A week of sadness

Thea-self-photo

I got a call from Thea's phone Monday. I was surprised when it wasn't Thea on the phone but Jan Lesan reporting Thea was entering hospice at Creston Hospital. How quickly she had gone downhill from when I had just seen her last Saturday! I visited her Thursday. Deb called Friday afternoon to tell me that she passed away at 1:30 p.m.
Thea's obit - she wrote it herself...

I visited my friend Thursday at Creston's Hospice House, which had just re-opened after April tornado damage. I got to meet Thea's only brother, George and sister-in-law - they're from Harlan. I'd heard about them a great deal through the years. It was nice to finally talk to them.

Three of Thea's AEA friends were there too. Thea seemed to be resting comfortably, she didn't open her eyes while I was there. We stood around and exchanged happy Thea memories - I felt a need to explain how important she has been in my life. How Book Club friends were important to her too. Vidette did much of T's shopping and shared Thanksgiving with her this last year. Dianne took her to many of her appointments. Deb and I visited and helped as we could.

I told a couple stories from book club that I enjoy remembering. We always got off topic when discussing the assigned book - especially when it wasn't such a great book. That's one thing I enjoy about this great group of women. One time we were talking about birds. Baby birds. Thea discovered a nest of them on her big front porch.

This is Thea's awesome home with a great front porch

 Then one day after the eggs hatched, one chick had fell out of the nest. Thea - softee that she was, decided she'd place it back in. She put on gloves and gently picked it up, raising it slowly towards its siblings in the nest - when the remaining chicks all panicked and began bailing out! She was beside herself! The more she tried to help the worse it got - I can just see her now. Her telling of the story was very dramatic and humorous. We also had many a discussion about bats.  With "This Old House" Thea had to call the "bat" guy to help her rid her home of them. That topic always brought about some great stories.

Deb and I always chuckle about the time we read a book that had ghosts in it and Francie, who is prone to dramatics, thought her deceased father was reaching out to her through her DVR, each night at the same time. Francie is also a great storyteller but usually makes a long story longer. Thea said, "I think the company re-programs them then." Totally innocently, but bursting Francie's ghostly bubble.

Thea never married, but she'd had boyfriends through the years - some serious. In her younger years she was called Cindy, or Cynthia. But she changed it like others who, sometimes to the chagrin of their families, want to like their names. She wanted to be Thea. I bet it was hard for George not to call her Cindy...

I'm going on vacation this week. So I'll miss Thea's services. I guess I'm not all that sad about that...though she set it up herself and wrote her own obit a couple weeks ago. So like her, she took care of herself. She had Vidette read over her obit. The girl was preparing to go. I'm glad she's no longer suffering. But I'm sad for me. Until later my friend - enjoy the big pool wherever you are, with Oreo, your dog (I teased you by calling her Hydrox) and a good book.

On another sad note, an Atlantic classmate, Tom Sandhorst passed away. He had been diagnosed with bladder cancer just 3 or 4 weeks ago. He was married to another classmate Connie Swanson. Tom was the son of my piano teacher.  He had been a schoolmate since kindergarten. Tom was one of those guys who was a steady Eddie - never mean or loud, just reliable. Thoughts and prayers to your family Tom - a good guy!
Tom's Obit