This week was my uncle's funeral. He passed Saturday after a year long fight with Cancer and had his service and burial on Tuesday. It was a very good service and focused on my Uncle Darrell's life instead of death. The casket was closed and a beautiful afghan rested on top with some his happiest pictures blown up and placed right into the fabric of the afghan. We actually heard many sounds of laughter as people talked about Darrell because he was always smiling and teasing about something. Many heads were shaking in agreement with those who spoke of what made Darrell such a special husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, co-worker, friend and general a great person. My Aunt even managed a smile and small bit of laughter remembering. I talked to her before the service and I told her that what I remember most about Darrell is that he was fun and always smiling. She told me he made her smile all the up until the day he passed. She told me she thought he wasn't seeing too well and so she asked him "Where is my nose?". His response with closed eyes and a little grin in a funny voice was "In the middle of your face." Aunt Sherry said it's just what your Uncle Darrell would have said it brought a smile and laughter to all of us. I was reminded that I had a stroke that day as we walked up a hill to get to his resting place. I had to have help one person on each side and even then it wasn't very pretty. I came to realize that so many people had never known I had the stroke. It was the first time they had seen an after effect. Cousins who were further away or my Aunt who is rarely seen. I just did me. I held onto the pole as the service continued and after had help to walk down and put flowers on some family graves of people I love and miss. We all met at a church afterwards and ate lunch. It was a wonderful kind gesture from the church that Aunt Sherry and Uncle Darrell had visited a few times before he got sick and who had so kindly visited him when he could not go and visit himself. My Aunt's regular church had broken up in the past couple of years and they were looking for a new home. Not being members of the Church didn't matter; these angels cooked a whole dinner for us after the burial, invited us into their church, and were as kind as anyone I could have met. We were all thankful for the reprieve and the moments we had to talk again to those we do not see very often. My Aunt Sherry was smiling when I left and going home to stay with her daughter for the night. This gave me a bit of ease...she has taken his death very hard. They had been married for 43 years. I had to have been 1 when they were married so many years ago. I am so thankful she has a strong family support system around her. This week has left me really tired. I'm just gearing up for things next month. My surgery for a complete hysterectomy will be on November the 8th and my sister's spinal surgery for her neck will be on the 10th. My mom is getting pumped up to be there at both for support. Good news is we found out that my Dad's brain tumor is not malignant and if he had to have a tumor it is in the best place it could be. They are going to follow him for 6 months and then do another MRI to see if there has been any growth. He may not have to do anything about it, one day he may have to get it out but the Doctor said all is possible and that is the best news we could have gotten. So I'm just filing things in my mind and getting ready for the next good thing. November...