Thursday, February 5, 2026

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Tonight's three photos were taken in April of 2002. Our apartment had two bedrooms and over the course of Mattie's life with us, we used these rooms differently. When we brought Mattie home from the hospital, his crib and set up was in our bedroom. Since we had Patches, our calico cat, I was nervous that she would jump in the crib when Mattie was in it, so we put this tent over the crib. However, I should have known better, as Patches simply understood that she had to be on good behavior around Mattie. She never tried to jump on him! However, the tent became a God send because as Mattie started to stand up, it prevented him from falling out of the crib.... he was a climber!

I think what I love about this photo was that Mattie looked so peaceful in his crib. I assure you this was only for the first couple of days of his life. Thereafter, Mattie hated lying on his back and being in his crib. Instead, he spent his first three months sleeping on top of me. 

If you look at the first photo I posted tonight, you will see that Patches pouch was by the window sill, right next to Mattie's changing pad. She loved this bird's eye view. The best cat ever, and Mattie loved her. 

Quote of the day: Devotion is loyalty to a promise, no matter how small it seems. ~ Shams Tabrizi

This morning it took all the energy I had to get out of bed. My head is filled with fluid and I fear that I have developed a sinus infection. To get through the day, I am on Tylenol, Advil, and a nasal decongestant. Resting is just not possible in my home. I am hoping to manage this without seeing the doctor, but I shall see. 

My dad had his physical therapy session today at home and this particular therapist truly inspires him to perform. He had a good workout for an hour. If I could only hire her 7 days a week. Nonetheless, I am convinced that the only reason my dad can still walk is because he has been doing therapy since 2020. It is a sad commentary that with dementia, there will come a time when my dad will no longer remember how to walk. I take it one day at a time, and adjust to whatever his condition seems to dish out at me.

It was a day of dealing with a ton of administrative issues for the Foundation and tonight, I am going to spend the next hour or so, emailing all of our corporate sponsors. It seems like the only time I have to concentrate is in the evening, when all my parents' needs are met. I am signing off for tonight, in hopes that I physically feel better tomorrow.