Dinner with Mrs. Claus

Although things started downhill with Dad the week before Thanksgiving, we've had some fun, mixed in with the stress and sorrow. We continued the tradition of visiting the Dallas Brewers the first weekend of December and this year, we decided to "up our game" and attend Dinner with Mrs. Claus, which was held at our hotel, the Adolphus, on Friday night.

They always have a lovely Christmas tree and after some wrangling, I captured a good shot of the Brewer men.



George was there



... Wild Thing, too!



Before dinner, they had set up a cool craft area and Zach took full advantage of the festivities ...



Deep in concentration - building a helicopter



We thought the building assistant displayed amazing courage, placing her fingers in range of a pounding hammer!



We took silly photos in the photo booth, seriously considered getting a Christmas tattoo and made an ornament with Zach's hand print.



Luke felt he was too old for the crafts, but he did write a letter to Santa Claus (just in case) and when Mrs. Claus came out to greet her guests, both Luke and Zach wanted to know which list they were on. Luckily, they were on the NICE list, but Mrs. Claus reminded Luke that there was still three weeks to go!



The food was great and we all enjoyed a fun show during dinner. Soon we learned that we were the highest bidder on an amazingly large wreath, boasting lots of Texas Rangers logo items. It was for a good cause and we hope the Dallas Brewers forgive us for "unloading" this gem at their house. After the event, we watched Kung Fu Panda 2 and got some rest before the big parade on Saturday.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me ...
I once was lost but now am found,
was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far ...
and Grace will lead us home.




Dad passed away yesterday, December 9th, at 11:43am and although he had put up a mighty struggle - to recover and walk again after the fall (photo from PT at Hampton), and over many years to deal with debilitating vascular dementia - he let go and is now at peace.

He received great care along the way - Holly Hall, Methodist Hospital, the Hampton Post Oak and finally the Houston Hospice. I have to say that the staff, volunteers and lovely facility on Holcombe were a great comfort to all of us in the end. The staff was constantly checking on Dad (and us) and keeping us apprised of changes in his status. The volunteers were all around, visiting with us and staying with Dad if we needed to step out for a while.

Shortly before he passed away, a music therapy volunteer came by and offered to sing a few songs that Dad might like. She told us that she would like to sit on a stool at the foot of the bed and place the bottom of her guitar on the bed near Dad's feet - stating that the vibrations from the guitar can be felt by the patient and it is very comforting.

Ed, Mary, me, Kent and Memphis were in the room and after playing several old, familiar tunes she offered to sing something religious. We opted for Amazing Grace and it was sad, but lovely. I think the music was just what we all needed - Dad too - and afterward she gave Memphis a quick music lesson, letting him strum the guitar.

Kent and Memphis headed for the gardens and Jerry arrived shortly after. We began the debate about where Jerry should pick up our lunch and once the focus was shifted away, suddenly there was another change in Dad's breathing. He was letting go, and we surrounded him and said goodbye. It was his time and was very peaceful.

Many adjustments are ahead of us, but we know that he is no longer weighed down by an old, painful body and has moved on to a better place. And that is Amazing Grace.

Moving Dad to Hospice

Some of you know that Dad fell several weeks ago and fractured the L2 vertebra. After a short stay at Methodist Hospital, followed by a longer stay at The Hampton, today we moved him to the Houston Hospice. He turned 91 last Monday and made an attempt at recovery through physical therapy, but it was just too much. We don't know how many days or hours he has left, but he is in the best place possible to smooth the transition from this world to the next.

There is a writing in the hospice information that is very fitting for our Dad, given his love of sailing years ago. As a teenager, I spent many hours with him at Seabrook Shipyard - working on the Neried, his first sailboat, and learning to sail in Galveston Bay.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a spec of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side has said: "There, she is gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying. ~ Henry Van Dyke

Thanksgiving 2011

For the first time in many years, Jerry and I spent Thanksgiving with the Brewer side of the family. Everyone met at at Moody Gardens and we might have had the largest table there!

They do such a nice job at that hotel, they had a pretty fall display with backdrop for guests to take a family photo. I think the backdrop might have been more effective earlier in the day, but when we took our photo after 2pm there was too much light overhead - washing out the screen. Other than that, it's a pretty good photo of all the kids in our group.



Everyone is so busy we don't get together very often and it had been a long time since we last saw Steve, Becca and the boys. I can't believe how grown up they are!



After our Thanksgiving photo, we rounded the corner and decided to take advantage of the Christmas display for another group shot. Our crew, minus Jerry and me (you've seen enough of us anyway).



On Friday morning, before the UofH game, Jerry and Bob played golf and I tagged along for part of the round. The course looked good, considering the drought.



