Rocky Road, Keeping Chin UP!

 So, I have to say that besides January being full of Birthdays for my family, it was a pretty tough month for me. We experienced 3 deaths in the month, starting with my uncle's mother, Helen McInelly. Though I only met her a few times, she was a nice lady and will be missed. The 2nd death was my Great Uncle Robert. He was my Grandpa's brother, and just an awesome man to be around. I wanted so bad to go to his funeral, but because it was in Oregon and there was a nasty winter storm comming, his widow, Great Aunt JoAnn, requested we stay here, so we honored her wishes. The last passing really shocked me, and I can honestly say that I still don't believe it to this day. The 3rd person to pass away was a great man, a longtime friend of my mom's, and a "2nd Father" to me, was Stuart Wray.  Mom says she knew Stuart since she was 14, that his mother was her Mia Maid teacher, and somehow they got back in touch with each other a little over 3yrs ago.

 I say that Stuart was my 2nd Father because I could talk to him about ANYTHING and he'd really

sit down and listen. It was easier to talk to him than my own dad, and he really let his light shine. I have a lot of fond memories of him, and will NEVER forget what a great man he was. I can remember being at home on a hot summer day only to hear the doorbell ring. When I answered the door, there stood Stuart, in his bike gear just biking over for a visit. If he wasn't riding, he drove and we would just talk about anything. BUNCO was always fun when Stu was your partner, he would joke around or if the mood seemed right, ask how things were going. Once, I found a recipe for a unique cake online and wanted to give it a try. Mom said I could make it for a dessert at BUNCO, so I did. Almost everyone thought it looked quite disgusting, but Stuart got a kick out of it, ate it, and LOVED it. He asked for it a few times after that, today, I regret not making it for him again. Stuart was a great man, and I will truly miss him and his extreme kindness. As February ends and we enter March, I pray that the months just get better and better.