Family Crisis Update (Updated Again)

Hello Everyone,

This is Tim, granny's son. As some of you know the girls have been removed from her care. We are dealing with it as a family the best way we can. Upon careful consideration Granny has asked me to remove the previous post due to the possible complications that could arise. We live in a small town and Granny has a small degree of visibility due to her involment in the local paper. She has some concerns that people might be drawn to the blog because of an upcoming story in our local paper about blogging. She does not want any negative attention focused on the three girls.

As her son I would ask any one who is concerned to give her as much emotional support as possible. She has given of herself unceasingly for the past three or four decades and now the universe needs to return the favor.

Granny for all intents and purposes has decided to pass the reins on to someone else who may be better equipped to deal with the special needs of three adolescent girls. At almost 70 she has done enough. It is time for she and "Ray Ray" as we in the family call her husband to start the retirement that was interrupted 14 years ago.

Granny's internet is currently (once again) on the blink so she will respond as soon as she can.
Granny is grateful for all the support and should you wish to call or email please feel free.
I personally encourage it.
Her phone number is 209-230-3354


All my best to everyone and my love to all granny's friends on her behalf.
Tim

Update Saturday morning around 9:00 PDT by Ann

Beloved son:

I stuck in a couple of commas and fixed your spelling. (Tim will understand what I'm talking about and smile. When he was taking a writing class here at the college, I was his proofreader)

My net is back but I don't know for how long. I've read back through the emails and I'll try to answer as many as I can. I said when my daughter Carol died that it helped to hear from friends and respond. That's not any less true now.

I wrote the mysterious deleted post without thinking of possible damage to the kids and included a little too much information. I'd forgotten the paper interviewed me for an article about blogging a couple of weeks ago. Someone here might find the blog through a search. It's not that difficult. I called Tim from home (no internet) and asked him to delete and rewrite.

I'm glad to talk about it in email - just not on the blog.

If the newspaper runs the story today, I'll post the link. It was all true when I was interviewed. I had no idea all would be different now.

Thanks to all of you. Ray was in the hospital when all this took place. He's home now and we're making plans to move as soon as possible. We're sorting, scaling back a lot, and trying to put the best face on all this we can. It's hard and I still find myself in tears some of the time.

Friends have told me I didn't fail the girls. I know they're right but I think I finally recognize my limits. It was so hard to admit defeat but it's been coming for a while.

I have hopes we'll put all this behind us and still be a family; just not in the same house.

I don't think I'll give up the blog or my online friends. The internet is a lifeline and I don't want to lose that. The focus may change a little.

Thanks to all of you who have written or called. Special thanks to all the foster and adoptive parents who have been where I am now. You're all heroes.

Madcap asked about the phone number. It's okay; I have a spam blocker for the telemarketers and it was worth the risk to be reachable. It's always on the bottom of my emails anyhow.

Take care everyone.