Visit to Winnie in hospice in Glenside. Poem: Winnie: The One, The Only

 Winnie has a wonderful family. Her sister Toni and Toni's daughter Michelle, a nurse, asked her if she'd like to live with them for the duration of her illness. Cancer, which continues to grow in her abdomen.

Our family bought the dish garden for Win. It came with flowers, which died. Win said, Give it to your mom, which I will.

Just spoke to Mom. She does not want the plant back. Any takers? I'm serious.

What a lovely house they have in Glenside. These are huge roomy homes, where neighbors really care about one another.

Jo-Jo seemed to have a perpetual smile on her face.

 Winnie sleeps in a hospital bed in the living room.

 Toni is ironing in the dining room.

 We sat on the front porch and yakked for several hours.

 Winnie liked my sandals, the first day I wore em. Got em on sale at season's end in Ocean City.

 I brought my fave pretzels, the award-winning Unique. I drank cold water, while Winnie drank water spiked with iced tea. What? I should drink iced coffee as I did last nite? From Starbux. Was up until 5 in the a.m., submitting stories online.

We agreed the pretzels have just the right amount of salt and crunch!

These pretzels are a MUST for me as a person with diabetes.

Winnie dipped em in mustard, a Philadelphia tradition.

Michelle is Toni's daughter, a nurse, who, when she arrived home,  worked on her laptop in the dining room.

The other nite Winnie was asleep and it had gotten cooler. Michelle covered the sleeping Winnie with a blanket, tucking it very gently around her body.

What a kind thing to do, said Winnie.

We're on the cool front porch, even tho the temps were in the high 70s.

I read a poem I'd composed for Winnie. She liked it a lot. Her daughter Dawn is staying at Moreland Towers while she recuperates from a back problem.

For many years Winnie worked on County Line Road for Eichmueller Jewelry, personally trained by the German owner. She worked with bars of gold ingot. Usually during the heating process you lose some of the gold.

Winnie was the only one who never lost any.

The company asked her to move with them to Virginia, which she did. She bought a b'ful two-bedroom apartment with a view of lush greenery and trees. It was the favorite of all the places where she's lived. 

THE ONE AND ONLY

There are so many Winnies
we've got Winnie the Pooh
Queen Winifred of Kent
and Winnie Shaw, the Scottish tennis player

I know only one
she's the greatest
of all

Who's that lovely blonde
in Village Green
with the darling
red-headed daughter
Dawn

Lifetime friends
from Building H
pound pound pound
down the steps

To Building J
remember old Jerry
the maintenance man
who did us favors?

Your beautiful furniture
traveled to Moreland Towers
I'll never forget our first
visit, then we drove to my
Mom’s, who loves you so,
and sends her best. 

And now I arrive for your
final rest. You're a wise
woman Winnie Bannigan, who
knows what she wants. I
applaud you.

The green and white philo-
dendron you gave me smiles
at me in the morning light.

What a fine legacy you're leaving.

****
Told her I'd be back again, bringing Tea Biscuits from the Giant and also some photos of the grandkids.