My need for the collective power of the Buffistas has never been greater.

23 years ago, through a sequence of events related to the greatest adventure of my life, two people became the best parents to me that anyone could ever ask for. They took me into their hearts and into their home with open hearts. I'd never really known that kind of love before and it healed me in more ways than I can articulate.

A little less than 2 years later, I moved in with them for 6 months so that I could establish myself on the east coast.

I lived with them for 7 and a half years.

Since then, they have always been there for me. Always.

Gordon, who is 96 is an oak of a man. A solid Vermonter who slept outside every single day of his 40 year marriage to Niki until last year. He has declared that 97 'is it'. But today, he is having a procedure to drain fluid from a mass in his lung and may have to have surgery to have the mass removed tomorrow.

He said 97. We need him until he's ready to go and today just can't be that day.

Please hold him and Niki in your hearts. She's ready, no matter what happens. I'm not. I never knew that until I started typing this post. Please, please done let him go today.

Follow-up: Gordon has made it through the surgery that drained a liter of fluid from his lung. He is confused and combative because of the discomfort connected to an oxygen mask he is required to wear.

Poor Niki has gotten precious little sleep and has to bear up under her Shining Knight's vulnerability and having to watch him be tied down for his own good.

He will be in hospital for 7 to 10 days recovering.

With humble gratitude for your kind words and thoughts, I would ask that you continue to keep them in your hearts. Any spare healing, calm and strength ~ma, gratefully received.

Update from the parents of the student I wrote about earlier this week:

We should know a little more tomorrow; we are supposed to have a conference with the care team. The news to this point has not been good. They indicate that they would expect to have seen more progress to this point so they are concerned that this means permanent damage to her brain. We still really know nothing to this point so we will continue to hope and pray.

I appreciate all the support we have received. I am concerned about the emotional toll this may be taking on some of her closest friends. This is an extraordinarily difficult situation and the physical appearance of [Student's Name] at this point must be terribly upsetting for them to see. There may need to be some form of outreach to help them manage their emotions.

[Student's Little Sister] will be especially hard hit. I believe to this point she is denying the reality to some degree. This is hard for all of us but perhaps hardest of all for [Little Sister]. I'm not sure yet how we will help her but I know we will need to be very sensitive to her emotions.

I'll give you an update tomorrow. Keep the prayers and hope coming.

I'm just...this is awful. I don't know what to do.

Health~ma for my aunt please. She had a minor stroke on Monday, but they got her to the hospital right away, and she seemed fine and she was released yesterday. Something has happened today and she went back to the hospital, but my hysterical aunt (who is all about the hyperbole and drama) is the one disseminating information, so no one really knows what's going on.

I feel a little silly posting this after so many dire things. I'm sending ~ma to everyone.

Drollerie Press is having their monthly chat right now (10PM EST, 1/15/2009), if you're interested in visiting with us. Click on the link, enter your name; no password is required:

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Sadly, Olivia, one of the most extraordinary young women I have ever had the pleasure to know, is not going to make it. The doctors don't think she'll make it through the night, and our school is in mourning. Peace and strength -ma for the family and our school community would be appreciated. It hasn't fully hit me yet.

Oh, Kristin, I am so very sorry. Peace and strength to all that knew Olivia.

I almost hesitate to post this after such sad news, but maybe we need some good news. I just posted a new blog entry at Beauty and the Bug with some news about my health. Since this community has been such a huge part of my life and support system over the past six years, or so, I wanted to share this news with you.

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I want to let you all know that after more than a week of struggling for life, Olivia passed away this afternoon. We had been waiting for this news since last Friday, yet somehow that doesn't make it any easier. Thank you all for your support and kind wishes for the family and our school community.

Guys, can I make a request for some ~ma? Lewis' uncle passed away yesterday afternoon-- it wasn't unexpected (he'd been battling leukemia for nearly four years) and it was peaceful, but still, it's the loss of a husband of nearly fifty years and a brother and a father and grandfather and I just want for the family to be able to get through the next few days in particular with as much peace as possible.

I'm requesting some ~ma for myself around 11:00 est time tomorrow. I'm taking my beloved, wonderful kitty Anna to be put to sleep. She's amazing and almost 20 years old but she's in kidney failure and her body is shutting down.

I know I'm doing the right thing, but it just...it's hard.