PrettyTiny Film Company Pic A Week *2019* (#.....52!! Dec. 24)

[Alliecat]

Those who've followed Sunsette's "dispatches from the field" will know by now that we went to Hawaii for 3 weeks.  I do have pic-a-week pix to post from that trip and will catch up, but I've got to clean up & defrag my ol' laptop before I download some 1400 photos onto it.  I am doing this week's pic today though.

My Aunt Betty died yesterday.  She wasn't a blood relative, but she was Mom's best friend; they grew up together, and she was 'ohana in the very best spirit of the word.  She was part of my life from when I was born.  She made me so many birthday cakes, and joined so many of our family occasions.  In later years, her sister Gwen (on the left in the photo) whom Mom didn't play with growing up, joined in too.  Gwen died a while ago and Betty was the last of the 4 siblings.
She always sent me Christmas and/or birthday money, every year until the last few when dementia began to have its effect.  Even after I was grown up and told her she really didn't have to do that anymore.  Sometimes she wrote in the cards, "SPEND IT."
I am thankful they both got to come visit us on the east coast once after we moved, and I did visit them for a couple nights back in 2010, but, I was really hoping I would get to see her one more time this year.  In one of 3 phone calls over the nursing home's crummy portable phone, she was able to hear and did remember me.
Andreya is here because she was a grail since early in my collecting days when I discovered J-Dolls, and she was never on sale for cheap anywhere, and hard to find.  Finally I decided to splurge on her with what was Aunt Betty's last Christmas gift.
I can't get to the funeral.  I've spun my wheels for hours with Air Canada & Airbnb, but have had to conclude it's just not going to be feasible.  It's 1000 miles away & with another snowstorm on the way, the flight might not even take off.  So here's my little verbal (and photographic) candle-lighting in honour of a wonderful Auntie.