Snowy Friday

Our light dusting of snow predicted for this morning is still coming down with over 6 inches so far today. Snow is also predicted for tonight, tomorrow, Sunday and several days next week. I never should have written about the mild winter we were having! I’m getting payback now.

Socks were finished and put in the mail to my mother-in-law. She should receive them tomorrow

I started making mini Christmas stockings for the veterans home for next Christmas. I have 100 of these to make so I thought I should get started. I will fill these with sugar-free candy and take them to our local veterans home before Christmas. I would like to do other things for the residents throughout the year. If any of you can think of anything small that I can do, please share your ideas. So many people donate at Christmas, which is wonderful, but then they are forgotten the rest of the year. I would like to honor these men and women all year long.

This is a wheelchair blanket that I’m working on right now. I have another row of squares to go and then the border.

We had sad news in our family this week. My nephew Brian, who was 39 years old, collapsed last Friday morning when he got up to go to work. They believe he had a stroke. He was put into a medically induced coma and his body temperature was lowered, hoping to give his body time to recover over the weekend. Brian never regained consciousness and passed away Monday evening.

Apparently it has been all over all of the news stations in Omaha, Nebraska this week. I will provide a link for you to watch just one of the coverages of the Walk of Honor at the hospital at 2:30 this morning for him. It was only the second Walk of Honor ever at Bergen Mercy Hospital. There were over 200 people lining the hallways. Family and hospital personnel of course, but also dozens of first responders. Firefighters, ambulance drivers, paramedics, state patrol and police officers. Brian was very well respected in the community and was a firefighter for the Ralston Fire Department.

https://www.ketv.com/article/ralston-fallen-firefighter-honored-saving-lives-through-organ-donation/26249637

There are also several news stories at wowt.com. Although he passed Monday night, it took until this morning to arrange everything that needed to be done. Brian has donated any part of his body that is needed and so many, many transplant teams had to organize and get recipients prepared. This is been a horribly long week for members of my family. I think I’m the only one that doesn’t live in close proximity. It has been very, very hard to be out here by myself,  knowing what they were all going through. Brian was a very giving person and has continue this giving even in his death, by providing so many transplant recipients another chance at life.  The fire chief said in an interview that it was typical of Brian, who was so giving in life to be still giving even in his death.

Would you please pray for my brother Lynn and sister in law Val, along with Brian‘s wife Tara and their children and grandchildren?  My niece and nephew, Doug and Maureen, Brian‘s brother and sister, are also in need of a lot of prayer. They were a close family. Brian was very active in many volunteer roles throughout the church and the community and will be very missed as you can tell by these new stories. He lived a big life. 

Brian can now say these words.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Second Timothy 4:7

And hear these words.

“Well done good and faithful servant.”  Matthew 25:21

Although we will miss him here in our family and in the community, the angels are rejoicing in Heaven because Brian has gone home.

Blessings,

Betsy