Monday, June 1, 2026

Monday, June 1, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2005. Mattie was three years old and he took part in the creation of this step stool! Mattie was very proud of his John Deere tractor themed step stool for the bathroom. Do you know to this day, I still have this stool? It sits in my office and I occasionally even use it. I am surrounded daily by Mattie's things and creations, but despite all these wonderful things, they do not take the place of having his presence in my life. 

Quote of the day: In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived. How well we have loved. How well we have learned to let go. ~ Jack Kornfield

It has been a very long day! I literally had a three hour long phone call this evening that was mind numbing. I can't tell you the inordinate stress that I am under as I work hard to assume my house's mortgage. 

My morning started by taking my parents to the eye doctor. This is an exam that frightens my mom to no end. I have learned that I can't let her do any sort of testing without my presence. So I literally jumped between my mom and dad's exam room. But today, we worked with a different assistant. This woman was patient, kind, and compassionate. She understood that my mom had fears, so she explained everything she was doing, gave positive feedback and made my mom feel at ease! Guess what? My mom had a much more relaxing and successful visit! It goes back to what I always say..... It is Not just about the medicine! Any good medical provider knows this and lives out Mattie Miracle's tagline! Unfortunately our healthcare system doesn't reward patience and compassion, therefore I think over time, these vital psychosocial attributes get squelched right out of the professional. 

I am signing off for today, as I am filled with too much anxiety and stress to write much more!

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2005. Mattie was three years old. That weekend we took Mattie to a botanical garden. The garden had wonderful fountains. Whereas I may have liked the look of the fountain or the sound the cascading water made, what cause Mattie's attention was always what was in the fountain! Mattie got me to look at the world and everything in it in a different way and his presence and energy are deeply missed. 

Quote of the day: By the darkness, stars are revealed. ~ Evette Carter

Do you see Mattie Moon? A glorious moon was shining brightly into our home the other night. Literally I thought a car's headlights were shining into our home, that was how bright it was! But when I went to look, sure enough, it was Mattie Moon reminding me..... he's thinking of me and looking out for me!

Later this afternoon, I got back outside and transplanted my Sunny hibiscuses back into these big clay pots. I bought these hibiscus in 2024, the year my Sunny died. They are a tribute to an amazing dog and companion. I had no idea that I could bring these plants into the house and winterize them there, but I learned this from my former mother-in-law. So literally I dig up these plants in the fall and put them in pots inside the house and then in the spring, I dig them out of their winter pots and put them in these beautiful clay pots. So far I have been able to keep these beauties going for two years! They produce the most glorious big yellow sunny flowers! 

I am NOT an orchid person, my other half was. He had many orchids thriving in our family room. I unfortunately killed most of them off, except for this one. To my amazement they are now shooting out stalks which means I will be getting blooms. I literally can't believe I got this to happen! 

I took my parents out to our local diner today! When I tell you I know practically everyone who works there, I am NOT kidding. Our server treated my mom and me today to this 24 layer chocolate cake. This was an out of the blue surprise, which maybe the best kind. 

While at the diner, the Peter Cetera song, the Glory of Love, came on. For those of you who read my previous blogs know that this song transports me back to when I was in high school, as I heard this song in the movie, the Karate Kid. A movie that was transformative for me, as just like the main character I too was uprooted from the East Coast to California. Ever since high school, whenever I would hear the song, The Glory of Love, playing, it usually was a sign that a good thing was about to happen. Sounds strange I am sure, but I have countless examples to prove my point. Any case, tomorrow, I am faced with doing another challenging task that isn't in my comfort zone, and I am hoping that this song will bring me the luck and strength that I need.