I might have had a little stroke when I laid on the floor in my house on the mountain, or an diabetic attack, however since the time I am here at Menno place, which is four years, my memory has somewhat degenerated, as for years it was hard for me to remember names it has worsened to forgetting my pills, specially in the morning.

When my daughter Janice and I saw the doctor to renew my medicines, we brought this to his attention and Dr. Egolf made out a requisition that I should have help with this, especially that I take the medication. I have once in a while dizzy spells and therefor felt unsure to take a shower in the bathtub. With the help of the wellness nurses I receive help with this as well.

So, early in the morning a young nurse shows up to assist me for either a shower or a sponge bath. That means that I am required to appear in the nude before her when she directs me to sit at a special chair which has two legs in the tub and the other two outside of it. After I am seated my legs are, with the help of the nurse, swung over the tub-side into the tub and then the fun starts. The shower-head is operated by the the nurse who tests the water for the right temperature while I just sit quietly enduring the warm water to be sprayed all over me.

During this operation my few hairs are shampooed and my body lathered with soap and rubbed with a soft sponge-brush. I am allowed to do wash my privates, as she calls it, by myself if I desire so, and so far I have desired so.

Then she applies a lotion over my entire body 'you have very dry skin you know.'

Then the drying part comes she makes me think of a great friend who at the end of her life had to go through what she found the indignity of being washed and happened to get a softly cleaning nurse, which made her skin crawl, cried

“Rosse, rosse I say, I'm not a pussycat!” Rub, scour harder, harder.

My nurse did just right.

I admit that I was hesitant at first of undressing in front of a woman I had never met, and even worse a young woman I knew, but they quickly stopped my embarrassment.

“'This is what we do, you know. This is our profession.”

They certainly are professionals, and made me so fast at ease, which is quite extraordinary if you think about it. Never before have I taken my clothes off for anyone but my wife and they, without any fuss made me comfortable doing just that. Bless you for that ladies.

They equally professional check that I take my medication by following the pills as I put them into my mouth. I feel strongly that their attentive looks accompany the pills all the way into my stomach just to make sure that they arrive where they should.

All in all I am happy into my surroundings with and with myself. I love my offspring and who would not, I just found a letter from my daughter Jacki, who is married to Allen Nielsen and lives in a romantic little settlement called Pinantan, east of Kamloops BC, with their two sons Jesse 26 and Tyler 22, both hard workers, Jesse on heavy equipment logging and Tyler as a builder all around Kamloops. Those two are my youngest grandsons of whom I am exceptional proud.

Jacki was writing stories already at the elementary school in Ladner, which she used to end with, what else - 'the end.'

I found a letter she wrote me at Christmas of which year I do not know, which does not matter.

I will only use one part of it – 'the end' - what else.

“Thank you so much Dad for the wonderful childhood I remember.

Now along with my memories is the one about the tent-trailer license plate copper. I remember hearing you laughing and boasting to I don't who, about telling the cops in our town that you would be leaving for a camping trip, so it was up to them to find you with your expired trailer license plate.

As a little girl, I was afraid of the consequences of what would happen to you if you would be caught by the police. I would anxiously stare out of the windows while we were driving to our holiday destination ... watching for the cops for you. We never got stopped did we?

Good thing though – I thought for sure that they would handcuff you and throw you (yes, literally 'throw you' into jail. However, the thrill of usual law abiding dad breaking the law gave my thoughts of you a whole new dimension.

I started to realize at that time that you weren't only MY DAD, but a man who was many things to many different people including himself. That realization of you became what Oprah says is an 'A - ha moment!'

My world started to grow larger and deeper along with my appreciation and empathy for people as well. Looking back at my years of growing with you I see the qualities I admire the most within myself are indeed given to me from you.

Thank you for all you have given me Dad,
Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy, New Year!

Love Jacki

The end … haha “

followed in her own handwriting

Love you Dad

she drew a heart

Jackie

What else does a father want than a daughter like that and I have three of them, Janice, Debbi and Jacki

thank you Jacki, the end.