Bob was in good form.



Jerry, as well.



On the back nine, we came across a group of Spoonbills ...



you can see the shape of his bill and the hot pink feathers ...



drying out his wings ...



A young Spoonbill out fishing - only the feathers on the underside of his body and wings have turned pink, but he'll catch up with the rest of them soon!



It was a great, long weekend and we certainly have a lot to be thankful for!

Ike is in on the Action!

Ike at play ...




using the boy's toys ...



and getting a little work out between naps.

It's the Little Things in Life

After the misery of the last few weeks, it was fun to see Elvis getting back to his normal, goofy personality.



He LOVES a grocery bag ...



and had a good time with these pink holiday bags from Central Market!

About the Ear ...

We've had continued success with the ear and while it's not standing up, it's no longer infected. This is a blessing after everything he's been through.



My sweet boy ...



The inside of the ear looks much better, with "the bulb" having contracted a great deal over the last week. There is still a fairly thick, hard area pulling the end of his ear over, but it is encouraging that the cellulitis (inflammation of the connective tissues and subcutaneous layers of skin) is improving and the ear is "thinning out".



Obviously, we've got crinkling going on here, but I'm trying to remain hopeful that he will not end up with his ear completely "wadded up", as it has been described to me. I've had to abandon my "Breathe Right Nasal Strip "splint therapy" because he reached up there on Monday and ripped it off - along with the fur on top of the ear. It's great that his fur is growing back in because he sort of looks like E.T. without it!



We have twice-a-day ritual with the "treatment pillow". He's so worn down at this point, he pretty much just lays there until I'm finished with whatever medical process is due at the time. Pam was over yesterday and he could barely muster a hiss when she reached for his ear ... ;)



One of the ways we're working on the internal inflammation is holding his special, kitty-sized cold pack on the ear twice a day, while I gently massage and straighten the ear. I have no evidence that it will work, but I keep thinking that if I can take a little pressure off the ear, and prevent or slow that scar tissue from contracting, that we may have a better cosmetic outcome.

As crazy as it sounds for a cat to like having something cold held against his ear, he almost seems to enjoy it. I think the ear was so hot and painful, at the peak of the infection, that it was a relief to cool it off.



And this "tail attitude" is a signal that the photo session is over and his ear is quite cool enough - thank you!

That's Not "Fall Color"

It is the color of drought and the death of thousands of trees in Memorial Park.



Each week this summer, Jerry and I have watched the slow death of hundreds and hundreds of trees. Not young saplings trying to develop roots, but established pine and oak trees upwards of 50 years old.



Since the wildfires in early September, the Park crews have been identifying dead trees and cutting them down.



In recent weeks, hundreds of trees that had been hanging on - waiting for a drought busting rain - have died and in preparation for a dry, La Nina winter, the Park crews are working overtime to clear them out. The Chronicle stated that 1200 have been cut down to-date, with another 2800 identified for removal.



If you live in a neighborhood, and you're watering twice a week on the "rationing schedule", you've probably noticed that your own trees don't look happy, but they're still alive and green. For us, Memorial Park IS our back yard and watching these trees die is a sign of things to come.

I started running at the Park in the early 80's - Jerry much earlier than that - and had many "landmark trees" that charted my progress and identified mile markers. When I wanted to quit, I'd tell myself ... just make it to THAT tree. As of Monday, only one or two of these trees is still alive.



Most of us have never considered the long-term effects of a severe drought - things haven't been this bad since the early 1920's. Our sources of water are literally drying up - as we flew over Lake Conroe on Saturday we were shocked at the drop in water level ... the lake has contracted well below the length of the boat docks and piers. Central Texas watched this happen on Lake LBJ, Travis and Austin earlier in the year and, in recent weeks, there have been amazing dust storms in the Panhandle and West Texas.

This summer it was dry and hot, but we had shade provided by these big trees. Next summer, the trees won't be there to offer protection. Many animals - both good and bad - will be displaced and, like the trees, will not live. Drought is much more "than not enough rain".



There are many important causes in need of funding, but the Memorial Park Conservancy is asking for donations for trees. If you're interested, visit this link:

http://www.memorialparkconservancy.org/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Not all of you live near the park, but this drought is wide-spread and I'll bet there's an effort in your area of the state that also needs support. My weather sources have said that if we don't have an early season Tropical Storm next June, that we can look for another summer just like this one. That's not encouraging news when combined with the prediction that weather patterns could cause drought conditions in Texas for up to nine years.



Yesterday, we received just under 2 inches of rain and that is a blessing. We need between 15 and 20 inches by the end of the year just to break even. Say a prayer, do a rain dance, we need rain!