One thing I am reminded of about Myrtle Rockwell was that she was so extremely forgiving. Me not so. It takes the Lord's Grace in my life to forgive. I'd call fire down if I could :).
One of the things Myrtle use to always say to me was, "why can't you just let it go?" And you know I don't know why. I really don't. I want to and I am learning that by Grace principles the Lord has provided through the Death burial and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The only way I can.
Anyway, as I look around my house, or where I am living I see so much "stuff" I don't use or need. So guess what? I am going to sell it. Some times for a change of mind we need a change of scenery. I need new. The old things remind me of old things. How about with you? Do you have old things to get rid of? Let's let September be a month a beginning to make some change-fresh! Myrtle and I did that at her house. Change things, move things, clean things get rid of things. Things things things who needs so many things? Can't take it with us and its all going to be destroyed anyway. Doesn't mean I don't want some things, just not a bunch of things, junk, stuff whatever it might be. And it is not just stuff, But thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors and habits. These to must go and be replaced with new!!! Good thoughts, hope, faith, love.
I have some goals. :) I want to keep them and get them accomplished.
Myrtle would say do it now, why wait? So I want to take some action on things I know I really need and want to do. She would forget the past and move on. So be it. Will you take that word too? I will.
Till I write again, take action, do it now.
If Myrtle in this picture was to say something to me I think it would be, "Have you started yet?!"
As I was thinking this week about Myrtle and how much fun I had caring for her. Did I have hard times? Yes, there were some hard times for me, but it was not Myrtle's fault, it was mine. I should have never been working seven days a week, sometimes getting four hours of sleep a night. I needed to get help. But I was trying to save Mrs. Rockwell money, because she just did not have enough to pay me the going rate with her military retirement. Over the ten years I estimate I saved her based on the going caregiver hourly/daily rate, approximately $248,000 dollars in the ten years I helped her. Yes, sounds like a lot but it is true.I saved her $248,000.
Anyone helping an elderly person or knows someone who is, if the person being cared for owns a home and is over 62 can get a reverse mortgage. I should have encouraged Myrtle to follow through on this because she wanted one. But her executor Deborah Laughran ( a paralegal in Solona Beach by vocation) counseled her against it.Well of course ( I am not sure why Myrtle ever chose her to handle her estate). The Reverse mortgage would have saved Mrs. Rockwell lots of money, paid off an existing loan and been good for her! But as it stands the executor and her husband Michael, "apparently" made out sweet on this deal. Myrtle's house when she passed (4639 Lenore Dr. SD 92115 ) would have sold in 2011 for approximately $345,000. Less realtor fees if used and the existing loan they would have about $$225,000 or so. But since they did not sell it but kept it and rented it for about two years, then sold it for $425,000 in Nov. 2013, now there is maybe $100,000 more on the table. How much more tantalizing is that! Yes indeed. Now we are looking $300,000 to enjoy. Not to mention the antique furniture Mrs. Rockwell had worth thousands of dollars. Myrtle did trust to some degree her executor; but she did say of her that should would go after every nickel, and she apparently did. There was even a Morgan Stanley account when I left at approximately $32,000. I am guessing they took that too.They would not have had such a sweet deal had I not been saving Mrs. Rockwell almost $2050 per month. Times twelve times ten, lots of money. As an attorney I spoke to said, "well these kind of people should be in jail but she had all her i's dotted and t's crossed." They may enjoy for now but the real, very real fact is that we all answer and give an account to God, the Lord Jesus. And these two are no exception. Remember, everything is being recorded so as to our giving an account to Him.
Is there a lesson? YES. Have a neutral third party handle the executor-ship of the estate you know of, and have it looked over by an attorney in the presence of the owner. Have it updated often as well. I am not sure when it comes to money that you can trust anyone, even friends or relatives.
Keep in mind I say "apparently" in paragraph two because I left after being kicked out when they wanted me to pay rent with no job as Mrs. Rockwell was my income. I painted the inside of the house and outside without being paid for it though asked to do it, nor was I reimbursed for the material. All I know is the neighbors were asking, "who are these people taking all of Myrtle's things?" Nobody knew them, yet the neighbors knew Myrtle's family, sister, nephew and niece. But not these people. What would that tell you. They were never around to visit. When I sent a letter to the executor requesting information on the disbursing of the estate I was basically ignored. All these things I wrote here are true as I cared for Mrs. Rockwell for ten years, seven days a week twenty four hours a day; I knew what her will was and its changes. The above was not it. period. Absolutely. But I put the truth out in the world. Myrtle would not like what happened.
These things are all true as I know and knew it as well as knowing Myrtle's desirous will. I am glad to be corrected if otherwise, but I saw them working on the house in August/Sept 2013 just before the house sold. I also know they took all the furniture and had control of bank and investment accounts. Hard to conclude? I think not. Out in the universe as they say. We reap what we sow, that is the law. Well God said, "all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. I have not seen the good but I trust the Lord as He says, so I know it is. I just can't see how someone could be trusted so and do the contrary. How can one sleep? I can't imagine. But I don't know what they are going through maybe they have all sorts of trouble. But if the "things" in this life is all you lust after, a sad and sorrowful end. Eternal separation from the Glory of God.
