Hospice

Today I visited with my patient. The patient was in pants and a tee-shirt. It is a good sign they feel better. It is so rewarding to sit and talk with my patient. The three hours I spend in their home just flies by. After the spouse leaves we talk awhile and then the patient ask for strawberries. I fix some for the patient and they always ask me to fix some for myself. We sit enjoying our strawberries and share our stories. The simple act of sharing some strawberries helps my patient feel as if they are still a part of the world. They are able to have a social time and to show their hospitality.

The Old Bridge

This old bridge holds many memories for me. Years ago our family would cross this bridge on our way into Memphis to see my grandparents and relatives. Daddy crossed the bridge on his way to work and so did I when I started working.

Twenty five or more years ago there were improvements made to the road along with giving it a new direction. The bridge was closed to traffic.

Brent was raised in the city, but had the heart of a country boy. He loved living in the country. The first couple of years that Brent and I were married we went fishing together, or Brent and my brother-in-law would go fishing or hunting. When Brent and Ronnie would go coon hunting my sister, Grace, and I would take turns going to each others house. We'd stay up until the boys got home from hunting. Sometimes it would be 2-3 am. We spent the time playing Scrabble, drinking coffee, cooking, watching TV, talking or cleaning house. My sister taught me how to cook those coons. It taste very much like beef roast. It is excellent cooked with sweet potatoes and gravy. Even our dogs, Bob (Grace & Ronnie's blue tick hound) and Tandy (our lab & pit bull mix), were the best of friends. They both went hunting with Brent and Ronnie.

Ronnie grew up in the area and knew all the places to hunt and fish. Brent and Ronnie were always on the lookout for new places to fish or hunt. The old bridge had a new job. It became the perfect fishing pier. One evening Brent, myself, Ronnie and Grace went fishing off the old bridge. We had chaise lounge chairs, a cooler of drinks, and a lot of fishing poles. Brent and Ronnie set out all the poles and dropped them in water. There were small bells on the poles. When we got a bite the bells would ring a small soft sound. We were after catfish. We sat there from sunset to about 3 am. It was a wonderful time. There is never much traffic on that road and after midnight I don't remember seeing or hearing any cars. We were relaxed, talking and having a great evening.























This photo, taken about 1983, is of Tandy on the right and her son, Bear. They were our children before Anna was born.

The next photo is of my brother-in-law, Ronnie, taken about 1983 with his dog, Bob, and some of the coon hides. Unlike most owners of hunting dogs, Ronnie raised his hunting dogs in his home. He never put them in pens only to be brought out at hunting time.

The last photo, taken in August 1982, is of Brent's catch from the pond on the back of the property. We ate good that night and had some to put in the freezer too!

Wonderful Comments About Brent

The photo above was taken in 2004 at Turkey Track Bluegrass Park in Waldron, Arkansas. We would go three times a year for about 10-11 days. Brent picked with his buddies for hours at a time 2-3 times a day. He loved it.

I'm posting comments from some of the emails that I have received this week. I'll put them in quotations and will keep the name of the person who sent the email private. I wanted to share how much Brent was loved and well thought of.

"I watched it all tonight. I loved that crazy guy and as I said before........I may never delete this ........some great shots.........of a great guy..........he will never die in our hearts and those of us who remain can only hope to live the kinda lives that make people feel about us the way we do Brent."

"Thank you for sharing this. When I first received it, I didn't open it right away, and I had to get in the right frame of mind to do so. I considered Brent a good friend, even though we didn't get to see each other that often. When we did, we had a ball. I loved Brent, and I trust that God is giving you and yours peace."

"I saw your slide show of Brent, it was so fun to see the early pictures of Brent. And so heartwarming to see him with each of the kids. (I thought you were a lovely bride) I know you have many happy memories. Hold tight to them. . .they will become more precious. Your entire family has been on my mind all weekend. We love and miss seeing you all."

"We went out to see Brent yesterday. It is such a pretty place. We sure do miss him."

