Nancy C. Butler

I grew up outside of Washington, DC during the turbulent 1960's, then spent my 20's living on communes. I met and married Stewart Butler in 1975 on the Farm in Tennessee, and we later moved to Austin, TX where I live now.

"Notes From Theme Park Earth" is the story of my personal journey as a hospice nurse who learned valuable lessons from my hospice patients, never dreaming that I would need to use what I had learned to care for my dying husband. Stewart saw his life as the time he was spending at "theme park earth" and managed to have fun even as he was dying. This turned out to be an amazing spiritual journey for us and our eclectic group of musical and whimsical friends. The message is clear: Dying is sad, but it doesn't have to be grim.

I have returned to hospice nursing with a greater understanding of what my hospice patients and their families are experiencing now that I have been through it. This book is my attempt to describe that bittersweet time and give others some hope that love can live on even after such a profound loss. It is also a love letter to our family and friends who helped us bear the unbearable. I share stories of others who we have said a gentle farewell to, and who we will always hold in our hearts. Readers have found comfort and inspiration in these pages.