It’s past time that I properly thank each and every one of you who have visited Judd’s on-line memorial and selflessly donated to Puppies Behind Bars. Here’s the reason behind my delay -

I fell and broke my left femur in 3 places on May 5th, had surgery to insert a 16” rod and several screws in my leg and hip, and was in the hospital for two weeks. I was home only 3 weeks before Judd had his cardiac arrest on June 8th. Thank goodness Rachael and Evan came to help me because I was confined to a wheelchair and could NOT take care of myself at that time! One of the kids stayed to take care of me ever since June 8th.

Cary left today; so now I’m truly alone. In the past 2.5 months I’ve graduated from wheelchair to walker and now to cane. Doctor says I’ve got another 3 months of healing. It’s really hard grieving when my body won’t let me be as active as I normally am! But this isn’t about me …

Judd was my best friend. I loved him with all my heart but sometimes I didn’t like him very much! I guess that’s what happens when you’re married as long as we were. He was one of the smartest people I ever knew and I loved brain-storming ideas with him. I was always proud of him and felt he made me work hard to be the best I could be.

He was hard-headed, too. He always told me NOT to let him walk all over me because he'd try ... I kept my part of the bargain!

I always thought we were complements and between us we could take on the world. In a lot of respects we were complete opposites … he was a night person and I, a morning person. He loved seafood and I wouldn’t eat it! He wasn’t afraid to try to fix things and I am mechanically incompetent. He loved the sun and hot weather and I burned, blistered and peeled!

Judd loved babies – thank goodness we had 4 babies and they gave us 9 grand babies. I’ve told all 13 of them that PeePaw will live through each and every one of them.

I MISS HIM SO MUCH!!!!

Jo

P.S. I’ve added a picture of Judd and me at the top of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. It was taken during our last adventure – a river cruise in April, 2019.