Sunday, August 24, 2008

It has been a long time since I wrote in my journal. A lot has happened lately so I have something to write about. On August 5th Melinda and I had just got home from shopping in Waverly. It was about noon and the phone was ringing. Melinda answered the phone and she turned around and hugged me and started crying. She said,. "Mom called from the Care Center and Grandpa just died!" I was shocked because they had not called me, but Carol was at work that morning and she said she could tell his breatlhing was bad. She had come home from work about noon and they called her back soon after she got home and said the nurse went in and his room and he was gone.. We had Hospice helping take care of him the last few weeks and they were so good to him and kept him comfortable. Did you know people go through different stages in the dying process? They knew what to do. I was glad I had spent the Sunday before with him. He died on a Tues. and we said our good byes to him that afternoon. I hope as many of the family as possible can be here for the family memorial service will be here in Shell Rock.. I am waiting to hear when Bill sets a date when they can be here. While Grampa was in the Care Center for several months he ate his meals at the table with a couple from Clarksville and they have told me several times how much they enjoyed visiting with him. They thought he was a wonderful person. Today was my last day playing for the piano for the hymns at the church service at the Care Center and so many were so disappointed that I was leaving, especially the couple who visited with Grandpa during the months he was in the Care Center. They said they sure miss him too. I am glad he is in a better place though! I think of him up there in heaven enjoying his family, his parents,,his brother, Donald and sister, Dorothy and the brother he never knew, Harold, who died when he was a year old from pneumonia and of course our baby, Robert Ray, who died when he was 8 weeks old. They must be having a wonderful reunion up there in heaven. That same week on Thursday we heard that we had another great grandson, Avery William Howe to add to our list, ( that was #13). We were so happy to hear that Erin and Will finally had that new baby!!! I enjoy Erin's blog so much telling all about the new baby and it is so wonderful to see pictures of Avery on the computer. He is good looking baby and Grandpa and Grandma look very happy holding their new grandson. It is good he finally arrived before Billl had to leave. That same week Trisha and Jason got married on Friday (we all went to the rehearsal on Thursday) and it was a beautiful wedding. You probably have received the wedding pictures by now. If you haven't let me know and I will send them to you. Trisha's 3 sisters were the bride's maids. They all looked beautiful in their orange dresses. That's Trisha's favorite color. Trisha is now Mrs. Jason Miller, much easier to write than Trisha Soldwisch. Ha Ha Our family all has so much fun when we all get together. Melinda is having everyone over to her house for a barbeque and picnic this week before I move to Mallard Point in Cedar Falls. Carol and Betty have been wanting me to move into a retirement center or Assisted Living apt. before winter so I found this retirement home in Cedar Falls and I really liked it. Carol and Betty took the tour with me and there was one apt. left on the first floor right next to the dining room. I really wanted a 2 bedroom apt. but they promise to move me into a 2 bedroom if one becomes available on the first floor. I will be moving on August 29th. My new address will be Lois Neal 2603 Orchard Dr. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 Betty and I went down there today (after church) and figured out just what furniture I can fit into the small apt. and ate dinner in their beautiful dining room (it looks like a huge ballroom or a grand hotel) and the waiters and waitresses are dressed in white shirts and black slacks. The food is delicious and they bring a desert cart around at the end of the meal. Wow!! Everyone seems very friendly there and they have a lot going on every day. They have a big grand piano in the dining room and told me I could play it any time I want to. They have a private dining room too and told me I could invite my Red Hat Club from Shell Rock to visit after I join the Red Hat club at my new home called Mallard Point and there would be no charge for their meals. I probably will have the Home Makers cllub eat with me and the my SR Methodist Circle come be my guests also. That will be fun!. I hope I have lots of guests come when they go shopping in Waterloo they can stop in and eat with me. The Manager is a Methodist Minister and they have a church service every Sunday afternoon. I think I am really going to enjoy it there and Betty does not live very far away from Mallard Point. Melinda is helping me get ready to move and she is such good help and we have been having a lot of fun finding stuff I forgot I had. Anything I don't know what to do with I give to her or leave it for Shelley. She is selling her house in Waverly and moving into my mobile home. and if I get a 2 bedroom apt. later it will be easy to get some things that I might want later. I think Shelley will really like it out here living across the road from her Mom and Melinda.& her family! Luke has his own apt. now and has a good job and is going to Hawkeye Technical College in Waterloo. Betty and I had fun this afternoon getting some new furniture . at McGregors furniture store in Waterloo. I picked out a smaller entertainment center to hold my TV: and a smaller table and chair set (the leaves on the table fold down) and also a smaller recliner chair that is just my size and fits into the apt. better than some of my other old chairs. I will take my lift chair that I bought last Winter. We stopped at Walmart and found a small patio table and 2 chairs for out side on my nice little porch. I hope the weatlher stays nice for a while so I can enjoy them!! We also bought a new head board for my single bed and a small desk for my keyboard to sit on that matches the head board. Hope you can all come and see my new apt. some day!. I will even buy you lunch. Think about us over the Labor Day weekend laboring over moving and getting everything organized and put into place. Love you all. Keep in touch! Gramdma Neal