Stories about my Life!

 2056-- Thoughts on August 29, 2025

Today there are several things on my mind!  Mostly my granddaughter's husband who is close to passing away with leukemia.  He has had it perhaps 13 years!  It has been in remission off and on, but at this time he probably will pass away with it.

Both he and his wife, my granddaughter Missy, (Melissa) are in their early 40's I think.  They have one son who is 9 years old.  I will tell more specific details when he passes.  

I am in Fairfield Assisted Living in Layton, Utah, and I have been here since October 18, 2023.  I had been living with my son Wayne, and his beautiful wife Julie for 6 and a half years.  My husband, Wayne D Eckman, an identical twin, passed away at age 85, on February 21, 2016, after having radiation for esophageal cancer, and also being on dialysis for 10 months.  I had a dear friend Norma who heard my having talked to my son, also Wayne, and thinking it would be a good idea to leave my home town of St. George, Utah, and get a small appartment in the Salt Lake, or northern Utah, area, soon after he passed away.  I told Wayne I had thought of moving up there to be closer to 4 of my daughters, and one son in Idaho.  He said "Mom, Julie and I have talked about it, and we want you to come up and live with us!"  That just thrilled me!  At the time, I was 81 and in very good health!  I decided to make the move six months from that time, and take time to dispose of my furniture, etc.  

My friend, Norma, asked me what I was going to do with my condo, and I said I didn't know!  I hadn't thought about it!  She and her husband, Glenn wanted to buy it, in a great location close to the St. George Temple!  So we wrote up a contract, and they bought it, and I paid her rent for 2 months before I left.  Wayne was in the Tabernacle Choir, but soon had to leave, as he turned 60, which is the age to be dismissed from it.  I arrived about a week before he was out of the Choir.  He was back in his ward for about 6 weeks, without a permanent calling, (having been a Stake President before his time in the Choir.)  Then he was called as the Stake Patriarch!  That was a thrill to me, as when I was in my 2 years of College in St. George I typed blessings for an elderly Patriarch named George E. Miles.  (He was no relation as my maiden name was Miles.) My paternal Grandfather, William Gustavur Miles, was also a Patriarch in early St. George, and his father was also, Samuel Miles.  Those are stories for another day.  But it was a thrill to be in my upstairs bedroom, quiet as a mouse, with even my phone turned off, to not make any noise during the time he was giving blessings in their downstairs family room.  I have such respect for the calling, I made sure I didn't even read any of one, even if it was left out in a place I could read it.  To this day I haven't read any blessings he has given.  He still is a Patriarch, but due to more youth, there is another one called in their stake.   

While I was living with them, I was blessed to go on some tours with touring companies, using some of money that would have been left to my 9 children, but they all encourage me to enjoy them.  First I went with a group of LDS widows, to some islands in the Carribean.  Then I went with a different group to Israel, which included going to Egypt, the 3 pyramids, the country Jordan with Petra, and also places in the country of Israel, with Jerusalem, Bethlehem, etc.  I did blogs of it when I went, and will tell of them later.  I also went to China, for 2 weeks, fascinating, and also India, seeing the Taj Mahal.  My final trip was to be to Ireland, Scotland, and England, where my ancestors came from.  In the New York terminal, I was on a flat escalator, but talking with someone behind me and I didn't see the end!  I fell, and 2 different ladies fell on me -- !  I felt pain in my ribs but didn't want to check on it there as our plane to Ireland was soon to leave.  I got on, spend 2 days in Ireland, and then in Scotland, I had so much pain in my ribs I had to go to a hospital and have an xray to prove my spine or ribs weren't hurt, or I couldn't leave and go back on an airplane.  I was OK and so the next day I had to go back.  I had a cracked rib, which took 8 weeks to heal!  I had purchased air-fare travel insurance which saved the day, but I missed going to a palace in France, and to the Rome Temple. Such a disappointment!

Then came the time with Covid!  And I haven't be away since!