and Fanney

[Guest guest]

Your outpouring or love and support is wonderful and such a blessing. I

spoke with Fanney this afternoon and she is so touched by your love. She

still vacillates between good and bad times but that is normal. Fanney

wishes to thank you all so very much.

and Steve and Parsons also need to be thanked for their love,

concern, and support that they have given.

Forgive me for taking so long to post something, but any good words, let

alone the right words, have been hard to come by. I have known Fanney know

for a couple of weeks -- as soon as I saw her, I knew exactly who she was. I

love her strength, her soul and her life's wisdom. is trying so

valiantly had to be brave for both of them -- hold her in your prayers too.

Jonni is a beautiful, spiritual person who has been a good " mother " to all of

them here. , who I was also privileged to meet, is Fanney's best friend

-- she is full of compassion and love.

Unfortunately for me, I did not get to meet until after her surgery

on Monday. I was caught up in getting my roof repaired after suffering quite

a bit of damage in last week's storms. I really didn't have a chance to

catch up to everyone until Friday. So Claire, thank you too, for letting us

know that had coded.

When I read that, I flew to the hospital and I stayed with Fanney, and

while they waited. We'd talk, be worried, love on Fanney, talk some

more, send loving energy to and talk some more. Not too long after I

arrived, Steve and returned and also shared their love with Fanney

and .

For those who, like I, knew mainly through her posts, you all know

what a loving, sharing and caring woman she is (I don't want to use the past

tense for love like hers never dies). I think I can share this with you.

Fanney shared with me that , in Iceland, would sit with the dying in

the hospital to help ease their transition into the afterlife. Then she

would sit and counsel with the family and tell them how the transition went.

This guidance to the afterlife is very important in Icelandic spiritual

beliefs. What an incredible woman to be able to give of herself like that!

Fanney told Dr. Rutledge about their traditions and he made sure that Fanney

and were able to be with when she made her transition.

No words could ever be sufficient to adequately describe the grief everyone

felt when passed. We tried our best to be of comfort to Fanney, to

, and to Dr. Rutledge. We held on to each other wept. Not too long

after the hospital chaplain arrived, Fanney (who has the largest heart of

anyone on earth, I believe), turned to Doc R. and told him that she knew he

did everything he could for her and that she would still have the surgery

again.

had a history of health problems. Fanney told me how she beat death

a couple of times before. Why she couldn't fight this time, we were not sure

at the time. Maybe Doc R. will have more information on that in the near

future. Fanney told me that they had cremated. She and her brother

will continue to finalize the arrangements.

I know that you will continue to hold , Fanney, their family, ,

and Doc. R. in your prayers. We grieve this loss and it's poignancy of

happening around Holy Week, I am sure, is not lost on us. I believe firmly

that I would have become gravely ill and no doubt died without this surgery.

In my mind, I feel that I have been given another life, a new, vital life.

All my love,

Ginny Ivanoff

MGB: 3/1/00

348/308

" The creative is the place where no one

else has ever been. You have to leave

the city of your comfort and go into the

wilderness of your intuition "

-Alan Alda