barbara's name is on the headstone of her first husband who also died of cancer in 1988 at 54 years old. The headstone is to the left of dad's.

The other side of Dad's headstone.

Celebrating The Life of Dad

This was not a blog I wanted to write. This blog had been in draft mode since about the second week in August. Things got a little crazy and I never finished the blog to post. Now the news is past history.

Dad left this world and went to be with Jesus on Saturday August 26th. My brother, Wayne, me, his wife Barbara and her oldest Karen were with him when he breathed his last breath.

You can read his obituary here. If you scroll down the page there is a slideshow of pictures you might enjoy looking at. 

The post I started that I didn't finish was about the trip I made to see Dad the first week in August. Below is the post that I began.

Dad had another hospital stay. He had a wreck on July 7th. He told me about it when we talked on July 9th. He said he didn't know what happened. One moment he was driving on Interstate 35 headed to Liberty. He remembers seeing the exit for Kearney then the next he remembers the car is sideways in the interstate! He had hit the concrete barrier in the median making his car undriveable. He wasn't hit by anyone and he didn't hit anyone nor did the airbag deploy! I count it a miracle he wasn't hurt or anyone else! Barbara has a daughter and son-in-law that live in Kearney. He called him to find out where to have the car towed and take him home.

On Tuesday July 11th I called to check on him. It was about 11:30am. It went to voicemail. I realized he never called me back so I called again around 5:30pm. It sounded like I woke him up. He sounded very groggy and was mumbling. What I did understand didn't make sense. I told him I would call later. I called my Uncle Alan (Dad's youngest brother who lives 12 miles from him) and asked if he would check on Dad. He was still at work and would be driving right by the road to his house. He told me he would. The day before Home Health had drawn blood for lab work. When Alan arrived the Doctor's office called saying Alan needed to take Dad to the ER right away as his kidneys were almost shut down. He was admitted on Tuesday July 11th. He was dismissed on July 19th. There was a point that the doctors were talking about dialysis but Dad's kidneys slowly began showing improvement and that wasn't necessary. It was discovered on this hospital stay that the cancer had gone to his brain. We believe that it was the tumor on Dad's brain that may have caused him to "black out" therefore causing the accident he had. Doctor's gave 2 options of possible treatment for the brain cancer. Blanket radiation which is a lower dose but treats the whole brain or targeted radiation which only treats the tumors that are visible. He could not do the targeted radiation until his kidney function was better.

Dad's kidney function did improve well enough to do the targeted radiation treatment of the brain cancer. The plan was to do 3 treatments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday the first week of August. The week I would be there.

Alan took Dad on Monday. Vanessa, Korin, and I were traveling to Missouri that day. I took Dad for treatment on Wednesday and Friday. 

(This picture Vanessa took. This was Friday I took Dad to his treatment. I was praying for his as we walked down the hall.)

Alan had just finished mowing the grass as I walked with Dad to the mailbox. He snapped this picture of us.

The next few pictures with Dad are the last that were taken of him. This was taken 8-11.

Dad's face is a little puffy due to the steroids he is taking for brain swelling.

We left to come home Saturday August 12th. It was harder to leave this time. The hugs were tighter and longer and not without eyes filling with tears.

The day before we left I had received a group text of our church leadership. One of our Elders and dear friend (age 62) who was diagnosed with cancer in January was in his final days on earth. My hope was he would hold on until I could get home to see him. When we got home, Doyle & I went to see him. He went to heaven Wednesday August 16th.

I received a text and phone call that Dad was unresponsive and was being taken to the hospital on Sunday August 20th. This was the beginning of the end. Wayne had already planned to visit Dad that week and was leaving on Monday to drive there from Wyoming. When he got the news he headed to Missouri. He spent his week with Dad in the hospital. Dad had severe pneumonia. By mid-week he wasn't getting any better and his kidney function was decreasing. The doctor suggested talking to Palliative Care. Doyle, Vanessa and I drove up on Friday. I got a chance to see Dad and tell him I loved him. I spent the night in the hospital with him so Wayne could have a break. We chose to wait until Saturday morning to place him on Palliative Care. He was gone is just minutes. 

I'll share more in another blog.

Hot, HOt, HOT!

