Glenn Short Family Reunions and News: Weekly Letter September 4, 2022

Dear Family:Dear Family:

News: Dan, JoJo and Dawnie are back in Abuja Nigeria now, because they left Thursday and it’s a 2 or 3 day journey – yes even by air. They enjoyed the outings and family get-togethers while they were here.

Don and his granddaughters.

I had two gigs last week, Wednesday afternoon,

and Saturday afternoon in Corvallis.

Listen to Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White

Emery is going to pre-school. India is back in pre-school. Marissa has enrolled in aesthetics school. Last Sunday Carter spoke in church. Not only Brad & Sheri were there, but Riley and Cole, Taylor, Kelsy, Cooper and McKay were there also. Carter has about 2 weeks before beginning his service on a mission. Hayden is deep into his 2^nd year of college at UVU with a major in construction management and he is living with 3 other guys in an apartment off campus.

Tanner & Hayley are celebrating one month with little Claire.

Hayley Lewis will be having her knee replacement surgery in just a few days.

Last week I talked about Aunts and Uncles and their importance and the great influence they are and have been in our lives. I should have included a couple more examples. Amy has had a close relationship with her Aunt Glennda and Aunt Judy since she was a toddler. I believe that Amy has looked to Glennda and her artistic abilities as an example of what was possible. Amy is very creative thanks to Glennda, I believe. Specifically Judy is responsible for exposing Amy (and her brothers) to Swedish Berries. Judy used to bring a little white bag each for my 3 little kiddos each Saturday for a very long time. They are no longer easily available in the US. I hear that Amy, in the last few of years, found some in Canada and filled her grocery cart with all that were on the shelves. Judy was also responsible for teaching Amy how to twirl a baton. I have never heard Amy cry so hard as the day in May 2021 when she called to give me the news of Judy’s passing.

I need to mention the influence that my Aunt Margaret has had on me. She taught me about how to treat company; as if they were honored guests. That started when we dropped by her house on the way home from Disneyland one time. Brad told me that he wanted me to be a grandma like Aunt Margaret. In 2011, I spent a considerable amount of time with her, helping her work on her “Personal History” and the “Short family history”. She taught me about my Dad’s family and things about my dad that he never talked about. She gifted me her entire collection of unfinished quilts and all her fabric stash (two big cardboard boxes sent by UPS). I finished all those quilts.. I returned some to her daughters and every once in a while I use a fabric that she gave me. She also taught me about family reunions and her devotion to her nieces and nephews. I totally admire her and miss her.

Since contracting Covid in July, getting better has been on my mind a lot. It has been an uplifting feeling as the fog has started to lift, and the energy has started to return. I have frequently thought, “I am 78 years old, what if I stay like this and I don’t return to how I used to feel?” I am almost back to normal now but I have learned that it is okay to “NOT” accomplish tons of stuff every day. Brad and I talk and he said, “It is okay to sit down and take it easy on occasion. I give you permission.” “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength.” I’ve heard it many times and now I get it.

I probably will bore you with my pondering about our health, but I saw my sister-in-law Sally come down with Covid several months ago. She survived the hospital stay, but never really returned to the way she was. Admittedly she was slowly declining, but now she lives in memory care. That caused me concern.

Then Judy came to mind. She complained of a rash on her face for a few weeks and being very tired, and then she passed away a week after her diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. That was a shock and I am still mourning not having her around.

I remember Joelle’s lengthy illness and how hard it was on her family in so many ways. I remember Don’s hospital episodes. I remember his most recent heart surgery. I remember Scott’s recent hearth surgery. I’ve experienced firsthand Glennda’s scary migraine/dizzy episodes. She worries that it could happen at any time. I remember Brad having to have 3 surgeries as a baby and toddler. I remember Brian’s pyloric stenosis surgery and heart murmur worries as a baby. I remember Riley having eye surgery as a little girl. I remember Conner’s football injury and having to have surgery. Mike had knee replacement surgery about 6 weeks ago and I remember the difficult return to being able to walk. I remember Hayden having to have heart valve surgery twice. I remember worrying my head off (Megan worried more) when Brian was diagnosed with Vasculitis/Wergner’s disease. I remember worrying right along with Brian/Megan and Hayden as Hayden’s health became a big concern in the last few years. Several months ago, Jay suffered a fall at work, and has battled to gain all his strength back in his left arm, even after corrective surgery.

I don’t live with my grandchildren and their young families, so I don’t know the day to day worries you have about the health of your little ones. But I do remember ear infections, and pink eye and skin infections, diaper rash, sunburns and scars and bruises from falls and dog bites. Oh and I remember chick pox while Brad, Brian and Amy were preparing for the high school musical, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’. I’m sure you are going through much the same things. Unfortunately we can’t expect to go through life with no cares, worries, tragedies, accidents, illnesses but I enjoy reading about how other people view “Health”. I hope you will enjoy them too.

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” Mahatma Gandhi
“Health is not valued until sickness comes”. Thomas Fuller
“Happiness is the highest form of health.” Dalai Llama
“He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” Thomas Carlyle
Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. (unknown)

So, regarding the 4 of us who got Covid on our cruise; Don was the smartest and got Paxlovid immediately.

This was Don's View of our Excursions

He got better the fastest. Jay, Alena and I are well on the road to recovery and we only cough occasionally. We are still a bit tired, but it is less and less every day. Luckily Glennda and Scott escaped the cruise without getting Covid.