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For My Friend Bonnie
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I have written here about my friend Bonnie earlier this year. She was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer a little over 4 years ago. She was told by the doctors to go home and make plans and arrangements. Well, the only only plan she made at that time was to find a doctor willing to at least try and fight for her. She had no health insurance and she and her busband spent a small fortune, their life savings, on chemo and radiation treatments, if not to save her life, they could at least extend it a couple years. Well, Bonnie was one heck of a fighter and went kicking and screaming and garage saling all the way. Oh how that girl loved a garage sale!
Well, yesterday morning, December 29th, Bonnie lost the battle to the cancer that had spread and consumed her body. She spent her final days at home with the help of hospice (angels on earth) who saw to it that she was made as comfortable as possible with meds and oxygen and a hospital bed. She was able to look out the window and see the fact that they had a white Christmas in California this year. A truely rare event . It was extra special and momentous occasion for her and her husband as their 1st Christmas spent together was in Jacksonville FL and it was a white Christmas as well. Just as rare. The only 2 white Christmas' they have had together, their first and their last. She also became a new grandma on Christmas on morning.
I have never been to California where she lived. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to live out there with the fires and earthquakes and rattle snakes. In the last e-mail I received from her she sent me several pictures of her property and mountain views which she had taken from several different directions. Now I understand why she loved it there. The views are heavenly! She has requested that she be cremated and her ashes spread across land she loved so much.
Below is what she called her red neck garden.
