Anyone who knows me well is aware that I’m a klutz. I broke so many coffee pots when I first got married that we began collecting them just in case I broke another one. I bang my legs and elbows on anything I walk by. I’m just clumsy.

I’ve never been involved in any sports. I run whenever a ball comes near me. The other day while I was with a student in the gym I stood behind a bench where a few boys were sitting. They turned to stare at me wondering why I was creeping behind them. I explained that I was afraid of the ball so I hoped they’d get hit before I would. They laughed. It’s not real funny however. Those boys are dangerous when they play Dodge Ball.

As some of you know, my younger sister lost her beloved husband, Bob a month ago. He was diagnosed with cancer in February and died in August. Bob and I had a love/hate relationship. We were polar opposites and never really saw eye to eye on things. We did manage to get beyond most things eventually and have had a good relationship for the past few years.

One time, several years ago, my husband, Greg and I recreated our honeymoon trip to the western Canadian provinces for our 25th Anniversary. Bob and Karleen had moved to Vancouver so we stayed at their beautiful home for a few days. Bob had always had a fondness for everything white. White furniture, white walls, white carpet……

White and Cathy don’t mix! Especially since I like a glass of red wine occasionally. Luckily it was gorgeous weather and we spent most of our time outdoors. I think I was also allowed in the kitchen. Fortunately there were no spills.

There was one episode however. Bob had just put in a lovely new guest bathroom in the basement. After a shower, I hung my towel on the towel rack and the whole rack came loose and was hanging off the wall. I quickly called Greg to my rescue to fix it before Bob found out. I was mortified! My husband reassured me that it had not been attached properly in the first place and it wasn’t my fault. This didn’t make me feel the slightest bit better. I would have to tell Bob.

I went upstairs feeling like a kid headed to the principal’s office. I’m not even sure how I approached him but I know my heart was pounding and my mouth felt like sandpaper. Beads of perspiration had sprung onto my forehead and upper lip. He quickly went down to see how his stupid sister-in-law ruined his brand new bathroom. At least that’s how I felt. He was actually very good about it and did admit it was not anchored properly. 

One other time my sister invited my other sister, mom and I to stay at their brand new condo. Bob was going to stay nearby so we could have “girls’ weekend”. As soon as Bob left I ran to the linen closet and covered all the white furniture with sheets. We all settled onto the furniture with our feet on the coffee table. Out came the wine. We were having a lovely time when Bob appeared. He just glared at us. Oops! 

I painted a portrait of Bob for my sister and she has put it in her den. You’ll notice her space is red and black. We will miss Bob.