Ellen Black-eacker:  

Hi to all my Coyote and Noble friends and family. I am living in Fallbrook,CA at what was my parents lime ranch. The house is circa 1974. I am presently trying to buy out my brother so that I can feel at home again. The last few years have been alittle hard to cope with,but things are getting better. My Dad died a few years ago...just as my Mom was going into full blown Alzheimer's. I was doing triple-duty trying to take care and supervise my Mom's care,keep my school-phoebic daughter in school(she turned out pretty well afterall). A couple of years shy of our thirtieth anniversary my husband,Ron Eacker,was diagnosed with an ultra nasty diease called Lewey Body Dementia. The disease is a triple header of Alzheimer's,Parkinson's and ALS, Having had front row seats for the Alzheimer's part of this thing with my Mom,I found out that Alzheimer's is a walk in the park compared to this bad boy. Ron lived less than two years after dianosis(the last 18 months hospitalized) and God mercifully took him home on Christmas eve,1:30 pm in 2005. My sweet Momma lived for ten years after diagnosis and died at 92,although she had left the party way back at the beginning. I believe it now when people say that the patient with Alzheimer's is the one who suffers least. After a short time they are in their own world and the rest of us die a little bit everyday watching the process. I had intended on teaching for forty years...well,I got gored by the high school's goat(honest to God!). The darned goat nearly killed me and I have spent the last 3 years trying to put my body back together. Unfortunately,it hasn't been entirely successful,but there are more good days than bad. I know the goat story sounds fake,but I guarantee it is all too real. My shot at forty years came to an end in May,2006 when my physical health made it impossible to teach full time anymore. The good part for the district was that they could hire three newbies for what they paid me. I was even helping those louts as they ushered me out the door!!! Oh well,live and learn. I LOVED EVERY DAY OF MY TEACHING CAREER.I know some of you think you had the best students,but it was I who had the best kids in the world...and I had the priviledge of having some third generation students,lots of second generation students and lots of stars in my classes. I even liked my gangsters. I learned something from every group of kids I had over the years and I love 'em all. To be really truthful,I miss the kids more than I can say. I was really blessed to have found the right berth when they were handing out job descriptions. I am a fiber arts artist which includes the development of fabrics anf yarns from narural and synthetic fibers. My best friend since sophomore year,Sherry Garrison,raises alpacas,llamas,pergora goats and a multitude of beasties that provide us with beautiful fibers to spin and weave and knit and croc...Expand for more