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 […]
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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 […]
Birthday Grief
Each year Tony’s birthday seems to hit me differently. Some people say the first year after losing someone is a fog. I think it only looks that way in hindsight. The first year is an onslaught of pain; around every corner is a reminder, each turn of the calendar is a new first without. Looking […]
Living Lighter
While I write this, I’m currently staying in Southeast Georgia, continuing to clean out my home that is currently listed for sale. I love this spacious sunny space, the Dream Home purchased with my late husband, Rich, back in in 2020. The continuing process of “Letting Go” is difficult. In some ways, it seems even […]
Spending Time Alone, Then and Now
Hello Sunday Readers, Today is a rare day off where I don’t have to leave my apartment or do anything. I have things to get done around my place, but I can stay in my pajamas and take my time with my To-do list, and have the kitty in my lap a good part of […]
True Story
In going through my archives, a memory of a New Jersey Holiday event brought a nostalgic moment. In my “past life” as a Full-time Working Artist, The Holly Berry Boutique held each year at the Upper Montclair Woman’s Club in Northern North Jersey was always a beloved occasion for me, my fellow artists, family and […]
The Day of the Dead
November 1st is a day when a number of different cultures honor their dear, departed loved ones. The most widely known of these celebrations occurs in Mexico and is called El Dia de Los Muertos — The Day of the Dead. Similar celebrations occur during the first few days of November in Guatemala, El Salvador, […]
Parting
Yesterday, I got a bill from the lawyer who handles my estate plan. I have been tweaking this plan from time to time and still need to confirm the most recent changes. It is a simple plan, given I don’t have a wife or kids to consider, but I seem to spend undue time agonizing […]
Bittersweet Reminiscence
Reminiscing is a blessing and a curse. The number of people who will ever know Tony is finite and that number will never be larger than it is today. I enjoy recounting stories with those who knew him well because we are usually sharing the memory. Even when I’m given the space, it’s harder to […]
18 Years
Today is my wedding anniversary. It has been 18 years since I married my best friend at the San Souci in Sea Cliff, NY. 18 years since the music literally stopped playing during our first dance, due to a technical error on the D.J.’s computer. 18 years since we danced our first dance not to […]
Remembering All Souls
This time of year brings the inevitable reckoning of a three year milestone. Each day, my Social Media feeds deliver me back to those days that changed my life forever. It is a blessing and a curse to be able to relive, in what sometimes feels like real-time, the events leading up to the day […]
Nervous Eating
Every day, I see small yellow and red leaves falling in the hundreds, relentless falling leaves coloring the lawn. The geese are gathering. Were they drawn together by chance to form the V-formations cutting across the Fall sky? Occasionally, I will hear them honking off in the distance. Robyn was first to spot the small, […]