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CATHY HENKEL
CATHY RIEWERTS 1/20/47-11/2023 |
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e-mail address: cleer50@gmail.com
Residence: Yelm, WA
Life since high school:
(August, 2001) Lee and I missed the last reunion due to my son Denzel's illness. He
had a hemorrhage in the brain on 2/10/00 which caused the loss of his short term
memory. With his 2 children to raise alone, mom & Lee had to step in and
help. He is improving a great deal and well enough to live alone with his
children. He's not at 100% yet,(but how many of us are anymore?) Otherwise, all
is well on that half of the home front.
This half of the home front is great! I'm a proud grandma of 8 munchkins and all are wonderful kids. My son Denzel has a total of 4, 2 from his first marriage, twin boys Richard & Robert, 15 years old living in Washington state. (They are coming for a month visit at the end of July, goodie.) and a girl Connie 11 years and Nick 6 years. My son and the 2 youngest children live in Sonoma, about a mile from me and Lee.
My daughter Leea is married to Daryl Randle and has 4 children. Drake is 6 years, Nate is 4 years, Madison is 3 years and Jaida is 1 year this month. She's a very busy girl and a wonderful mother. She and family live in Des Moines, Washington. I try and fly up and see them very 6 months or so.
As for Lee and myself, well, Lee is still commuting to Pacifica most days during the week with our Interior Decorating business. We expanded to Sonoma and bought an upholstery business. It's been 2 1/2 years now and we are doing very well with the expansion. I'm the privileged one who gets to stay in the beautiful 'Valley of the Moon' & wine country area to work. Very busy and loving it. We don't have exciting lives -- workaholics I think they call it! I'll keep you all posted and I love reading about all of you. I pull out the year book and find a picture to match the e-mail and it's like I've gone back in time.
PS 1: Ed Harrisons 'Humor' IS the best medicine! The day I read the 'Newsletter' was a :very stressful day, but after reading Ed's 'Humor' pages I was laughing out loud. Thanks Ed
Subsequent messages:
(September, 2004) I was reading the (September) newsletter and saw my regrets for the picnic and realized something.
We didn't get the studio we were going to move into the week-end of the picnic as I had a brain bleed on Monday morning the 14th of June. I had been in the Kaiser hospital in Sacramento for 24 days. It was like my son's, except I have all of my memories (short & long term). I was a very lucky girl, says the nurses and doctors. So I'm recouping in Lincoln (my resort) and am doing very well. I'm going to download a picture taken of me 4 days after my release from the hospital. I hope it comes thru for you. That's my aging (16 years old) cat 'Bunny', she was very glad to have be home. As I am! I lost a month, didn't even know I was ill. It's funny how the mind works, it forgets when needed and remembers when needed. I am doing very well and will continue to do so. I'm driving and doing just about all I did before, except working, can't do that for 4 more months and lifting anything heavy. So, Lee is doing double duty, his work and mine and the long drive to Lincoln from Pacifica; on bad traffic days it's 10 mph most of the way and that takes 4 hours. Just enough time to get home eat and go to bed and do it again. We will work something out for him, otherwise he'll be the one in the hospital.
Sorry for going on and on, that seems to be one of my problems I need to take control of.
MORE FROM CATHY:
I guess the doctors call it an aneurysm, but I always thought that an aneurysm brakes and you die! Ofcourse they did say I was very lucky.....I guess so!!
As for my son he had an aneurysm also but because he was left alone in is bed all night the blood built up inside his head and caused more damage, loss of short term memory. The build up of blood is a bad thing as the brain can't absorb alot of blood at once. The brain & body can take care of it but if not then the neurosurgeon has to go in and but a drain in the head, like I had and my son.
I on the other hand had my loving husband with me and it happened while we were getting ready to leave the house so he just took me to the hospital. The quicker the response the better the results. Symptoms are a headache soooo bad it would hit the #10 on the pain scale & that's bad, getting sick from it is another clue. Just know the difference from the Migraine head pain! That can cause the #10 to occur too, no harm in finding out what it is.
As for my Bio, I think I'll work one up and send that to ya. With me going on and on here and previous, I don't think any one wants to read all that, sorry again that you have to. I'll try and create one that's interesting and shortish!
PS 2: In the same newsletter there was a touching story/poem by Mike Wellman that filled my heart with love and longing only a parent can feel, Mike I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you Mike for your written words. :)
(August,
2010) See 2010 reunion questionnaire response.