So, 2012 and 2013 went by without an update.

Time flies when you're having fun, and when life is happening all around you.

Biggest event, hands down, in the past two plus years is the loss of my father, Linus Strelecki, who passed away on June 27th of 2013. He had been in declining health for about two years, and as his live-in caregiver there were many things to be done that distracted me from the world of blogging. He spent several stints in the hospital during that time, most recently at the beginning of June, 2013. I think that last visit was something like seventeen days, and we moved him from there to a very comfortable hospice in north Atlanta.

I think when we knew that hospice was in the plan, we all felt that we were seeing Dad in the final stage of his long and productive life. Sister Susan came down from Iowa and stayed with him in the hospital, sleeping in his room and waiting on him around the clock. She basically dropped everything she was doing to come be with Dad and to take care of him and talk with him and do whatever she could to make that time more comfortable for him. To say she went above and beyond would be a terrible understatement.

Susan did what none of the rest of us could do - assist Dad in the twilight of his life to taste great food, drink wonderful beverages, and have his only daughter by his side 24/7 to talk, reminisce, and be able to enjoy those last days. She was wildly successful, and we all owe her a large debt of gratitude for what she did. Thank you, Susie!

Meanwhile, Mom has had her own health decline, as she slows down in her early eighties. As Dad did, she has her own regimen of prescriptive medications that one doctor or another feels she must have to improve the quality of her life. I do for her what I did for Dad, and take her to her appointments, get her meds refilled, help with the shopping, and now, in Dad's absence, much of the cooking and cleaning in addition to a full-time job. I have no regrets or upsets about my availability for her at this stage in my life. I figure that Mom and Dad were there for me at the beginning of my life, and I will be with them at the finish of theirs.

I am blessed to be able to give back to my parents my time and effort, when they can most use it. It's kind of wonderful how everything has turned out. I mean, when I came to live with them in 2002, it was because I needed the help. The IT business was devastated with the tragedy of 9/11/2001, as were many other industries, and if it weren't for their generosity and graciousness, I'd probably be out on the street somewhere. They brought me in, gave me a wonderful place to live, and life went on for all of us.

A few years later, Dad crashed his car one morning on the way to work, and we discovered that he'd suffered a blockage in the arteries in his neck. One side was over seventy percent occluded, which is not a good thing. We got him into surgery to clean out those pipes and he recovered quickly and was back to normal, all except for driving. I assumed driving duties, and was happy to do so. We'd go for drives to see the beautiful environs of Atlanta, get some fresh air, do grocery shopping and other errands. In a lot of ways, Mom and I still think of Dad sitting in the back seat as we drive places, calling back to him as if to ask "What are ya doing, Pop?"

Next month I'll celebrate the beginning of my fourth year working with some of the greatest people I've ever had the privilege to know. The Smith family is an extended group that has been my boss, mentor, educator and friend, and to say that they have been a major force in my life would be another gross understatement. A compatriot I've known for almost twenty years from "the Comsell days" has reminded me of how an intelligent mind and wonderfully wry sense of humour can absolutely make the workdays a learning and satisfying experience I would not want to be without. I love all these folks dearly and am so lucky to have met them, been enriched by them, and to have accompanied them on their own life journeys. My mind boggles if I think about it very long.

My Mom asked me if I was happy, and I'm sure I mumbled something indiscriminate and nebulous, because she can ask me those important questions when I least expect them and are ill prepared to give them the thought and care they deserve. Well, I've thought about it and I am prepared to say YES, I am happy. Knowing that I've made it this far, past my sixtieth year, with reasonably good health (albeit overweight) and attitude makes me happy. I choose to dwell on that because it's the best thing for me and everyone around me.

So yeah, I've been away from the blog for awhile, but life happens when you don't expect it. I hope to be here more often, but in the meantime, go tell someone you love how you feel. Do it today and don't wait. There will be no better time than now to share your feelings, and you never know what could happen tomorrow. You will never regret that action.

Thanks for stopping by. See y'all again soon.