May you experience joys like when I discover new programming tricks on my HP-41 and lows like when I see Newcastle FC lose a game. #SmallThingsMatter
May you in 2016 grab the chances for adventures, realizations and pure, unadulterated fun 😀
Happy 11111100000!
Geir Isene - uncut 
Wow! I like the name, really! Alexander August…it’s very noble, almost princely. I like it. Wish all of you the best in 2016! Happy New Year!
Here it is. Seeing a future. Creating a future, Being a future. Its what we call fulfillment, right? Happy New Year to everyone! 😀
Happy New Year to all!
The photo of Anette is a classic. And perfect for the message of a new year – a new birth. ❤
YEA, small things do matter::
May all of you have a marvelous 7E0 !!
Hi All.
I will share this with you. Our Happy New Year, ended suddenly and most tragically, during the early morning hours of Thursday 7/01/2016.
I rushed Dorothy, my beloved wife of 42 years, to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital,
with complications arising from a 35 year stint living with a prolactinoma (pituitary tumour) She had also recently, developed a whole host of related diseases, including Cushing’ Syndrome, Hyper tension, Diabetes, Eye deterioration and a hiatus hernia
By the time we got her into the trauma unit, she was severely dehydrated, after failing to keep down any water, which was immediately vomited up. She was subsequently hooked up to a drip, while I stood bedside, doing my best to keep her calm while we were forced to await the stressed doctors attending to other earlier emergencies. We continued talking, while she kept asking for sips of water, remaining lucid throughout.
By the time doctor arrived, he was wide eyed at her ECG readings, and grilled me for her heart history, while she was sitting up in bed, hooked up to tubes and monitors. I had hardly answered, when she suddenly, violently contorted backward, hitting her head on the steel bedrail..
THAT WAS IT! Suddenly, out of the body, now laying quite lifeless, from a massive myocardial infarction (heart attack). I was asked to move to waiting room while they performed emergency procedures on her.
A full 45 minutes later, attending doctor emerged to convey his condolences.
They had restarted her heart twice after losing her following immediate manual resuscitation. Unfortunately, she had been “brain dead” for around 12 minutes, despite their ongoing efforts, including stabilizing the pulse rate.
We, my two daughters and I, were completely gutted with this ultimate tragedy.
Dot and I had big plans for 2016 and really determined to get going.
We are still in the grieving process, and this is going to be a big test for us all.
I have always stressed that life is indeed short, so why sweat the small stuff?
We have had enormous support from friends all over, offering advice and their warmth, for comfort. (More coverage on MS2. article “Thus there is life”)
Thanks for letting me share. 🙂
I am so sorry to hear this, Calvin. I hope you and your daughter and your family and friends get through this well.
RIP Dorothy, may you find new adventures.
If there is anything I can do, Calvin – do not hessitate to ask.
Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful, my real friend, (found in you, Geir.) Your wonderful, expansive wisdom and experiences shared, have lifted me in so many ways you may never know.
Perhaps we will still get to ask you over for a short while, as discussed with you earlier. 🙂
In the meantime, I hope you guys are excited as you await the arrival of Alexander August. I will definitely be watching with as much excitement, (for my own personal reasons.;) )
I’ll keep you posted 😉
😉
Calvin, I am so sorry for your loss. Sincere condolences to you and the family and friends.
Thanks for letting us know. ❤
Thanks, Marildi. You are always able to come through for those in need.
❤
I deeply regret your loss, Calvin. I will pray for your wife soul. It’s very good you shared this with us. We don’t know each other, but after so many years…yes! we know each other, we respect each other and we care about each other. RIP! Dorothy!
+1
Well said, Dragos.
Dragos, I’m glad for your comm, and appreciate your prayer for my beloved. Thank you, friend 🙂
In the company of her beloved husband, Dorothy departed this world in peace. My condolences for you Calvin, may you find relief in the company of your daughters.
Rafael, my one and only terminal from Mexico, it’s always great to hear from you. This occasion, though so sad, reminds me of the importance of establishing, and enjoying the company of sincere friendships, Gracias, amigo. 🙂
Calvin. Please accept my condolences for you and your family. In the big picture – this interaction is truly short. I would hope that the two of you were able to use your time together to your satisfaction. I am reminded of how I felt when I first listened to this song. Events like your recent experience are constant reminders to enjoy and live our life each and every day.
