The Good Stepwitch's Brew

It's hard to believe that so much can change in such a short time. 2 weeks ago C's dad was in the hospital reecovering from a collapsed lung and we were trying to figure out when he could retstart his chemo. My parents, brother, husband and stepkids were all excited to heading to Maine for our family vacation.

Now, things are so different. C's dad passed away on July 2, 2008. With his chemo being put on hold while his lung healed, the cancer progressed very quickly. By the time he was well enough to start up the chemo, the doctors said it was too late. He went very quickly, in a matter of days. The shock is still wearing off C and I, and I'm sure the kids too. We had to cancel our Maine trip, which was the right thing to do, but devestated me nonetheless. We are doing our best to help C's mom adjust to things. We had a scary set back the other day when we got a tearful call from C's mom at 5 in the morning saying someone had just tried to break into her house. I hope there is a special place in hell for people who prowl the obituaries looking for new widows to prey on. It's going to be a tough year ahead of us all, especially C's mom, and I am glad we are close by to help with stuff.

Most of all, we just miss C's dad. He was a very warm man, with the gentlest and kindest heart. He made everyone feel at ease, he loved movies and sports and funny stories. As a relative remarked at the memorial service, he was a gentle giant who never made anyone feel small. We will all miss him so much.