Last weekend I drove four hours to spend the weekend with my best friend. It wasn’t a social call; I was there to support her and her family through her mother’s funeral. At the end of the service, the funeral home offered to bring the flowers to my friend’s home the next day. We had […]
Widowed Memories
She Passed Before Retirement
One of my “widow superpowers” is trying to make sure everyone I love knows I love them, and taking the time to spend time with my favorite people. I refuse to pass away feeling like I did not spend as much time with someone as I should have; nor do I want anyone I love […]
From the Battlefield 🇺🇸
Since the end of the school year, in the third week of June, our 17-year-old boy had been itching to get out of town on a day trip or road trip, but we had all been way too tired… until now. Specifically, he wanted to go to Gettysburg, PA, to a tiny but […]
Saying Goodbye
Well … I must say that I’m quite happy that June is in my rearview mirror. And it occurred to me that perhaps there might have been a subliminal reason for why I was sick for nearly that whole month. Jim’s Celebration of Life was held in June No – I wasn’t invited No […]
Futbol Fever
Tonight the US men’s team lost their run for the World Cup. It’s disappointing but I’m not crushed. Historically, Tony and I had never been huge soccer fans. This year, I live in one of the World Cup host cities. So, I decided to lean in and embrace what may be opportunities that present themselves […]
Happy Re-New Year
Good morning. Here I am again writing on a Saturday that happens to be a major American holiday; this one celebrating the 250th anniversary of the USA. As many of us who are widowed know, weekends coinciding with holidays can often prove to be draining instead of festive; delivering a double emotional whammy. I still […]
Only Happy When It Rains
(Reposting from almost exactly 2 years ago as I’ve had another crazy week with emergency vet care for my kitty, Freya.) Mario wasn’t one of those guys who carried on and complained or wilted like a flower when he was sick or had some physical pain. His tolerance was high, bolstered by a masochistic tendency. […]
Return to Deer Tick Manor
For no real reason, last night I made a virtual, stealthy visit back to Deer Tick Manor. As best I could discern, the place is not currently on the market, which I was happy to see. According to both Zillow and Realtor.com, Deer Tick has appreciated in value substantially since 2022, when I sold it […]
Happy Birthday, Mi Amor ❤️🩹
Hi, baby. It’s me. I’m sorry I haven’t written to you until now. But I know you know. I tried and I just couldn’t. My heart too broken, the pain too deep, the rage too strong. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It’s funny. Well, not haha funny, but you know what I mean. […]
We had the Meats
When Tony died, he left us with a deep freezer full of meat. There were supplies for smoking BBQ, like ribs and pork butts likely purchased on sale. He also had vacuum sealed BBQ he’d already cooked saved for us to reheat later. We had ordered beef and pork from farmers, so there were cuts […]
Allowing Nostalgia to Evolve
Every year when I was a kid, throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, my extended family would take a road trip to San Diego to visit family. During the era of no-seatbelt-laws, thirteen (13!) of us would pile into the family orange Dodge Van with the bubble windows, back area that turned into a huge bed, […]
A picture is worth a 1000 words.
I’m low on sleep and was having trouble coming up with something to write about, so I gave myself a challenge. Find an old photo with Mario and put 1000 words to it. So here we go. Oddly, the photo I’ve selected was taken right around this time (June) exactly 6 years ago. Here’s the […]