Not to imply that you haven’t – but you still have a future time to be spent with your children and the rest of your family. May you find peace in your constant creation of the time you have. You, I, we – all of us have only a certain amount of time. It is what we do with it that matters the most.
I know how I would feel in your position. Peace be with you. Life moves on…
Still awakening. It has been so special, for me to be able to read your postings here. As a creative artist yourself, I’m sure that you resonate quite freely with the emotion that interplays between beings. Thus you also pick up ‘vibes’, unspoken words, thoughts and intentions too.
We all, are truly able to communicate on so many levels, yet often overlook that.
Therefore, I resonate with you quite easily, as I know you do too, with me. And your communication arrives so effortlessly.
Thank you. 🙂
Calvin, I just read this and am stunned and very sad. I’ve grown fond of you over these years and this news is awful.
I have only been experienced one death in real time and it was with my father. And it was at that time a well-meaning fool jumped in and spoiled the most sacred moment of my father’s life.
As my father passed among his loved ones in a hospice, I saw him go and was silent. Meanwhile a decades-long friend stood up and said, “He’s gone! I saw him go first!”
Really.
And the worst thing is that she wouldn’t let it go. She said “I saw him go first” at least three times that day and days later we KEPT hearing it.
I tried to tell her that I suspected it at the same time, but she would have none of it.
“No! I saw him go first.”
“Fine,” I thought. “You really want to make my dad’s death a contest?! Would you like a fucking ribbon bitch?”
She’s also a licensed Psychotherapist. Go figure. She invalidated my own experience of my father’s death!
Anyway, I hope you won’t punch out any of these fools. I am proud to say I didn’t. She still have her teeth.
Barely.
My love to you and your family Calvin.
***
“God is an intelligible sphere known to the mind but not to the senses.
Whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.
And whose center exists right where you are sitting.
And whose center exists right where I am sitting.
And each of us is a manifestation of that mystery.”
– Joseph Campbell
_/|\_ (gassho)
Thank you Kat. And thank you for sharing the sadness of losing your Dad. It is devastating enough, having to go through the five stages of grieving, in the loss of a loved one, without having some accolade-seeking moron, try to hijack such a painful occasion.
Perhaps, Kat, that Biblical wisdom, passed down from all those many years earlier, offers some respite: “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.”
Good advice. Sadly, I have no advice that will actually help you.
But I know you don’t need any even if I had some.
🙂
Nice posts KG. ~Chris
+1 Calvin
Just seeing this. That’s very tough luck for you all and I am sad for loss at Dorothy’s passing.
Thank you for sharing about the full rich life you were able to have with one another.
I am feeling for you.
Chris, my brother, yes indeed I’m finding out how tough it is. The great part is, that we had our first interchange today. I hardly sleep at all, these days, getting up at odd hours in the early morning. I’ve gotten into the GOOD habit of talking directly to Dorothy, in the airspace above me. I just give her a vocalized running stream of my thoughts and pass on my love, gratitude and validation of her and her accomplishments. It’s a conscious communication, with intention that she will receive it.
Around 6.30 am this Tuesday morning, I had just finished breakfast after my casual chat, asking her to please just give me a SIGN, if she is present and hearing me.
I went through to the bedroom. Looking left, there was an old photo of Dottie, sitting on our dressing table, where I had just left it about an hour before.
Something else caught my alert artist’s eye. The mirror on the wall, (above the dresser) was now sitting skew!. NoBODY had been in there but me! There was no wind blowing through the window, No VISIBLE cause, why that mirror could have moved, as it hadn’t been touched in months!
I was completely overwhelmed, Chris!! There was Dot’s sign, This was indeed a great day, after all!! 😀
Calvin, I’m sure it was her too! I have had, and know of others who have had, similar experiences with a departed loved one.