Myrtle's House, I painted the outside, and maintained the yard. Looks nice doesn't it?
Myrtle in her backyard. Yes I maintained that too, I enjoyed it! I sure miss those times. I miss her. She became and was my best friend, next to my brother. I look forward to seeing her.
Unless we learn from them Now.
What I learned from Myrtle Rockwell, ( I am still working on practicing them).
Do it now, why wait. What a powerful practice, Action. Five letter word can change our life.
Put things back in their place when done. Simple yet how profound. A place for everything, everything in its place.
Focus on one thing in life first, not that there can't be others, but have One main one, i.e. job. or at least she said don't change until the one is going well.
( this one may be different in our techie times, monkey minds)
Stay out of debt, except for housing. But pay off and don't borrow unless plan is in place, profit.
Invest in small ways in sure things, don't gamble.
Be Enthusiastic
Smile
Be friendly to all you meet.
Enjoy your food and drink, sip and small bites, savor it. Not Gulp as she used to say to me.
Care for your family, help if you can but make them responsible and accountable.
Get sleep.
Laugh.
Be attentive, listen.
These are only a few, as I think of more I will post them.
I sure miss her, and it hurts knowing how her executor Deborah L. violated Myrtle's trust on the handling of her estate. Myrtle was so trusting. Well we will all give account to God.
One of the many things I so appreciated about Myrtle Rockwell was that no matter what happened in the day, around the house, like sink stopped up or disposal going out or physical and even social i.e. family; You all know what I mean, she was always positive and smiling.
That is how Myrtle was. To everyone all the time even if you crossed her. Her relationship to and with Jesus Christ through His word Myrtle was a very different woman. She was patient, kind, attentive, generous, hospitable, frugal, good with money, trusting and on I could go. So my days often times do not go well I reflect back on Myrtle and consider too my own walk with the Lord according to His word and I make an adjustment....saying things aren't so bad. Take them as they come without exaggeration.
In many of these picture Myrtle is wearing the same sweater, she did that often because some were warmer.
More to come.....
Every day some thief scumbag scams Seniors, Adults and Children. This kind of crime too often goes without sufficient punishment.
Senior citizens have often been victims of unscrupulous sales people and contractors.
Stand up for them. Report anything you see or hear about a Senior being abused or taken advantage of in any way. I did not do it all the time I should and regret it. That is how Mrs. Rockwell's Estate was literally stolen from her desired will. Speak out and take action.
Bye for now.
I am telling you ladies in the 40's plus were more intriguing than they are today.
I don't really have much to say but I do want to post a sassy picture of Myrtle. I am not sure how old she was or rather what her age was.
To me that is a fun picture. If I had been around with Myrtle I would have dated this lady. Fun, wonderful personality, good friend and balanced in life. She knew who she was as a lady and an adult.
I miss her very much. How come in life we may only be lucky enough to have maybe one or two exceptional friends? Can you say that you have one? I hope you can and if you do your are blessed. Cherish it! :)
Bye for now. More pictures later.
Being a Nurse was very important to Myrtle. She wanted people to get good Care when they came to either the hospital or just to the doctor, the nurse is where it starts. So it was important to her to do well and make people feel at ease.
I read an essay that Myrtle kept from her grade school years. The essay was to be written on what you think you might want to do in life. Huh? What child knows what they want to do for the rest of their life? Well some do. I have known one or two personally that knew from childhood what they wanted to do.
Myrtle said in her essay that she either wanted to be a Teacher or a Nurse. She also commented that she never taught anybody so she wasn't sure if she'd like to do that; on the other hand she did care for both her mom and sister on occasion whenever they were sick. She wrote that she liked doing that, and based on that in her essay she said, "Well, I guess I'll be a Nurse." That's when it started. When she graduated from high school she then went to Pomona Community College and from there to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara for training. Some stories about that but maybe another time. She did tell me of her training Nurse and what an impact she had on Myrtle's whole career as a Nurse. So you never know how or in what way you might impact someones life. Myrtle was commissioned in the Navy in 1938. I have one cool picture;
I am not sure where she is but that is a wing from a Japanese war plane. You can see the Zero, as they called them on the wing there. How cool is that. Myrtle is doing two things she loves; Nursing and serving her Country in the Navy, and has experiences like this. Very Cool.
It was a privilege to serve her when she needed help after my Mother passed from cancer. I miss her greatly. She was a good friend, best I could ever have.
Did I mention I began helping Myrtle in April of 2001 shortly after her doctor put her on Hospice for Congestive Heart Failure? I began making some good healthy meals for her with some nutrition and in six months she went fro 105lbs to 125lbs and heart doctor said, "you are fine Mrs. Rockwell." She lived 10 years after that, and she really had some fun. So you never know, neither do the doctors. :) More later.
