We got some really bad news this evening. It is hitting me pretty hard. With just a ring from my cell phone, we received word that one of the ladies we see every Saturday and Monday night as we play cards passed away today. It probably shouldn't be a surprise, but it still was. About 2 weeks ago, she had had a heart attack. That was on top of some serious health issues she was confronted with including a case of emphysema that required her to have constant oxygen, a need for dialysis three times a week because of kidney and liver disease, and a requirement to use a motorized wheel chair.

You would think that with all that, she would not have a positive outlook. She was one of the funniest ladies I know, and she had the greatest range of expression in her face. You always knew what she was thinking and feeling even if she didn't say anything. In fact, if you remember the grandmother from the Disney TV show from the 90s called Dinosaurs, you have a good idea of the person she was both in temperament and in appearance.


I think one of the things that is bothering me is that I had recently promised to make her my stuffed mushrooms. That is one of my masterpiece recipes, and she had gotten so excited about the possibility of trying them. I hadn't gotten a chance to make them because with my crazy schedule I didn't have a day off on any of our card nights, which mean I couldn't make them fresh to bring to cards. I didn't live up the promise.

I have never named any of the card ladies, but I wanted to share the special person named Betty with all of you. She often made us laugh so hard that we got tears in our eyes and our bellies hurt. She used to be a master baker that would make us treats even though she had such a limited budget. She will be sorely missed by all of us.