A few years ago, I had a loss of someone very close to me too, and he did some amazing things to communicate with us. A couple OT’s I know were able to get in 2-way comm with him several times and relay to me things they could not have possibly known otherwise. When I mentioned to one of them that once he decided to “leave the area,” we wouldn’t be able to communicate with him anymore. This person, who is an OT V and has other extraordinary OT abilities too; assured me that I could always communicate to him. I know now that this aligns with many traditional teachings that say each of us has a higher self, and I believe that it is our higher selves that are always “available.” 😉
So happy for you about the experience you had today! And that you recognized it for what it was. 🙂 ❤
Thanks, M me <3. This kind of experience (comm), serves to make sense from the tatters in which one finds their life. — "She's okay"
The earlier revelation of this, is when I went to the hospital mortuary, to do the final, mandatory I/D, before they would release her body for the awaiting undertakers,
The upper lid was left off for me..
Marildi, what a BEAUTIFUL sight! — one I will happily carry with me till the end.
Dot was wearing such a happy smile on her face, which looked at least 10 years younger!! She had done it!! — Experienced and triumphed over her BIGGEST fear — that of dying! I kissed her on the lips, one final time, savoring the smile that confirmed she was finally at peace, I stood by, after giving the undertaker the okay to continue with his concluding tasks.
The cremation, will be performed today (13/01/16), down at Port Shepstone, about 2 hours drive south of Durban. It really is a "family" affair, as my brother-in-law (a part-time minister) and his wife (Dot's sister) actually manage the funeral business there. The big plus is that he will personally oversee the cremation, which is a relief to our family.
We will be holding a memorial service at my daughter's, home on Sunday.
Thereafter, my beloved's remains will be flown back to Scotland, where a family member in her land of birth, will oversee the scattering of the ashes, ensuring her final wishes are carried out properly.
Now, as for the future, she had some options in mind. One was to join her late mom, Marge, along with William, (late brother) in their meanderings among remaining family members. Marge's big thing, (still) is to bug the s–t out of us all. As she did, even before her passing. Always showing up, minding the grand kids, and "appearing" exclusively, for their eyes only!! 😀
The other option, was to "make sure I pick up a healthier body for my next life."
We were discussing all of this just days before her passing, (She KNEW!)
One thing is for sure, Marildi! — wherever she takes up residence, her proud parents will be delighted.! She has such a fun-loving, happy personality, full of mischief, and a great, natural, spontaneous love for children in her midst. As I commented elsewhere, She is a Class V NED auditor, and a voluntary Criminon counselor, with over 700 inmates passing through her hands on their way to rehabilitation. Just a brief CV on this wonderful, loving being … Dorothy, my beloved wife and partner for 42 years. It will painful to carry on without her, but
— WE will go on…… ❤
Aw, Calvin, I got chills reading what you wrote. All of it! It was a beautiful eulogy for your beloved. Thanks so much for your open-heart sharing. ❤
I would love to meet her, Calvin 🙂
Perhaps you WILL Geir,…. 🙂
Thanks for your touching sentiments there, me <3. 🙂
I have a strong feeling you WILL, Geir !! 😀
hehe 🙂
That is super Calvin. It makes me happy for you to receive this positive sign. I hope there is more comfort for you in the days and weeks to come. It’s a wonderful life. Let’s keep going.
Calvin, If you could be here, we would take a few days to explore the Sonoran desert by motorcycle. Nice fresh cold air and miles and miles of two-lane to roll across. It could be a really nice way to celebrate our memories and our future.
Great responses, Chris, Hell man, we really need to master enjoying this life to the full, hey bro’ ? Yep, that m/cycle trip sounds enticing to me. Great vistas to take in on a trip like that. Think of us, next time you’re out there, will ya?
In the earlier days, Dot loved nothing better 🙂
Thank you for your warmth too, Chris.– much appreciated. 🙂
You take care, me ❤ .
…Ray…this song is for Dorothy
…and this song is for you and your daughters
Marianne, my dear, even though it’s under sad circumstances, it’s good to hear from you. From time to time, posters here have commented on missing you and your great contributions. Hope you’ll be able to do more in the future.
And thanks for posting these songs for Calvin. You have a Happy New Year! 🙂
+1 – Marianne, thank you for your continued presence.
Beautiful video marianne, I would like to ask what ” hare hare ” means to you. And I would like to know if you have any info on the current condition of maria, our friend on this blog.
Thank you my Sis.It is just so good to feel your presence again. Please keep in touch here. We are here for you too you know? 🙂