RIP Lowell Hall - Cancer Sucks!

Sadly, another family member has been taken away by the awfulness of cancer.  My mom's wonderful husband Lowell has passed away from pancreatic cancer.  He fought a great fight, and his heart was strong.  But he was comforted and and secure in his faith, and has gone to Heaven to be with God.  He was surrounded by his loving children and my mom, all holding his hands and praying.

Lowell was a character, with a glint in his eye and silly joke on his lips.  Teasing (in a good way) with a lot of sass and energy.  And he loved our mother, with all his heart.

Lowell and Mom had traveled to Ohio a number of months ago to get better treatment than what he had been getting at the VA in Florida.  They had rented an apartment in Ohio to stay close to his three grown children. We had been there a few weeks ago to say goodbye, and assure him that we would help mom afterwards to get where she needed to go. Maybe she will spend some time with us, or maybe get her down to their home in Florida.  We made him comfortable and at ease, knowing she would be taken care of.  His biggest worry was about her, and how she would manage after he is gone.  

He brought a lot of love, laughter and happiness to my mother. We were so glad when he joined our family and gave our mother the respect, love and attention she deserved.  Mom needed him as much as he needed her.  They make such a great pair. 

I love these two pics below.  We were out riding around Florida, doing some sightseeing on a visit with them.  I was trying to take a "nice" picture of them together.  Suddenly he said something, only Mom knows what he said... but look at her expression in the pic on the right!!!!  Yes, that is LOVE!

Mom's life was filled with his crazy ideas--- new vehicles all of the time and changing homes a number of times. Always on the go, this guy would find great deals on this or that... and soon mom was either packing, unpacking or getting used to driving a different vehicle.  From motorhomes or campers, to trucks or cars, to lawnmowers or tractors, to summer homes or winter homes and anything in between.  He was always finding something to do, buy, trade, fix or sell. 

Every time we got a motorhome, they went and got another motorhome.  We teased him that his was always a year newer, a foot longer, or 4 inches taller etc than ours.  They loved travelling, and Lowell had many years of being a truck driver under his belt.  He used to always want to know where we were travelling, not by town, or county, or park, but the ROAD we took or the highway number! LOL 

Steve and he were like two peas in a pod... always working on something together.  Our vacations to Florida mainly consisted of those two dabbling in projects, while Mom and I did our own silly little crafts, or canning, or cooking or shopping thrifts and rummage sales.  But Lowell and Steve loved the rummages too, and rushed to join us to go rummaging.

Best memory of rummaging was with Lowell, tracking down a rummage sale in the country, following signs, and saying "this will be a biggie, no kids stuff, just guys stuff, no J-U-N-K"  (he always spelled it out)   Finally we get to the place, and guess what?  It was a quilting museum shop that was having a rummage sale!!!  hahahahahah He got hornswaggled into going to a quilting museum and shop!  LOL ...we gals got such a kick out his expression!  But he did come in and oogle the old machines and interesting displays along with Steve.   By the next rummage sale, we found him a set of very expensive torches for cutting and welding for only a few dollars, so he was in a better mood by then.  LOL

At family gatherings, Lowell was an accepted part of the family, even with our father whom they got along just fine.  We never liked using the word "step" in our family.  Both my dad Steve and Lowell were "My Parents" and that is how we liked it.  He fit in well, don'tcha think? 

From the very beginning, upon meeting Lowell.... Mom warned me that he doesn't like dogs, especially BIG dogs.  Never did.  Hmmmmmm  Well, I tell you, he latched onto our dogs, and constantly was sneaking them treats.  All of the time!   He would make up nicknames for our dogs, and called them his made up nickname and not their given name.  Duke was "Rochester"  and Ducky was "Elizabeth" and Finney was "Beauregard" ...  and the dogs listened to him and came when called by their new nicknames, because they KNEW they were getting treats! 

He would feed them whatever he was eating, breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.  Finnegan loved his cheese puffs sooo much that we were figuring he would start emitting out bits of orange poofs from his butt! As soon as my back was turned, he was opening up another treat and sharing with the dogs!  "Don't like dogs" yah.. .right.

Well, dear Lowell...  

please feed my doggies up there in Heaven,

until we can come and join you. 

--- and I will bring you an apple pie---

Update on our baby Whitney and also on Dad

Well, our little grandbaby Whitney is holding her own.  Her visits to the doc are plentiful, and I am trying to go along with as many as I can to help our daughter Heather.

Whitney is gaining weight, but needs to gain more.  She isn't yet developing her own blood platletes, but will be going back again on Friday for more testing. All good thoughts, prayers and well wishes are welcomed for our sweet little gal.

We love her sooo much! 

As for my dad, while we were waiting for some tests on Friday, our nephew and his fiance stopped by with their two children for a visit.  Sometimes you just need a little laugh at times like this.... so we made a little movie clip in the hospital room:

We sprung Dad from the hospital on Saturday.  Once the doc mentioned discharge, he just about FLEW outta the bed, asking me to get his clothes!   Well, his IV was still attached and he had to wait for the paperwork to properly release him.

Once we got outside where he could breathe and walk and stretch, it was like letting an animal out of cage.  A smile was back on his face!  Just look at that smile!  (please, don't look at the worry on my face)

Our oldest brother brought him home to his snug little cabin in the woods. We helped him build this over 30 years ago, and this is where he wants to be. Who can blame him?

He got all settled in and my brother cut the grass and did some odd jobs around the place for him.  Then on Sunday our youngest brother, my sister and her husband (a cancer survivor himself) all went to visit and hang out and help with some projects.

They kept him occupied and he was happy to have company.  

I think this is a very good pic of my sister and my dad.....  

His phone was ringing off the hook of course, and he was glad to have contact with people now that he was sprung from the hospital.  I hope people keep contacting him to keep his spirits up.  No time frame, just knowing he will be home where he wants to be is good for him.

Steve and I will be going up on Friday to get him set up with his local doc and I am transferring all his hospital record stuff from the tests that were done (so he don't have to go through them all again)   Next week we meet with the county gal with info on hospice and other services available in the region.  She was so nice and helpful on the phone, and had a lot of information to give.


The bugger of it all is that I must have picked up a flu bug or virus at the hospital myself.  I am down and out here with fever, chills etc. and not doing so hot.  Today, I was supposed to pick up grandtots Allegra and Mason for an overnight visit, but I had to cancel, sadly.  I hate disappointing my wee ones....  I spent the day in bed, and this evening is the first I have wandered down to the couch and opened the laptop up. I think I am going back to bed....

If Grandma ain't doing good,

 she can't do good for others now,

 can she?