Then I called my brother. Thursday, he'd called Mother at noon to make plans to pick her up for Thanksgiving. Mom said she didn't feel well, and wasn't up to going. Then at 3:30pm he got a call from my mother's neighbor. She found my mother fallen on the ground at the foot of the steps to her back door. It was snowy, and maybe she slipped. Or maybe she had the stroke first and then fell.

The next part is unclear. Anyway, my Mother ended up at Loyola Hospital, and they spent the rest of Thanksgiving and this morning with her. But the doctors could do nothing for her. She died at noon today, which would have been 11:00am our time.

I feel so bad. I was going to go visit her this summer. I was determined. I'd already bought her Christmas presents. One vest, like the ones I've been enjoying and a button front vee neck sweater. The berry color would have pleased her as would have the green of the vest, the same as the one I have. Now her skinny little body has no need of warmth ensuring garments. She was so skinny. She was trying hard to get some pounds on her, but I don't know if she got past 100 pounds.

I feel so bad. I feel so stinking bad. We just talked so recently, and she sounded fine. She had the same ol' aggravations like car troubles and what not. But she sounded healthy, she sounded fine. I feel so bad. I wish I'd have gone with my original plans last summer, to go to San Franscisco and then to Chicago. But travel was scary, and so I just did the one set of planes. I wish she'd have hung on one more year. I'd have made it up there, I would have. I feel so bad.