Jo Carol, Aunt Louise and Ronald Reagan's Underwear

The trip from Arizona to Ft Worth was terrible--wind, rain, more wind, more rain, tornadoes all around, and lots of semi-trucks spraying tons of water on little Spirit with every pass.  But Spirit and I made the trip with no mishaps.  

(Jo Carol, 2013)

However, during the trip I received word that sister Jo had fallen from her porch in Redding, Ca. and broken her hip.  She was in the hospital awaiting surgery.

And since it is not like her to be UNdramatic, after surgery to repair the damage she proceeded to form a blood clot that traveled into her lung.  She was short of breath, in lots of pain, and during the night her heart stopped!   The doctors got the heart beating again but, in true, dramatic-Jo style--she was mad.

She has a DNR and they ignored it (or didn't know about it).  She proceeded to inform the nurses, us here in Ft Worth, and all her family that she was 'ready to go', the doctors were to "remove all the tubes, stop the medications, call Hospice, she was dying, so Goodbye!" 

(Jo Carol and granddaughter Alli--2013)

Finally, someone of authority informed her that Hospice only takes 'terminal' patients and she didn't qualify--yet.  So she is now residing in a convalescent hospital in Redding with her family around her.  Two days ago Mary flew from Ft. Worth to be with her and to give us regular updates. Jo is 'grudgingly' improving and, in true Jo-fashion, giving the nurses a real challenge.

Before leaving Ft Worth, Mary, Suzanne, Aunt Louise and some bag-lady that lives in her vehicle, had a farewell meal at the Black Eyed Pea.

Just before Mary left I went with her to Aunt Louise's house to see the progress on the Estate Sale that is now scheduled for next weekend.  The irises are in bloom and everything is lush and green but it appears the ground is still too wet and more rain is coming.  There is limited parking space so I am not sure how the sale is going to take place until this weather improves.

The sale has already been postponed twice due to weather but the Estate Sale staff have needed every minute of the time to sort, clean, price and display the tons of items.

If you haven't seen the website advertising the sale, here it is and I guarantee you will hardly believe it.  It you have seen it already then look again, they are updating it daily:

 http://www.millchell.com/upcoming-sales/

The organ is in beautiful shape and, lo-and-behold, it is in excellent condition.

This is only a fraction of the number of quilts and quilt tops,

dolls, 

clothes (some fantastic vintage clothes), 

more dolls (Madam Alexander in boxes)

(John Brogoitti, approx 1943)

family memorabilia ,

lots of furniture, and THREE very old spool cabinets complete with all the spools of thread.

My favorite--a box of hundreds of paper doll books.  

(Jo, I thought this photo would make you smile.)