yet went to help a friend rehang a door on an old one-room school.
She felt increasingly unwell as the day wore on...... and her West
Nile journey had begun.....
August 7, 2008: Twenty-seven members of the Robertson family gathered
at Wascana for a picnic in the park with Isabel co-hosting the
event. We hoped for three hours of visiting. At the five-hour mark
following an afternoon of conversation, laughter, messages from
cousins in Scotland and Los Angeles, games of catch, walks at the
lake, and a group photo.... Mum was one of the last to close the
party down. She has spoken on her letterboard with each individual
present.
At one point, she asked an older cousin if he had chosen dessert.
This led to another cousin asking Mum if she missed the tastes of
favourite foods, and Mum replied on her letterboard NO USE
PINING.... GET ON WITH LIFE and on she went with her next question.
A day previous Mum had told a respiratory specialist that one
advantage of receiving nutrition through a food peg is that there are
NO DISHES to wash and dry.
When Isabel got back to her room (two hours late!) she asked to read
what everyone had written in her Guest Book (Visitors' Book). She
then asked that we write her name as well. When we looked at her
quizzically, she responded emphatically I WAS AT THE PARTY.
Yes, Mum you were! And party you did! And among several honourable
mentions of generations past and present, we toasted you -- your
determination, interest in others and the world around you, and your
sense of humour. You continue to inspire us all.
This weekend Isabel is resting up and getting down to some serious
Olympics spectating. She hopes the equestrian and track and field
events (her specialities) will all be shown on TV.
We are ever grateful... and today particularly to our Robertson and
Froehlich cousins who have been faithful visitors, phoners, and
letter writers and who all travelled 2-3 hours for our gathering --
one year later.
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