My grandfather died Saturday morning, August 22nd after many long years of chemotherapy, a broken hip, degenerating health, and dementia, my Grandpa Takai has passed away at the age of 89.  We all knew it was coming, and all of us, including my grandfather knew it was time for him to leave us.  Of all my relatives, I was closest to those on my mother's side, the Takai's.  It's really sad to think that he's gone. He was such a great person and a wonderful grandpa.  Just to highlight a bit, he was in the nisai regiment during WWII, he had four daughters with his first wife, was divorced, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (that would be the mormon church), married my grandmother (who had four daughters of her own before their marriage) and lived happily into old age.  He and my grandmother were extrodinary gardeners, growing beautiful orchids and other wonderful plants.  When they visited us on the East Coast, he'd always help out in our garden, determined to get some green growing in our Virginian clay soil.  The garden was going great, till he left.  I suppose we just don't have the green thumb he did.  Now that I think about it, he was in his late 70s, early 80s when he did that.  He also lived longer than my great grandmother (they were about the same age, she died about a year ago).  



So I'm wondering if I ought to call my dad and ask if I can't go down to California to help my mother help my grandmother.  Classes don't start till the 10th of September, and if I'm able, I'd like to attend the memorial service.  I just wish I could have gone earlier when he was still alive.  I did see him last summer, which is more recent than a lot of my siblings, but I still wish I could have been more help in his last days.



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UPDATE:  I am poor.  I have no money, so I won't be attending the funeral.  It's sad, but I'll get over it.  I would however, like to plan to visit my grandmother sometime next year.  She is, after all, alone now.  No relatives live with her, and while she is a good 20 years younger than my grandfather, I'm pretty sure she doesn't have anyone living with her, and after my grandfather's funeral, they will be preoccupied with their own lives.  My family does do a good job of taking care of eachother, but I don't live on the West Coast, so I'm going to try and visit her during my semester off.

Now, as mentioned above, I am poor.  SO.  I'll be doing commissions to try and raise money so I can make the trip next year (probably middle of Janurary sometime, and hopefully I will be getting a job to add to the coffers).  I've approximated that the trip (the plane ride there and back, plus the bus ride down to Salt Lake City is going to be about $700.  So here's how commissions will be set up:

Bust: $6
Half-length: $11
Full-length: $16
chibi: $8

Add color: +$5 (fully rendered, with a gradient background)

Here are some examples of what the commissions will look like:
I do have two styles of drawing, so I will ask for specifications of what you want.

I'd say that's more than fair.  I take payment through paypal to the address Ftepainting @ yahoo . com (without the spaces, if you please)

If you pity me enough to tell me that you wish you could commission me but can't, do me a solid and let others know, please.  Social networking only goes so far by myself.

My work in the 100 Themes Boot Camp will not stop, nor will my attempts at getting pages done for my comic.  But we are getting the carpet at our apartment replaced and I am still looking for a job, so I may not be as active on DA.  I will be on at least once a day to check messages (I watch too many people for my own good) so I won't be completely gone.

Anyway, thanks for all of your kind words and heartfelt feelings.  They mean so much to me.
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