All of Me...: The Arizona Experience...part one

You know, our Patty has been gone for over a month now...I kept a running diary of the 7 weeks that I spent with my family, the good the bad and the ugly and I was going to share it ALL with you...But as a woman of course I've changed my mind...I don't want to re-live the bad and the ugly...only the good,and there was much of it despite the circumstances...I'm trying to heal but will never forget and I feel that the private struggles of Patty have no business on my blog...She had her own blog and that is fine. Although she became increasingly ill and unable to blog it was still important to her that her followers
knew how she was doing...Patty was a true warrior princess, she rarely complained, or groaned and she always held her head high...I learned a lot from my baby sis on how to be strong but yet loving and brave...I had lost my "strong" years ago...I will blog about the happy, funny, interesting, unusual, trips, souvineers, but mostly about the love of a family...True, unconditional, unbreakable, and deep rooted love of one another...My family...I've never known of another with bonds so strong...It's almost like we can look into each others hearts and feel their emotions. Patty and I talked about it, "the connection". Patty got a painful IV while I was there...The inside of my wrist turned back and blue...Call it strange, bizarre, kooky...But it's real, for me and she had told me she had it too...We talked about many many things...I cherish those talks...She continues to walk within me...Warrior Woman...My Sis

I've told you in recent blogs on how it was that we all came together. Patty... I've told you the circumstances of my life and how it came to be that I find my beautiful family...But for me it has been life-changing...They have always had each other, but although I am content in the love that has been offered to me in my own family, I've never known a love like this...Honestly, the only ones I've ever loved so intensley have been my children and that love is an entirely different lind of love...the love of a mother...

I'll write this over many blogs because there is so much to share...Here we go...

As I've stated before, Patty was completely in charge of her life...She knew what she wanted, what she needed to get done and whom to assign to each issue...She had stated that when she passed she wanted us to have a huge party with a band, a bagpiper and Irish Whiskey...Nope, changed her mind and SHE wants to attend! What a wonderful idea! She calls it her living wake party but it was close to her birthday and St. Patricks day so we do it. She is very ill about every other day at this point so we are planning, but not sure what the outcome will be...The guys, set up the tents and chairs, we decorate in the St. Patricks theme, make our dishes (everyone is bringing a dish) and hope she can do it...She has been incredibly ill all night but as per Patty, she bounces back, cuts her daytime meds so she can be alert but this also increases her pain. We plan the party to last from noon to 5pm, if my memory serves me correctly. Not a long time for a healthy person but an eternity for someone so ill...She makes it, stays up and alert for the entire thing...Dozens of friends, family, co-workers, hospice team, doctor, nurses and neighbors. She eats little bites of everything, visits with her loved ones, enjoys her bagpiper and band and says that the party was EXACTLY what she wanted...God love her and this family...

The Irish Whiskey makes it's rounds...

The Bagpiper

This next video is short but you have to watch Pattys face at the end as our sister makes a toast to her...

Pattys Doctor

I have to say a word about Jenny here...Jenny was a good friend to Patty, no matter where Patty was at the moment, hospital, hospice, home, Jenny would always find her and visit her...I had to chuckle at Jenny when I first met as her and her husband arrived at the party. The first thing she said to him was "are you driving?" When he said that he was, she immediately stood up and said, "well then, I'm getting a beer!" She also indulged in some Irish Whiskey...What a wonderful and loving woman...

I also have to talk about Christy...She is a survivor and wonderful friend of the family...She made many trips to see Patty...Patty had many many visitors while at home...When she was really feeling shitty I'd ask her if she wanted to see so and so...When I asked about Christy she said, "Yes, ALWAYS yes to Christy"...We love Christy...What a wonderful and loving person...