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Friday, October 14, 2011

Saying goodbye


     I didn't blog about it before, but I lost my great uncle Elwood a couple of nights ago.  I'm not sure what happened.  They moved, about six months ago, into an assisted living facility because my uncle wasn't doing too well.  He passed on the night before Randi left.  I found out about it, but didn't talk much about it with her.  I'm very sad to have lost him.  I haven't talked to him much lately, as he's mostly deaf, and I couldn't go over there where he could read my lips.  I'll miss him though.  And (of course) I have a great uncle Elwood story.
     In the years that I turned thirteen and fourteen, my parents allowed my grandparents to take me fishing with them to Canada.  The first year, Uncle Elwood and Aunt Carol came with us.  We had a great time.  Uncle Elwood was a great joker, and scared the crap out of me for a few minutes.  (Alert!!  The following story involves leeches.  Just warning you now, so you can skip over this paragraph if you so desire.)   There were a bunch of kids there that were close to my age, and had been coming up with their parents for years.  There were Tom and Lisa with one family, and then Michelien, Michael, and Jay with the other.   It was love at first sight.  We'd go out with our respective families during the day to fish, then the men would clean the catch while the women watched us.  Then the women would cook while the men watched us.  (Sometimes, if the men were on duty, we got to go out and ski.  It was awesome!!)  Anyways, one night that summer, we all came out of the lake, and I had somehow managed to pick up two leeches.  Not knowing anything about them, I calmly picked them off and tossed them.  My grandpa and my Uncle Elwood were sitting there near the dock watching.  So I come up to them, and my uncle is all concerned.  (My grandpa wasn't, which should have been my first clue.  They (my grandparents) doted on me, and I on them.  So if something was wrong, grandpa should have been worried.  But that's neither here nor there.)  Uncle Elwood:  Saw that you got some leeches.  Me:  Yep.  Uncle Elwood:  Too bad  Me:  What?  Uncle Elwood:  I was really sorry to see that.  Me:  What, what (starting to get nervous)?  Uncle Elwood:  Well........  Me:  What is it?  Uncle Elwood:  (very solemnly)  You're gonna die.  I laughed so hard I peed myself, y'all.  So he kept kidding me about that, joking around with me, until a few days later, when I turned the tables on him.  He got a fish hook caught in his hand, and so I started doing the same thing to him.  Of course, he knew what I was doing, and he played along, lol.  So I kept joking with him and he kept joking with me.  So I saw Aunt Carol at the visitation today, and said, "So that fishhook finally got him after all, huh?"  And she just laughed with me.  So that was nice.  I had a quiet moment to say goodbye, and I hope he's at peace.  He was a great guy, and was always involved in disaster relief efforts.  Katrina was their last big disaster, and after that, his doctor said no more.  He was a jokester, always laughing and joking with people.  He was one of the nicest people I've ever met.  The world lost a great man, and I was lucky enough to know him.  I feel bad for his family, but they all seem to be dealing with it well, which is good.  So it's a bit of a drag on the soul to know that he's gone...  I love you, Uncle Elwood!!  
     This isn't from our trip to Canada, but Christmas of that year.  Aunt Carol and Uncle Elwood in our basement (ignore the awful wallpaper, it was the seventies).  

22 comments:

♥ Nia said...

So sorry for your loss =(
Sweet hug to you

SoCal Debbie said...

That was a great memory that you shared with us. I'm glad you got to make that fish hook comment to your aunt. I'm sure it helped her to remember another happy memory.

Mouse said...

what a lovely memory of a great sounding guy ... and I am sure it helped your aunt too .... (((hugs)) love mouse xxxx

mcewan07 said...

I am sorry to hear of your loss. My grampa died almost 3 years ago, and i know how hard it can be. My stitching got me through some bad days ,ans im sure your stitching will help get you through yours.
I am sorry i avent looked at your page or a while, and when i do, its sad news thats been posted, usually i look at it when you have posted on my blog, and without it i just get so bogged down with stitching i forget to look.

Keep your chin up, you can talk any time to me if you need to.xxx

Margaret said...

I'm so sorry for your loss. A lovely tribute to your great uncle.

cucki said...

i am so sorry for your loss dear.
sending you lots of (hugs)

rosey175 said...

/fuzzy internet hugs ♥

He sounded like an amazing person and this was a wonderful tribute.

Rachel said...

I am so sorry for your loss, Julie. It is so painful to loose a wonderful uncle, I know all too well.

I am so glad you have such wonderful memories of him. They are best to draw on when you are feeling down and missing him.

(((Hugs)))

Anonymous said...

Julie,
Sorry to hear of your loss. Thank you for sharing your story.

(((HUGS))) to you and your family.

mdgtjulie said...

Thanks Nia, I appreciate that! It's nice to have those good memories to remember, Debbie. Thanks Mouse. She looked pretty good, all things considered!! Awwww, thanks so much for that. It helps to know there are friends out there to talk to. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss as well. They're gone, but not forgotten! Thanks Margaret. He was a wonderful man. Thanks Cucki. I can use all the hugs I can get. Awwww, thanks Rosey. He was a great guy! Thanks Rachel. I'm assuming you have personal knowledge of this, and I'm sorry for your loss. I'm glad I have such good memories of him!!

Charity C. said...

Hope you are doing well. Just keep those good memories of him. They will always last.

Terry said...

Sorry to hear about your Uncle Elwood. He's in a better place now and joking around with all those that went before him.

Time to rest up from your vacation. Hope you have a restful and wonderful weekend Julie.

Claudette497 said...

You poor baby! What a wild ride it's been for you these last couple weeks - I'm so sorry to hear of your uncle's passing away. Take good care of yourself.

The Outgoing Introvert said...

What a great memory to share with us, thank you. I am so sorry for your loss and I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers during this tuff time!

mdgtjulie said...

Caroly, you must have commented while I was writing out my comment, lol. Thanks for the hugs, and I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I know Charity. He was such a great guy, I'm sure the good memories of him will last me forever! Thanks Terry. I'm hoping to have a good IHSW, but not so much so far. Thanks Claudette. It has been a bit of a wild ride! I just know that he's in a better place now, and that makes me happy. He's hanging with his brothers, Hermus and Delbert, and having a good old time! Thanks so much Cindy Mae. It's about the best we can do when an online buddy loses someone. We can't go over to the house, or bake cookies, or take the person out for dinner for a night. The power of prayer can do amazing things though, so it's all good!!! I sooooooo appreciate the support of my online friends. They're all fantastic!!

Carmen said...

I am sorry for your loss. My sister in law died 2 years ago (car accident), i know how hard it can be.The memories,the happy ones, always help in that moments..

Anne said...

So sorry to hear about your loss Julie. I am very close to my uncles as well and I know how this must feel. That story is a wonderful story and memory that you will have of him to cherish.

Hugs!

Anne

mdgtjulie said...

Thanks Doris. And I'm sorry to hear about your loss. It's always hard to lose a loved one. The happy memories do make it easier though, that's for sure!! Remembering the good times helps immensely. And hugs for the survivors help too. We can all support each other. Thanks Anne. Glad you enjoyed the story. I'm not really a girly girl (as you probably figured from the story) so the leeches didn't phase me until he started messing with me. He was just such a great guy!!

Sharon said...

Oh Julie - I'm so sorry for your loss. He sounds like such a fun uncle - thanks for sharing him with us!

mdgtjulie said...

He was a fun uncle, Sharon. He was an all around great guy!!

Joysze said...

I'm so sorry for your loss, Julie.

mdgtjulie said...

Thanks Joysze. He was a great guy!!