Happy Birthday Jackson! Yesterday, Jackson, our local hound-lab mix rescue, turned the Big One according to his adoption records. He was one of a litter of nine brought to the shelter as they struggled to live, slowly nursed back to health. I met Jackson and his littemates when they were already 3 months-old while touring […]
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Sometimes you choose them and sometimes they choose you.
More than once in the past week I’ve said to myself, Mario would totally laugh if he would see FOUR cats in the house. I remember when we adopted Hathor and Juno (we gave them those names, their shelter names were not fitting at all) and Mario said something along the lines of, our limit […]
Taking a Pause
Lee had directed to be cremated, like her folks. Some of Lee’s cremains are now a part of her beloved Deer Tick Manor, but I have ashes that still must be spread. Next year will mark the fifth anniversary of her passing, and I’m trying to decide where and how best to fulfill my sad […]
The Story of Us
Through 179 blog posts. The image says life is the best story, to which I say, Yes. I believe that is true because death is a part of life. Dying inside happens repeatedly after realizing our person is never coming back. Living again is something we learn to do, small step by small […]
If Only.
As I was driving the twins home from school on Friday something hit me. Just out of the blue, I started to full on cry. The kind of crying that I couldn’t do silently. The kind I couldn’t hide. The kind where I felt it deep down in the pit of my stomach. I tried […]
Signs From Nashville
Last weekend I went to Nashville for a belated birthday trip. One of my best friends from college and I flew in to meet there. The trip was for us, but I knew it would bear reminders of Tony at every turn. I enjoy some country music and prefer the 90’s era from my high […]
A “Widow” Bit Canadian
“A Widow Bit Canadian.” That is one of the witty t-shirts being sold last weekend at the Camp Widow bookstore, at Camp Widow Toronto. And although I am not Canadian, after attending Camp Widow Toronto multiple times over the years, and falling in love with both the city and the people who live there, I […]
Restoration and Renewal
I don’t think there’s been a time in my life when I’ve been so caught up in so many projects simultaneously and I no longer seem to have a measure of time. It was a Facebook Memory from my archives that made me realize that it was earlier this week that I’d moved to this […]
Drifting Gloomily Through Time
I’ve had yet another difficult week (2024’s theme really does seem to be “personally difficult things”). My mom has what we think is a sciatica flair up. While she claims she’s not like my dad in being stubborn, she very much IS. She refused to actually go to the doctor about it, putting me in […]
No More Mr. Nice Guy
For the second year, I am a volunteer tutor. By agreement of all involved, once more I am tutoring Zoey, who has advanced to the sixth grade. Her new middle school curriculum in our tutoring program still focuses on math, reading, and developing social skills. However, this year Zoey’s family, especially her father and older […]
I Was Slain
by Joe Black The movie Meet Joe Black was made in the 90’s when it’s star, Brad Pitt, was only 34 years old. I’d seen the film once, but clearly did not recognize the deeper meanings. This time I was overcome by its layers of goodness. Why would an old film affect me so strongly? […]
Colder Weather
Diana is unfortunately out sick today but this post from last year is certainly relevant as so many are struggling with grief and the colder weather and upcoming holidays currently~Mary Moore Hughes With my second Thanksgiving without Erik right around the corner, I find myself getting multiple flashbacks of all our past Thanksgivings. Thanksgiving was […]