Carol's watercolours

I was watercolour painting yesterday and I came across an amazing surprise. My sister-in-law Carol, who left us almost 2 years ago, due to Cancer, was a very creative and artistic person. Her husband, my brother-in-law Trevor, didn't know what to do with the huge supply of art supplies she had stored away. These supplies were top of the line art equipment, paint brushes, watercolour papers, watercolour pencils and paint, oil paints and brushes and possibly more. Trevor donated these to her friend Shirley who in turn gave me her watercolour supply as she knew I was trying my hand at it. So....when I opened up the paper pad, out flopped these sketches that Carol must have been working on. Well needless to say, my feeble attempts were put to shame.

I would like to put these small pieces of art together in a frame and I don't know if any of her 3 grown children would like them but it was a very inspiring gift she presented to me.  I love when things like this happen...it takes you back and helps you remember the beauty of the person who is no longer in our visual sight but very much a part of our lives.

loved and lost......

i am journalling a bit here due to my brother-in-law's loss of his wife Carol...i have realized after the passing of Carol that it is a blessing to have loved someone and lose them than to not ever know that kind of love...so here is Brian's story about his brother... as it is so well documented ....

Trevor got married quite late in life. He met Carol just under 10 years ago. She was a few years his senior and had a grown up family, a daughter Tanya, and 2 sons Robert and Bruce.. That did not matter to him. For the first time in his forty odd years, he fell in love. Anyone who knows them both wondered how it would work, but I can tell you it did. They truly did love each other and were good for each other. She helped him shed the secluded life he had been leading and they began to travel. . Last year they did the winter tour down to Nevada, Arizona, and California. They both loved that trip and talked about it ongoingly. In mid April they helped father pick out a camper trailer, (at the age of 90 he wanted to try camping as he gets very lonely in his apartment in the summer time when everyone else is at the lake.) Carol was very instrumental in the final selection as she is well known for her good taste. The following week, she could not go with them to pick it up as she was complaining of stomach pains. She had a history of problems with her stomach and no one thought much about it at the time.
Several days later when she had not improved, Trevor took her to the Regina General Hospital Emergency Department. They ran tests and almost immediately had surgery arranged. They found a cancerous tumor in her abdomen and were not able to remove it all. She did not have a healthy day since then. She had the usual radiation and chemo treatments, but had been warned that the treatments may (probably would) not work. Carol never recovered 100% from the surgery and this combined with the radical treatments of chemo proved too much. In early August the surgeons indicated that she would be just buying some time by continuing treatment. She made the very brave decision that if it was not going to be quality time, then why bother and discontinued treatment.
She died on September 7th, exactly 13 years to the day after her first husband had died of cancer.

my affection for Carol grew ..... she loved to talk and had her opinions (for example: if she didn't like a piece of furniture or even the shoes you were wearing she would tell you)... her creativity and good taste showed in her appearance, cars, and home.... she spent her money and loved doing it and we are thankful she shared that love for life with Trevor.


back: Trevor and Carol
middle: daughter Tanya
front: Robert and Bruce

Psalm 139:12

Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.

on Sunday Brian and I went to see our dear sister-in-law Carol Kirk at the Regina General Hospital. We just heard that they operated on her last nite and she will stay and recover for a week and then be moved to the Pasqua hospital for Cancer treatments. This true sunny flower reminds me of Carol as she is a very classy lady...and lots of fun to be with..


Dear God, may I walk straight into my darkness and trust that your light will chase it away. And when darkness comes again, may I remember what I learned in the light
Amen



Carol we pray for strength for you..see you this weekend,