Leaving Skyline - Tahoe Bound
Leaving Skyline was a hard decision for Laurie and Michael. They had built a whole life out of the dirt on the hill. The thick soup of fog, the smell of bay trees, the endless stars in the night unbroken by any light pollution—that was home. But an opportunity came to retire to an easier life if they moved to Nevada, and retire they did.
In Tahoe, their lives changed dramatically. They had electricity for the first time, cable TV, and new dear friends. Summers were spent on boats or kayaks on Lake Tahoe, floating down the river, and going to festivals. Best of all, Mom finally was a close drive away from all of the new friends that they were making. Laurie met her second daughter Jasmine in Tahoe, developing a relationship that existed until the end. Nikita, the oldest dog to ever live, passed away and was replaced by the aptly named Sweetie.
Later, they moved to a beautiful flat house in the sleepy valley of Genoa. The two non-golfers / mountain folk next moved to a golf course community. As surprising as that sounds, they loved walking the rarely used course where the deer and birds lived. Laurie made close friends with a neighbor who encouraged her love of painting. The only people who have ever bought a useful timeshare, Laurie and Michael, bought a timeshare 10 minutes away from their house. Laurie and Michael were regulars at the hot tubs at Wallys, where they continued to make even more friends.
While living in Tahoe, Laurie and Michael celebrated the marriage of their son Shannon to Jenny, and to the birth of their three grandkids.
Do you have a great story or photo about Laurie and Michael? Reach out to Misha, and she would love to add in the photos and stories.
The biggest change to come
While living in the Sierras, Michael was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Michael fought cancer hard, with Laurie supporting him every step along the way. It was a long, hard battle over many years. Cancer stepped up the battle by attacking his lungs, weakened by decades of smoking.
Laurie accompanied Michael to every doctor, chemo, and experimental treatment appointment. When it came to hospice, she took on that difficult work as well, turning the living room into a bedroom for both of them. Dad wasn’t afraid of dying, and he had lived an incredibly full life; in the end, he just wanted to stay and sit awhile longer with the woman that he loved.
Michael passed away in 2018, leaving Laurie to live a life alone for the first time in her life. Click on Spreading her wings to learn how mom took on this next challenge.
