Rest in Peace, Aunt Elma

Dear Aunt Elma,

I got back from my chiropractor's office today and there was a message from Grandma, saying that you had died. It wasn't too much of a shock because you hadn't been doing well for some time now. But yet, I was still in shock because not many people in our family have died over the years. We joke that it's because we're stubborn Germans, but honestly, I think we just have good genes. I have been extremely fortunate that I have not had to go to that many funerals in my life. But now, I have to fly home to California next week to attend yours. And I'm not sure how I feel about that . . .

You were my great aunt. Dad's aunt. Grandpa's sister. But you were so much more than that. You never had kids of your own so you always treated me, Tim, Jimmy and Annie like your grandkids. We would always go over to your house. You were always there for holidays. You showed up for all of our college graduations, regardless of where we went to school. And that was quite appropriate because you always supported us in everything we did. You were always optimistic, with never a bad thing to say about anyone. You wrote our family newsletter, which I thought took a great deal of patience and strength because, let's face it, our family is not always the easiest to deal with - it takes a very special lady to deal with the Heinrichs. :)

You were in a nursing home when I saw you last Christmas. I hated seeing you in there because the woman who I had grown up with didn't belong there. But you didn't have a choice, did you?  All of a sudden, the woman who I thought could do anything, could no longer do anything. That wonderful optimism of yours was also gone, which was how I knew that disease had truly taken over you. That wasn't my aunt in the nursing home - it was Disease dressed up in an Elma suit. So when I got the news of your passing today, I was extremely sad, but I was also relieved. Because you no longer have to suffer. You can be reunited with Uncle Chuck, who was taken away from you too early in your marriage. And you can truly be without pain. It's so sad that you had to die, just so you could actually live again.

My dear Aunt Elma, you were a very special and wonderful woman. I will treasure every moment I spent with you during my 33 years on this Earth. You were/are truly loved and you will be truly missed. And now, you can finally rest in peace.

Love,
Robin

I think I'm going to be sore tomorrow . . .

So I started my "makeover" today. I did my SURGE training (more to come on that) this morning and all I have to say is that for something that only takes you 15 minutes to do, you would not expect to be as exhausted as you are at the end of the workout. Dear Lord, you feel every muscle in your body when you're done. I did better than I thought I would do, but I still have a long way to go. No recipes to tell you about at the moment because Mom and I are still experimenting with a bunch, but I will say that if you need a good healthy alternative to mayonnaise, Veganaise is the way to go! It can only be found in health food stores (usually by the cheese), but it is worth finding. It kind of tastes like Ranch dressing right out of the jar and I usually add some ground rosemary and garlic (and apple cider vinegar if I'm making salad dressing). It makes a great veggie dip and it works great in tuna and egg salad as well. And it's better for you because it's made with grapeseed oil. I use it in EVERYTHING now. :) Anyway, I would love to write a longer blog, but my lack of sleep from last night is catching up to me in a hurry and I'm fading fast. So, for now, Good Night!