Gloom and doom
Sad news… Brenda’s mom lost her fight with lung cancer yesterday afternoon. She’d been on life support since Tuesday night and Brenda and her dad made the difficult decision to let her go yesterday. Brenda and her mom were extremely close — as much friends as mother-daughter. Brenda also lost her only sibling — her brother David — earlier this year and her dad was just diagnosed with lung cancer a couple weeks ago. It’s been a hard year, with more tough times on the horizon. Thank you for keeping her in your prayers.
The Meriwether Fire is now the nation’s top priority fire. It continues to grow and behave in unusual ways. Yes, fire has patterns of behavior, but this one seems intent on defying the usual expectations. Three other Montana fires, along with the Meriwether Fire make up the top four priority fires in the West right now. The Helena valley is so smoky we can hardly see the mountains around us and the health department has issued an air quality alert, saying the air was “unhealthy for all groups” yesterday afternoon. It smells like we’re around a campfire all the time. Our weather is slightly cooler after the hottest July on record in Helena, but rain and a real cool down are nothing we’re expecting any time soon. So our fires will be here for awhile, I’m afraid.
I’m trying to think of something funny or cheerful to write this morning, but I’m coming up short. Might be sleep deprivation. I got woken up four times last night — about every two hours — for problems at work. So I think I’ll close now before I think of any other gloomy things to write about.
Oh, Polgara’s eye is still improving, although still not completely better. But her third eye lid was down all the way earlier this morning. Progress.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Like most of your readers, I’m saddened to hear this news. And it sometimes seems like when it rains it pours: some families seem to have really tough times all at once. I’m really sorry to hear about this, and also the forest fires. Coupled with the bridge collapes in Minnesota and the flooding in Texas, it’s just not been a good few months.
I’m thankful we have our wegies to help brighten our days.
August 6th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
My thoughts and prayers are with Brenda and her family in this incredibly tough time.