ken zirkel

Dad passed away yesterday. Wendy and I were by his side at the nursing home. He went quickly and peacefully. He wasn’t the easiest guy to get close to. I returned the sentiment, and spent a lot of my life distancing myself from him, or resenting him for one thing or another. But after my [...]

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Daughter is scheduled to play a big flute solo in her school concert this Wednesday evening. Poor dad can’t make it, he’s too weak. So, daughter gave him a highlights performance at his nursing home today.

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This Thanksgiving my sister and her husband came to visit, and we moved dad’s stuff out of his apartment in his assisted living center, in preparation for his move to a nursing home. We took the kids over to his new place to say hi.

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My sister came to visit today. So of course I got out the camera and had her pose with dad for a family portrait. A few more photos here.

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Son and his cousin enjoy the microscope that their grandfather gave them: And their other grandfather enjoys a book:

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Had a holiday dinner with dad at his assisted living center. He’s back from a recent stay in the hospital and seems to have settled back into his routine.

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Today was the big day. I went back to New York for the closing of my parents house. Dad bought the place in 1958, and lived there nearly half a century. The new owners were enthusiastic and excited as new home buyers can be, and it was delightful to pass on the house to them. [...]

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Among the benefits of having Dear Old Dad living in an assisted living center are the little touches. They have free popcorn for visitors, a daily wine and cheese social hour, and a neat little billiard room. The kids love to shoot pool and rarely get the opportunity. Between that and the free popcorn, they [...]

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Dear old dad has moved to a new home in a new state. He’s living in a local assisted living center, located about 20 minutes from my home. He has people to cook for him, activities to do, people to hang out with. Although it is still early, by all appearances he seems to be [...]

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My poor old dad has been having a very rough time since Mom died. In fact, he’s suffering from an extreme case of depression and anxiety. He can’t sleep, he can’t think straight, he’s even having trouble eating and drinking. He’s been in the hospital twice, and he can’t function well enough to stay in [...]

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