May 2, 2020. Madison, Mississippi. Carol Miriam.

Yesterday was my sister's birthday. She would have been 85. She would love to have been 85 but she died when she was 77. Her death came as a surprise. One evening at her home, she was reading in the living room while her husband was watching a hockey game on their bedroom. She stood up, and fell over. She never regained consciousness. Surgery was done to help the bleed in her brain but to no avail. She died a few days later. As she was energetic and fit, we all assumed she would live a long life. I miss her. Carol and Ken visited us in our homes. Every autumn, they came to Nova Scotia. Ofter they brought friends. Ken and I always overlapped with them for at least a week but then we went home to Maryland while they enjoyed themselves tripping around the countryside. Every other day they drove to a new place so they have been to many many places. Carol's system was to put on dinner in the slow cooker, the one she bought for the house. Her husband was a whiz with maps so every evening he would map out a plan for the next day, with Carol driving and Ken navigating. Alternate days they stayed close to home. She always said they made that plan because staying at home overlooking the water that they were inclined to just stay home. But they investigated. They did the same thing at the farm in Pennsylvania. They visited more things within 50 miles of the farm than we ever did. They were always exploring. Every time they visited us, Carol brought a gallon of maple syrup. Ken loved maple syrup so we always were well supplied in all our homes. It took us a year or so before we actually ran out. But after Carol died, we sorrowfully were forced to buy our own maple syrup. I have been blessed with a good family. Carol was my only sister and she was a good one. Yesterday my brother Dave called to celebrate her birthday. We both wished that she had lived to be 85.