"That was beautiful! I think about him all of the time, but I love to remember him in pictures...larger than life and lovin' you and the kids so much. He talked about that all of the time...you had a spell on him. I always thought that was how I wanted my husband to talk about me when I wasn't around. Wonderful.""I remember the first time I met Brent and there was just something about him that was special. He was a loving husband, loving father and a good example to all of us, even until the end. He never gave in to the anger and he always showed us how to overcome obstacles that sometimes can't be overcome...you have to put your faith in God and He will lead you. I admire
you and the kids for keeping Brent with us. You are an amazing woman and a great inspiration. I can see him now, smiling and thinking how proud he is of how you have carried on in his name. Thanks for sharing the pictures of his life and keep up the Lord's work. We will all sing together one day in heaven. May God bless you, Helen, and the kids. What a way to be remembered! He left quite a legacy and I am just glad we were able to meet all of you and share a part of your life."

"Thank you Helen. That made me laugh and cry. I sure do miss him."

"Thank you for sending the picture blog to me . I've had Brent on my mind along with the rest of you for several days. I was mowing the grass yesterday, that's when I unwind and just let my mind wander on it's own. My mind was filled with thoughts of Brent and all the conversations he and I had and the times we had together. I'm not much on show or expressing my emotions but I must tell you that I miss that man badly. I regret that I didn't have the chance to meet him earlier in life. But I do cherish the time I did have. Meeting him and you had an impact on my life that will go with me forever."

"I thought about him all day on Saturday. I knew it would be a tough day for you and we will certainly visit your blog. I can still hear him singing. We miss him and want you to know how much we loved him and still love your whole family."

"WOW...I'm wip'in away tears. He did more than most folks could ever dream of doing in his shortened life."

Brent and Cheeseburgers

The photo on the left is of Molly Elizabeth Campbell Davis, their son Louie, I mean, Santa, and Lancy Warren Davis. The half body is of Brent.

Brent loved eating cheeseburgers. He always liked to tell the story about the time he stayed with his grandfather, Lancy Warren Davis. Brent was young, under the age of 10. If I remember correctly, Uncle Don was in the hospital. Brent's grandmother, Molly Elizabeth Campbell Davis, was staying with Uncle Don, her son, in the hospital. Brent went to stay with his grandfather as company while Don and his grandmother were at the hospital. PawPaw, (Lancy) ask Brent what he wanted to eat that week. Brent told him he wanted to eat cheeseburgers and drink a coke everyday. They ate cheeseburgers and drank coke everyday!

Brent never got tired of eating them. At least once a week, Brent would grill them and I would on very rare occasions fry them. After Brent's death I noticed the mustard was lasting at least 6 months instead of a month and the pickles were not being eaten. I haven't bought pickles since before Brent died. I realized after his death that the kids and I were not eating cheeseburgers. The kids and I like them but we never think about having them. This week we've had cheeseburgers several times!

Brent

One year ago today, May 05, 2007 I lost my husband Brent to leukemia. We would have been married 26 years on May 16, 2007. The kids and I, his family and friends have missed him. He was a hard working man who loved and enjoyed his family. This week I will be showing you his life in photos. I have so many photos and it takes awhile to scan them. I will add slide shows during the week. I hope you will enjoy them.

My oldest daughter, Anna, and I were talking about him this evening. Our greatest time of saddest comes for both of us when we see MLG&W trucks. He worked for the utility company, MLG&W, for 19 years. He spent 3 years trying to get a job with them. I remember the day the lady from personal called to tell us he had the job. I cried tears of joy. It was in January of 1988. He was going to have to drive into town and do all the paperwork that was required. The Memphis area rarely gets snow, but that year there was about a foot of snow on the ground. We were so happy, yet apprehensive about his having to drive in that snow. He had been doing carpentry work for about 1-2 years trying to make ends meet. He and my brother-in-law, Ronnie, would go hunting and fishing to bring meat home. We also raised rabbits for meat, and had a vegetable garden. Our landlord had guineas and I'd gather the eggs. There were pear, apple and pecan trees on the property too. To help pay the rent he worked out a deal with our landlord to paint the houses on the property. Getting that job at MLG&W was a wonderful blessing. He worked the first 10 years on second shift. He was a mechanic for about 17 years and then transferred to the gas department. He worked at MLG&W and I worked at home caring for our children.

When I see those MLG&W trucks there are so many memories that come flooding back. He worked hard to support his family and never complained. He was the kind of man who could fix things at home. When the dryer didn't work he could repair it. He could till the soil for a garden, hunt and fish, repair our automobiles, build anything out of wood, and most importantly he was the spiritual leader of our home. Those trucks represent his willingness to work hard, to love, support, and care for his family.