The older I am getting the less I am able to handle the heat! I know it gets hot here every summer. It hasn't helped that we are in a drought. That just seems to make it hotter. The one good thing is that the humidity has been low.  Out of the last 49 days (counting July 1-August 18th) 35 of those have been 100+.

The last measurable rainfall we had was July 1st when we got a brief reprieve from the heat and .27 hundredths of rain. Short video clip here with some narration. We average around 30 inches of rainfall a year. So far this year we've received 16 and we began the year in a deficit having only received 20 inches last year.

This pic was taken July 27th

July 2nd Cicadas  are very common in the summer. I have seen their shells they leave behind but I got the rare opportunity to see one actually come out! Isn't this cool?! Well, I thought it was!

July 3rd I spotted a Mississippi Kite in a tree just South of the barn. I couldn't get a good close up.

That evening was a pretty sunset.

July 6-8 me and my friend Jean went to a church conference in Wylie. We offer a ministry at our church called SOZO. Sozo is a greek word that  means "saved, healed and delivered". This is an inner healing and deliverance ministry through our church. Every year the regional director brings all the sozo ministries in our region together for a time of networking and refreshing. It's always a lot of fun.

July 10th another beautiful evening sky.

July 13th Kennedy and Remi kayaking on Possum Kingdom Lake. The family was staying on the lake to help Vanessa's friend Stevi Dahl with her new business. She is an RN and saw a need. Her business is called On Point IV Therapy.  Mobile IV therapy in the comfort and convenience of your own home, office, or venue of your choice.

July 14th Vanessa took the kids to a drive-in movie in a neighboring town.

Kashton in the black t-shirt. A friend of his in the gray. Korin behind him. In the vehicle L to R Remi, Krystal (cousin) and Kennedy.

L to R Kennedy (13), Remi (14) and Krystal (14).

Vanessa and Korin.

July 17th a beautiful sunset!

July 21st took pictures of some birds at the horses.

A little color to end the day.

July 31st 

Have a good one!

Barn Cats

 I enjoy the barn cats. They make me laugh and give me my "pet fix" without having them at home. I also don't get terribly attached. They don't seem to hang around very long. I have finally concluded that it is due to the fact that the property is adjacent to land that is undeveloped. There is all kinds of wildlife from hawks, owls, deer, foxes and wild hogs. I've personally seen all of these minus the hogs. 

The white cat is the mother.  I call her Casper. She has been around the longest. She was a kitten herself that has survived the "elements". She had 4 kittens. 

I believe the black cat is the dad. He is feral and won't let me get very close before running off. He does  come up to eat only when I'm not near. I had to zoom in a bit to get this photo before he took off.

This picture was taken 6-22. I have noticed he is getting more used to me and is allowing me to get a little closer these days.

This picture was taken 6-28. I was able to get closer before he took off! I call him Noir (which is French for black). I don't know French...I had some water color pencils that had that on the pencil. 😏

The kittens will be 4 months the 3rd of August.

Two of the kittens have become friendly like their mom. That would be the gray in the middle of the hay pile and the dark striped. They started following me when I put the hay out. They love to play in the hay after I put it out.

Here is a short clip.

They make me laugh! 

This one is a male. He is the most lovable. I finally gave him a name. I call him Romeo.

Can you see the kitten peeking through the hay?

Sadly 2 of the kittens have disappeared. I don't remember when the first disappeared but the other has been gone a week as of today. The only two remaining are these two. Romeo and the dark striped one that I named "Stripes" which is a female.

The horses don't seem to be bothered by them.

Have a good one!

Piano Recital 052023

I realized I never posted about Korin's very first piano recital!

Vanessa put Korin in piano lessons a couple of years ago but she just wasn't ready. This year she has done really well and performed in her very first piano recital May 20th. I'm so proud of her!

You can watch her perform in the video.

She received an award for "the most improved" from her teacher.

Of course we took advantage of the opportunity to take some family photos. 

The fam, minus Kashton and Remi.

Me and Granddad.

Korin with her favorite ... Grammer!

L to R Aunt Alyssa (Jacob's wife), Nana (Vanessa's stepmom Jan) and  Uncle Jake (Vanessa's brother).

Have a good one!