Thank you all for the moving tributes you have sent to my husband, Carl Crosier, as he faces hospice care for his pancreatic cancer. We are currently celebrating some small victories: today he was allowed to graduate to solid food after having only liquid and intravenous nutrition for almost three weeks! And for the last two days, he is now up to six double hospital “laps” completely unassisted — no walker! and he is continuing to push himself to do this four or five times a day.

I am also grateful that you are bearing with me as the focus of this blog has morphed over the years. In the beginning I wrote posts to describe the goings-on of the Music Department of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu in which Carl was the cantor and driving force for thirty-eight years, and I was the organist. I also tried to document much of the history of the music program, including the process by which the Beckerath organ came to be, and how all the musical instruments such as the handbells, the harpsichords and the continuo organ contributed to the nave becoming a virtual music instrument museum! I also took you along on our musical travels to conferences of the Lutheran Church Musicians, American Guild of Organists conventions, and our European travels. You helped me celebrate victories with my organ students. I also wrote about other personalities in the Honolulu musical community, for this is such a small island after all.  And the food porn — even the weather reports! (Mayor Kirk Caldwell just gave the “all clear” following Tropical Storm Iselle.) Thank you all for reading this blog, nearly 800 posts written to date, and to the Lutheran Church of Honolulu for continuing to host this site.

It might be worth it now to reiterate what hospice is, and what it is not. Actually there is a great website of hospice FAQs which you can read by clicking here. I especially want to underline this fact: Hospice is not a “death bed” service for people in the last 48 hours of life. 

No, in fact, a couple of days ago Carl had a meeting right here in the hospital with Ian Capps, president of Early Music Hawaii, on the upcoming musical season, and how concerts will be going ahead as planned. I also have continued work on the EMH season brochure, with a lot of Carl’s input on programs in his role as Artistic Director. Yesterday Carl also discussed repertoire with Karol Nowicki for an upcoming EMH choral concert in November, “Bridging the Centuries:” in which texts will be presented in both medieval/Renaissance settings as well as by contemporary composers. And yesterday, I was telling Father William Kunisch that every year on December 26th, Carl was already planning music for the next Christmas! Allen Bauchle, our assistant for over twenty years at LCH, said he never knew Carl not to have a project.

So, for now, no talk of “pulling the plug” — because there won’t be any. The emphasis is on quality of life and comfort.