Just one more thing...

John popped by a few minutes into my first class yesterday morning. He came to tell me that the call from his mother had come. We'd expected it for a long time. Gord died on Tuesday night.

Gord is my mother-in-law's third husband. Technically that makes him John's stepfather. However, we've never thought of him that way. Unlike John's sisters, we didn't encourage our boys to call him "Grandpa Gord." He was Mom's husband. That's all.

They were married in June 1997, a year after we were married. We didn't meet him until September of 1999. At first he was rather cold and distant; he obviously shared Mom's attitude about us and our life in Yellowknife. Three months later when we visited Ontario he was a completely different man - very friendly and hospitable. We tried to remember his birthday and to include him whenever he came for a visit. He made Mom very happy and we are thankful for that. He was a very nice man.

John's Mom would like him to come to Ontario for the memorial service. Just one more thing in a week of busyness and stress. Besides piano lessons and karate for Josh, guitar lessons for John N, and Awana club for the boys, feeding and watching over a hockey billet, I had an evaluation at work today. Then on Saturday John has an interview in regards to a .... (maybe I should leave that for a Saturday afternoon blog). So we called my Mom to see if she could come help with the boys while John is in Ontario. She had similar bad news.

My Aunt Lydia in B.C. also passed away on Tuesday night. She had been having heart problems for quite some time, but they didn't expect she was so close to the end. I didn't know her very well either. She was very talkative and freely shared her opinions. She was very talented in sewing and decorating. I appreciated the gifts from her at our wedding and later when she and my Uncle visited us in Yellowknife. I remember her approval of the flower arrangement for my Dad's funeral which I had chosen and designed. She also made my Uncle very happy and for that I am grateful.