74th Birthday Party!

My niece Susan, nephew Don and his wife Riitta threw a birthday party for me last night! We had a great time exploring Don's liquor cabinet and eating home made chocolate cake! There were many toasts to my sister and to Norma! It was just what I needed.

"Let's do a selfie!"    "OK..... How?"

L to R: Riitta, Don, Croft, Susan

My Sister Gloria

My big sister Gloria passed away this morning at around 5:00 AM. I flew out to Toronto a few days ago to see her and to be with her. She was 90, had lived a good life and passed peacefully. She leaves five children.

I had some "alone" time with her the night before last and although she was in a deep sleep I bored her with talk of the old days in Edmonton and about our family.

Here are Gloria and I at Wasaga Beach during my last visit in 2011.

I Am In Toronto

Well,I am in Toronto.... Yet another family medical crisis. I am waiting to gather more information before I say much but as always, positive thoughts never hurt!

A Walk On The Wild Side!

Well, that was hardly weird at all!

I have been finding it harder and harder to trim my toenails. I end up using the wrong tool (because our toenail clippers are not strong enough) and just chipping away at the nails. I always end up with jagged edges and sometimes cracks. Lack of nail care recently caused me to tear a nail off when I made a misstep on a sidewalk.

So I decided I was comfortable enough with my sexuality, took a walk on the wild side and visited a nail salon!

They gave me a delicious cup of espresso and after that it took them all of ten minutes to cut my nails perfectly and professionally! They charged me $10, I added a $5 tip and I walked out a new man! 

Garden Solution

Our friend (and Norma's gardening assistant) Kelly Brunelle just dropped in to say she would use weeding Norma's garden as therapy for a year to see how it goes. I think it will go well and I know Norma trusted Kelly with her flowers (as much as she trusted anyone) . so this will be the perfect solution. Have faith Norma!

Flower Garden

Norma, what will we do with your flower garden? Some of the perennials are thinking about restarting and I am not able to look after them or willing to put in the 20 or 30 hours a week you spent on them. I will keep your roses and bushes going, they are low maintenance but the flowers may just have to go. I will have this conversation with Kelly and Rick.

The Blog

I do not want this Blog to become a monument to the Cancer that took Norma and I know she would be even more adamant on this subject than I. Therefore I am going to copy all the cancer related posts  along with all associated comments to a Word file  and then delete them from the Blog. I will leave her obituary and this post up but the rest will be gone. I appreciate and value all the comments that her friends (both "Real" and "Imaginary") have left but it is time to make that change. Thank you for understanding!

- Croft

Norma Randle

JULY 27, 1942 – MARCH 24, 2019

Friend, Lover, Wife, Mother, Colleague, Socialist, Feminist, Unstoppable Political Dynamo, Union Organizer, Fierce Defender Of Lost Causes.

Link to Obituary

Norma Randle July 27, 1942 - March 24, 2019

Norma Randle July 27, 1942 - March 24, 2019

At 10:15 PM Sunday night we lost Norma. Friend, Lover, Wife, Mother, Colleague, Socialist, Feminist, Unstoppable Political Dynamo, Union Organizer, Fierce defender of lost causes. This leaves a gaping hole in my heart and I can hear her telling me to "Get moving and get on with it. Quit whining!"

The photo is at our friends Juan and Chris' home in Monterrey, Mexico. She was always happy in Mexico.

Moving up

And the big news of the day is! WE ARE OUT OF EMERGENCY and have a room! Not the fun filled oncology 8th floor "penthouse" but the 4th floor. I think they are still trying to move us up. The dietitian from the 8th floor talked to us earlier and wanted to do a couple of experiments to get better nutrition. Maybe another move tomorrow but at least she is out of the ER and the security guards running around all night. Unfortunately the room she is in now has three beds so I will not be able to stay overnight.