One week until the California Memorial

We are looking forward to seeing many of our family and friends at the memorial for Sally in

Carlsbad on Saturday, May 29 at 11am at the Ocean House on the corner of Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Blvd. (US 101). Lorrie and I will be flying out next Wednesday to help get it all arranged. Kathie has been the person who has had the major job of selecting the venue and working with their staff. There will be a reception at the same place following the memorial. The memorial will be conducted by Mrs. Annie Watts, who has been Sally's counselor and spiritual coach during her ordeal and who led the memorial in Texas, which was great. There is no dress code but I will probably wear slacks and a sport coat--no tie and will not be upset at anything people want to wear.

Personally, the past 3 weeks have been up and down. I think that there is more up recently than down, but I am still finding it hard to accept that Sally won't be coming home from some extended trip. I had our cleaning crew at the house yesterday and they commented that it was "so weird without Miss Sally." And indeed it is! But I am assured that, with time, it will get better and less painful.

About a year ago, a couple of our neighbors constructed a trail along the creek that borders our subdivision. This required a lot of work and removal of literally tons of trash that had dumped there over the decades since the time when this area was a pecan orchard. Sally and I were very appreciative of this effort. When the trail was completed, they constructed a bench on the trail, and Sally would go and sit on the bench with her binoculars to look for birds. After Sally's death, the neighbors had the great idea to have a plaque made in memory of Sally and place it on the bench. Last Wednesday, Lorrie and I walked over and with several of the neighbors opened a bottle of bubbly and toasted to Sally that we loved her and missed her terribly. So true!

I have mentioned to some of you, that in keeping with my

medical background and the confusion surrounding exactly what was happening with Sally and her cancer toward the end, I requested an autopsy, which was performed on May 3. I am hoping to get the report soon. I think it will be useful not only for me to understand Sally's illness, but also useful for her physicians to learn from her most unusual case.

One more reminder that, if you wish, you can jot a short note in memory of Sally at www.settegastkopf.com and select or search for Sally. It that doesn't work (sometimes it doesn't) please try www.mem.com and search for Sally Nies and you can contribute your memories.