14 November 2013: A day hanging out, doin' a lot of Facebook and helpin' out the parents and takin' a nice pic of Mom & Liz that I sent and put on FB ... Loyd Dillon is thankful for laughter ...

Dad is making horrendous sounds trying to distract an attentive Dancer. She is absolutely trained on his face as he pets her. "The most beautiful dog in town," he says. Earlier, he spoke of death and how it should come, quickly, and that one shouldn't have to live like this. I begged to differ and made comparisons, unfortunate, to Uncle Ray and his captivity and imprisonment in bed on a respirator for months, losing weight and developing a terrible bed sore that resulted in his decision to end his life, legitimately, in writing in the presence of his loved ones. "You could take pills," I said to him. He declined and now, he's making fun with my dog and learning Finnish and teaching me how to pronounce the unpronounceable, Royal Dutch Airlines KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) -- say it light --- Dutch language and thanks to his patience, I see a light at the end of the language maze of an amazing sounding tongue ... the home country of my father.

 

Auntie Jean and her favorite niece Liz yuck it up in the bedroom as I photographed
them using the iPad, rather than the iPhone, to capture their image.
We learned to say "Thank you very much" in Finnish:
Paljon kiitoksia. (Pah-lee-on  kee-tok-see-ah.)

I will finish this post. It's been a very rewarding day. Dad and I just finished, along with Dancer (may have a FB post photo of direct flash), watching Jeopardy. He ate a hearty bowl of pea soup, courtesy of that wonderful humanitarian/cook/Dutch national, Marli Stam-Schouten. We all had some of the soup combined with a Tuna sub that Liz bought at Pathmark. She also bought me some Good 'n Plenty so I am in hog heaven. 

So great to see dad eat so well. He had two pieces of bread and later drank an Ensure.

I wrote to Marli in an e-mail: 

"Dear Marli,

It's gone. Once again. There are now two, clean soup (microwave safe) dishes with covers sitting on our dining room table, witness to the nourishment and the love shared with my family. Thank you Marli, from the bottom of our grateful hearts. You are so, so amazing. So incredibly kind and caring. 

Dad loved the pea soup and finished it down to the bottom of his bowl. You cannot imagine how important it is for him to eat and you have given him this joy. It is wonderful to watch him eat with relish and enthusiasm.

We hope to see you soon. It was such a shame that you couldn't come in this afternoon to say hey to my dad and mom. They would have loved to see you. Come visit when you are able.

All our love and affection,

rudy (dad, mom, my cousin Liz and of course, my dog Dancer)"

It is time to walk Dancer and to phone Doug. Today has been fruitful and we are well. On the television, the BBC News is reporting on the tragedy in the Philippines after the typhoon. A young girl wept at the loss of her mother, a doctor, I think. It is so tragic ... people still helping one another after losing so much.
 

Katty Kay with the BBC World News America.
It is her birthday today. She is 49 years of age.