During her recent visit to Tucson, Robyn mentioned that she was scheduled to take a medical test once she returned home. She was upset by the prospect and visibly concerned. Thankfully, it seems she is okay. Of course, it’s natural to feel the way Robyn was feeling. The worry that comes with the suspense of […]
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Second career? Or Signs of Sanity?
The Accidental Skills-Course of Widowhood My husband passed away in April 2021 and since then I’ve been in charge of household mishaps, maintenance, and acts of God such as wind, rain, storm, and hail. I’ve also inherited the requirements of a thing that may have been my husband’s biggest challenge: my big ideas. When we […]
Application to Milestones
Here we are at yet another milestone, which I find myself doing alone. I have been in full-on preparation mode for the last two weeks as I get ready for the twins’ kindergarten open enrollment. Even though I had spent some time prepping and doing research last year, it didn’t hit me as hard as […]
Valentine Kindness
This was my fourth Valentine’s Day without a Valentine. It was never a huge holiday for us but that doesn’t mean it’s not a reminder of grief. Seeing the advertisements still remind you that your partner is gone, even if you would never buy them whatever it is they are selling. It’s another small way […]
Snow Again
Another Valentines Day has come and gone, this time I am single, widowed, AND divorced! Its the trifecta of “ways to have a crappy V.Day!” However, a good widow friend and I had made plans to go to Maine and have a girls weekend where we pampered ourselves, sat by the indoor pool, and got […]
Happy Adoptiversary, Jackson!
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. For the widowed, it can be a day as emotionally charged as anniversaries, holiday and birthdates. No matter where you are in your ongoing recovery process, these events can amp up feelings because they serve up so many memories. A year ago, my partner David, a major dog-lover, and I, welcomed […]
Pay it forward, living a different life, and other thoughts this week.
It’s a hell of a thing when a week contains both the anniversary of your spouse’s death and Valentines day. Super Bowl Sunday I went over to my mom’s house. At some point while watching the game, she said, “It’s been exactly 6 months since your dad passed.” She was quiet for a little bit […]
Western Valentines
Robyn arrived here in Tucson just before midnight on Saturday. Through Wednesday afternoon we hiked, shopped, gambled, visited friends, kissed and hugged, and sampled the best that Tucson has to offer, despite Robyn repeating she still hates this place. Oh, well, I guess one can’t please everybody, not to mention we have big plans for […]
On St. Valentine’s Day
A Valentine of the One Left Behind What does one do about Valentine’s day If you are the one left behind? It feels pretty wretched when February returns and Saint Valentine’s Day marks time. “Remember when we went to Running Springs?” I ask, recalling the cabin’s surprise. “When you mused about dead flowers in bowls […]
Haircuts and Control
The last few weeks I have been feeling anxious on a broad scale. We all know there is a limit to what we can control. The death of a loved one is a sharp reminder of that fact. To combat my anxiety, I have been taking steps to put my house in order. Doing what […]
Halftime
Many years ago, in February of 2005, to be exact, on Superbowl Sunday; Don Shepherd packed up his entire life into a Penske truck attached to his car, and drove with his cat Isabelle in his lap from Florida to New Jersey, to begin a new life with me. Our friends came over to help […]
The Art of Being Nowhere
I thank the many who reached out last week to help me honor the birthday of my late husband, Rich. I won’t reveal his age because he will haunt me. When I met Rich he was just turning 50. He and I participated in a large and very popular art event and fundraiser each year […]