Update: Merry New Year

Howdy all. Several of you have asked for an update and it seemed easiest to post it here.

To put it bluntly, about my father: it won't be long now. I would guess hours but he may surprise us and live several more days. He is resting comfortably and high as a kite on fentonyl, in the hospital with hospice services. He's having more and more trouble breathing. He responded twice today: when the pastor said a prayer with us, and when my sister and I gave him a hug goodbye.

We as a family have talked about several difficult topics lately. These days talking about things isn't that hard; it's the thinking that kills me.

Anyway, personally, the week was really hellish and not so bad. Saying I slept where the devil lives? Well, it seemed that EVERY room in my mom's house last night was warm except the one I was sleeping in. The bedding was all polyester or a polyester blend and y'all know how much I hate that. And you asked what it smelled like? Um, old lady. Old tobacco smoke. I'll make y'all happy and add sulphur to the list. But mostly old lady.

I'm scheduled to fly home on Monday but I doubt I'll be getting on that plane; most likely I'll be booking three more tickets for my family to fly here, and I'll just switch my flight home to the same as theirs.

One more thing: Thank you. Thank you ALL for your prayers and thoughts and those little things and big things you've done for me. Even the things you haven't done yet.

Y'all rock.

My dad had a dream a couple of weeks ago. It was a man in white coming toward him. The man put his arm up and smoke came up like out of a stovepipe. The smoke spelled out words:

"Thy will be done."