Sid/Sandra: Please tell my little Freb and beautiful granddaughter hello for me. Really glad you are getting together. Looking forward to an update on all their activities.
Steph is off to a funeral in Florida or somewhere tomorrow. A turn run around trip. In the meantime, Theresa is on Maxx and animal watch - plus working.
Tiffany is applying for another CNA position that would pay more. Hope she gets it before I leave town.
Christopher leaves today to head back east.
Bopcha looks great and, as always, makes me despair at the shape I am in. At 105 she will be putting me to shame. We had a nice visit last weekend. As you all know, Judi celebrated her 70th again because she refuses to celebrate any more years for awhile. That will have to stop before I find myself older than her.
I have included some words that are shared with pet owners who loose their pets at the Veterinary Hospital. We actually have a Social Worker who runs a pet loss group. Here is the page I am referring to. I hope you will find it consoling KC and Tom and just know that there are lots of people who are going through the sadness of loosing a pet.
Well I've managed to get a terrible cough. This is the first time I've been sick this year. I had to stay at home in bed all day which I haven't had to do in a very long time. Sid was kind enough toi get me some powerful cough syrup. I hope everyone is doind really well. Bopcha, I hope you are feeling good and totally recovered from the surgery.
On Sunday, we are actually going out to dinner with Meredith. Her dad is flying in for a few days and they wanted to meet with us. That should be fun. It will be interesting to hear about what she is up to and what exactly she is doind at Nursing School.
I don't have too much to report. Work is crazy and there is never a dull moment. Even though I was home sick today, I ended up on work calls and work e-mails the entire day. I just could not avoid it without running into all kinds of "back up" that I don't want to deal with it later.
I will write more later in the week. Take care everyone.
I wish I knew of some profound way to share your loss, and for you to share my loss. It isn't very profound but I want you to know, I know the feeling.
It's unbelievable still, but our dearest loving little hound Bonne Chance chose today to leave us for new adventures across the rainbow bridge. Tom found him in the back paddock at feeding time yesterday. He had collapsed there, unable to walk. Tom with Melissa's help got him to the emergency clinic where the vets worked hard to save his life. At this moment, we still don't know why or what or how--only that by the wee hours this morning, it was clear that there was nothing left to do but let him go. He died peacefully, gently in Tom's arms and is no doubt, at this very moment, looking for rabbits to chase. Maybe Grandma Irka stopped by to stroke his ears as she passed by on her way to heaven to be with Grandpa Janek. I hope so. He loved loving more that anything and was always searching for a lap to lay across. We miss him dreadfully already. He was waiting for a chance to become a daddy again this spring. Instead, his legacy will be carried by the pups he had with Nubia Hegerova in Germany, and his grandchildren sired by his son, Kazan.
Bonne Chance earned wonderful titles during his early years in Germany. He wouldn't run on a track with other hounds, but did set a solo track record at Darmstadt in Germany. Unfortunately, after winning 5 international coursing competitions within a single year, we left Germany before he could achieve at least one win one year and one day after the first win, thus never achieved the title of FCI International Coursing Champion. Always one of the fastest hounds of the pack, Bonne Chance was also one of the most clever with respect to catching the lure and catch it he would. Even the most clever lure operator could not keep him from grabbing the plastic mid-field. Bonne Chance would listen for the whir of the line over a pulley, race to that point, and crouch with his jaws poised to snap as the plastic crossed over the pulley. Consequently, we finally stopped coursing him--lots of points but he never earned the last placement he needed for ASFA field champion.
I didn't mean to write so much about the boy, but it's been a comfort to share our grief with you. Here's a picture of Bonne Chance--the light of the next life surrounds him already. Love, Tom and KC
Kay, Bill and I are in Corvallis. We left Seattle at about 1 p.m. and crossed paths with Hillary as she and about a trillion motorcycle cops were headed North on I-5. It was very impressive. We wondered, however, how a motorcycle cop could shoot a bad guy while on a motorcycle! Seems like it would be difficult.
Mother is looking extremely well! She is driving again and worked at the Gleaners today.
I received the 'get well' card and the picture of Nina and Alex yesterday. What a delightful picture. I just wondered who took such an outstanding photo.
Thank you. I appreciated the words and the picture.
I just got this note from Jukek. He doesn't mention the blog but does mention a birthday e-card. Did someone send him an e-card coincidental with this morning's invitation? At least we know how old he is!! Here's Jurek's note from just now:
From: jurek [mailto:sparta525@interia.pl]
To: kcthompson@elpasotel.net
Sent: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 22:47:29 +0100 (Å’rodkowoeuropejski czas stand.)
Subject: The Birthday E-card
Dearest Family in US!!!!
Dear Auntie Virginia, KC and Tom and all US Family - plenty of Kisses and
thank You very... very.... very...much for Birthday card. It was very nice,
yes it's true I'm 45 years old...I am very glad because You are really
Fantastic and Greats Friends,
PS.
I was today in military Hospital in Wroclaw, I visited my dear GrandMa Irka, I hope to she will a bit better.During my visit in hospital She told..."Jurek say Virginia Hallo from Irka by computer"
The best regards Auntie Virginia, KC and Tom and all cousins in US.
Hi Jurek - Auntie Virginia and the rest of the family invite you to contribute to the family blog. You can find it at http://www.bopcha.com . Your sign in is ...........(deleted). Besides Bopcha and myself, most of the contributors are your cousins and their family members although there are also some family friends that are a part of the blog. As a brief introduction, your cousins are Sid who lives with Sandra in Philadelphia; Diana who you met back in the 1990s when she and Auntie Virginia visited Grandma Irka and met you and Meg and Michael (Magdalena was still a dream in those days of course). Diana, Bill, and their children Jessica and Noah, live near Seattle. Other cousins are Kay, who lives in Tacoma near Seattle and Judi, who lives on your Auntie Virginia's farm in Oregon. And of course, you know very well your Auntie Virginia who lives in town, near her farm. Most of the family calls Auntie Virginia "Bopcha." That's why the blog is named the way it is. I posted your last email to me, so don't be surprised seeing it there. Much love, Tom and KC
Well - here I am, still at home although by 6 am I'm usually enroute. When I got home from work last night I couldn't get into the driveway--it was drifted shut with long 3' high stacks of snow. They got a snow plow guy to clear their drive and the landlord's son was kind enough to move my car from 156th street to its normal place near the little house. Of course, there was wind and more snow last night so now the driveway is once again drifted closed but I'm now inside and can't get out. Paul and Cindi invited me to come over for breakfast. Isn't that nice?
Sid, no I haven't sent Jurek an email yet. I can't do it from work and generally I can't get to the email from the little house. However, since I have a connection this am, I'll see if I can get that task done.
Kay, I love the way you write. Makes me laugh out loud. Thanks Dee for sharing her missive.
