Last night, quite unexpectedly, my mother-in-law died. She had been in the hospital for some surgery and never quite recovered. All day yesterday, she went back and forth and then her condition deteriorated. A few hours after she was moved to intensive care, she died.

I couldn’t have asked for a better mother-in-law, really. From the first time I met here, she’s always treated me like family. She was the life of the family, always bustling around preparing food, decorating for the holidays, making sure everyone was happy and comfortable in her home. She always saw the good side of everything and everyone. Despite having chronic health problems, she still traveled frequently and never let her condition get in the way of doing the things she loved. She had always wanted to be a grandmother and has been a wonderful one, sending the kids notes in the mail and treats on every holiday. She always made them feel special.

Last night as we were trying to get to sleep, Mr. Geeky and I shared our memories of her, many of them funny. Like when she was learning to play Balderdash and the first definition she came up with was “Don’t hurt people.” Or when she asked a park ranger the difference between a mule and a mule deer. She was never afraid to laugh at herself and made others laugh too.

I feel most for my father-in-law, who has lost his life’s companion. I can’t begin to fathom the depth of his loss.

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Needless to say, blogging will be light. We’re traveling to Mr. Geeky’s home town, possibly leaving today. I have no idea if I’ll have the internets.