not goodbye, just au revoir

The worst was this. My sweet friend Diane died this morning.

Yesterday she had 1 to 2 weeks to live. She was in hospice at the end. A pretty place. Surrounded by her family. But at 7.00 this morning I found out she had died. I was so sad. Cried my eyes out all morning - glad I work alone Chalet Bashing. I kicked the stupid 'Henry' Hoover rather a lot of times.

Diane was a lovely woman. She lived in East Lansing, MI. She was married to her 'Bunny', whom I promptly christened The Bunster - I mean, 'Bunny'?? Get away!! We chuckled a lot about the differences between American humour and UK humour. Di had a fabulous sense of humour and was an extremely intelligent and witty woman. She was always asking about our odd expressions - and she would pick them up and use them hilariously. She was planning to come 'Across The Pond' next year with the Bunster - she even managed to convince him to get a passport!

Di was an attorney/arbitrator - I suppose we would call her a solicitor? Maybe a lawyer? She adored her husband, and talked about him a lot. She loved and worried about her children. She had a huge heart. During her own battle with ovarian cancer, she had to deal with her mother dying after a short two month battle with brain cancer. Then she had to have her dog put to sleep. Grr.But she still gave her time to support me [I was in the midst of losing my job] and others.

She was a member of the support group I have on Facebook, and she was always concerned about everyone else's feeling before her own. Recently she didn't post because she didn't want to 'bum us out'. She was in horrible pain. Nothing seemed to get on top of it at all. But she was a stoic in the face of it. A brave woman. She didn't complain. She got on with it.

I shall miss her enormously. But I have finished crying now - now I am just happy to have known her, and grateful for the things she added to my life. Here she is, hat and bag and all…I shall never forget her. Au revoir my friend.

Diane with Laurel - Diane: "Here's a photo of Laurel & I at Dinner at Manny's in Dallas. We had a great time! Ya'll should come visit us sometime! had a fab time with laurel. even tho we talked about cancer a lot it was still fun!! and the boys in the photo were cooperative even tho our waiter wanted to be paid to be photographed. he should have paid us to be photographed with such fine looking women!! My son took the photo and did a little work on us so we look perfect, but that's what all the stars do right??"

Amazing. :o)