Life Has Been Happening
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| Mon, 09-11-2006 - 3:29pm |
Just wanted to say hello to everyone. I went camping with my family the last week in August, which began September that Friday. My husband joined us mid-week. He got a cold. We had rain the first evening we were there, in northeastern Michigan along Lake Huron, but the rest of the week was nice. I love camping. It's such a break for me.
When I got back, I had two job interviews the second back to work after Labor Day. The day after the two job interviews, I was offered one of them. That was last Thursday I believe. I was so excited. I gave notice that day since they want me to start the new job next Monday.
The owner of the dojang, Master Johnson, and husband of our Hap Ki Do instructor Master Jamie, had gone into the hospital last week with an infection. He was making improvements on Thursday when I talked to Jamie. On Friday afternoon, she left me a message saying he had passed away early Friday morning. His heart had stopped, and he was not able to recover. I went to the dojang to be with Jamie. Two of the black belts from HKD class were there too. We helped her make phone calls to other students, and I contacted my editor and my husband contacted the other newspaper for stories since their dojang has been part of the community for nearly 50 years.
We went to the funeral this morning. It was standing room only. Jamie is doing OK, busy with the arrangements and things of course. It was sad on Friday when Master Johnson's kids came by to make some of the arrangements. They asked her to get what she wanted him to be burried in. She was about to hand one of his sons his oldest black belt, and she just began to cry and cry. It was hard to watch. Also very hurt by the loss is the 4th degree black belt who teaches HKD often. It's like he lost his father.
I know Jamie plans to continue to operate the dojang. I'm not sure how long they will be closed, but I doubt it will be very long. It will be tough to be there for a while, but he wouldn't have wanted us to quit training.
The rest of the week for me is just hang out here at work until Friday, my last day here - finally. That's also DH's birthday. I have the 5k Saturday morning as well.
So life has been happy and sad and most of all crazy busy.
I'll try to catch up and see what's going on here in the next couple of days. Hope all of you are well.

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Lorie, what a terrible thing to happen!
Lorie- so sorry to hear about Master Johnson. What a shock (there's a man down here who died very similarly last week).
Condolences
.....that is great news about the new job, and super that you could give such short notice. Good thing you went on that camping trip, be kinda hard to ask for time off from a *new* job ;-)
Hang in there....have a nice week!
~IslandGirl
Back to Basics Challenge- Week 2: Variety is the Spice of Life!
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The timing with the new job was good. I am so glad I got to go on the camping trip too. I so need that time away without TV and work and stuff; I love being outside all day, waking up in the morning and stepping out of the tent to see the sun rising, or to see the lighthouse in the middle of the night when I have to crawl out of the tent to use the bathroom, LOL. That's the one part that's not so much fun.
It will be hard to go back to class when Jamie is ready to open again, but we need to support her and continue on.
Was the man who passed away there a friend? If so, condolences to you as well.
It was such a shock to hear, especially since he was dong better. I think that's part of the reason it hit Jeff and others so hard. It will be hard to go back to class when Jamie opens, but it's the way it should be I think.
I am so happy that I got to go camping before this job opportunity came up. I definitely need to make a job change, but I needed to go camping too. We had a great time on the honeymooon trip to FL, but camping is such a get away from everything.
Hopefully the rest of the week will be good. It should be fun to celebrate DH's birthday. His mom is not doing too well though. DH's sister is going to get her today and have her stay with her for a few days. It may be time for DH's mom to move here.
Not a friend per-se, but someone I knew...thank you for asking.
Hope your dh's Mom enjoys her time with you. Where would she be moving from, if she moved in with you?
~IslandGirl
Back to Basics Challenge- Week 2: Variety is the Spice of Life!
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She lives on the west side of Michigan now. Her two remaining siblings are there and their children too. She wouldn't be moving in with us. We don't really have the house ready for that, and DH's kid is still living with us too, his son. His DD is in her own apartment.
She could move in with DH's sister, but we don't think that would go too well. They're both too much alike. There's a new assisted living community here, on the campus of St. Joe's hospital. I didn't know how nice those grounds were until the 5k in May. It took us back there and it's really pretty. She has a fair amount of money, so she could afford to move into any type of place she wanted to really. There are more "upscale" communities like that too, but this one is closest to DH and to his sister here in our area.
After seeing her last evening, I'm not sure that she is ready to leave her house yet. She's definitely experiencing side affects from the pain meds, but she's still cranky and bossy.
I feel for them. Both of my parents had those issues not too long ago, my dad with grandpa (his dad) and mom with grandma (her mom). They will all work out somehow though.
Lorie, it is nice that there is that option of the assisted living close by.
We're about two hours away from Benton Harbor where she lives now. I don't know about her brother, but her sister doesn't drive anymmore either; her son or daughter drive her around. Her sister is older, but seems to be in decent health. I hear she goes to church every week with her son, DH's cousin, I believe. DH's mom stopped doing things for the most part after she had to retire about four years ago, due to her eyesight, macular degeneration. I don't know about the health of her brother. I heard he plays golf still, so I guess he's doing OK.
We just went to see her on lunch break. DH's sister is working too, so it was just MIL there. She was complaining about SIL already, and she's ready to go back to her home soon. I expect after DH's birthday, she'll want to go again. She seems to be OK as long as she's not taking too much pain medicine, which is where I think she would need at least a visiting nurse to keep track of. She was doing SIL's dishes when we got there so she was up and around, which is good. Last evening she was sitting there. It's not like her to be quiet. Today she wasn't quiet either.
We found out last night that one of her good friends passed away. That may be one reason she was willing to come and stay with SIL.
I feel for DH. These times are difficult. I know watching mom and dad deal with it; it's tough on everyone.
Oh my gosh I am so sorry to hear this news! I think it's very touching that the members of the dojang and I'm sure extended HKD community are supportive family and friends in times like these.
People will sometimes say that their group or office is like a family, but this dojang is - more than I realized I think. It was so hard to see Jamie hurting and Jeff too. Jamie opened for classes on Tuesday, which I thought may be a bit to soon for her, but it was good to be there together. I'm so sad that he won't be there for our testing.
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