We have kittens!

If I don't put these up now, it's going to be another week, and you simply CANNOT live without the Cute for that long.

SO...

( To see kittens, click here (not dial-up friendly) )

So there ya go. The newest additions to our lives. Pretty adorable, no?

Grandpa update

So my grandpa is going to a nursing home today, and it's 98% certain he'll stay there till the end. Which will be soon. He's not able to swallow at all, and a feeding tube wouldn't be effective, so they're going to keep him hydrated, and that's about it. He'll probably be gone very soon.

At the end of a very long life, there is often one event - a fall, illness, etc. - that tips the balance, and everything goes downhill very quickly after that. The human body is very resilient, and even when we grow weaker and unable to do many, many things, the body reaches a plateau. Health can be poor, but it can be a steady poor for a long time.

Grandpa has been in that steady place, more or less, since he came to live with Nancy. He's had to work hard to maintain his independence, but he's had a very nurturing environment in which to do that work, and he's been happier, I think, than at any point since before he got married almost 60 years ago. My grandmother is not a very understanding or easy-going woman, and G'pa was never really able to be himself until he moved away from her.

The transformation in him when he came to live with Nancy and EB was unmistakable and wonderful. He talked, smiled, laughed, played, and generally just enjoyed life. The rest of his children, my dad included, didn't want to care for him, so they've missed out on a lot of excellent memories that Nancy and I get to keep after he's gone.

Nancy, I think, will have a harder time than anyone else once he's gone. She already comes home to an almost-empty house every night after being at the hospital all day. It's a big adjustment to not have to keep one ear cocked for grandpa's whistle and to not have to sleep lightly in case he needs to get up and use the bathroom. She has the dog, Morgan, now, and that's it. Eric and I visit often, but it's not the same, y'know?


Well, anyway, I don't mean for this to sound so depressing. I mean, he's lived for almost 88 years, and the last three have been especially great. And if he dies in his sleep, well, isn't that what many people hope for as a way to go? I'm going to be sad, and I'm going to miss him, but I don't really want him to have to suffer just to stick around longer.

So there you have it.