Sunday, August 30, 2026

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2002. Mattie was four months old and one of my college friends sent me this large entertainment saucer! At first, I wasn't happy with this enormous gift that took up my small living room, but then I grew to love it! I loved it because it engaged Mattie, he enjoyed standing on his feet, turning around in the seat (as it could turn 360 degrees), and playing with all the items in front of him. Most of the times Mattie wanted me to carry him around with me, but sometimes I needed my hands to do things around the house. This entertainment saucer enabled me some freedom and Mattie some independence. 

Quote of the day: A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked. ~ Bernard Meltzer

As it is Sunday, I took my parents out to lunch today. We visit the same restaurants on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, I have gotten to know most of the people who work at both establishments. I can't tell you what a difference this makes, as people understand my parent's needs and they truly try to make their visit a positive one. Today, I pulled up to the restaurant, and parked the car right in front of the door, and left my blinkers on. I helped both of my parents out of the car and to the table. This particular restaurant has a set of heavy double doors, and normally it is a show trying to hold my mom, bags, and jackets in one hand and guide my dad with the other. A family who was dining at the restaurant took one look at what I was juggling and they ran to the doors to assist me. That may not sound like a big deal, but to me it was the greatest gift. As it is almost impossible managing this on my own.

Given that my dad does no talking at all and my mom is glued to her phone, having people around me who see us weekly liven things up. As I land up talking to different servers and many of the managers. I know about their lives and they know about mine. This is one of the many things I miss about not being married. I miss the camaraderie, the emotional support, and working as a team to take on life's challenges. Certainly I can manage things on my own..... these past three years prove that, but I am a person who loves deep connections and my deepest connection was severed. Therefore in many ways my lens on the world is grayer. 

On September 8, it will be the 17th anniversary of Mattie's death. I now visit Mattie's tree alone, as well as carry his legacy alone. I have been thinking about what I wish to place on Mattie's tree this year, and I remembered a memory tree I used to pass on my walks in Washington, DC with Sunny. Within the West End community of Washington, DC, was a townhouse and outside the house was a small bush. I remember passing the bush and noticing shiny things on it, but it wasn't until I crossed the street and came closer to the bush did I realize what was on it..... it was a tree in the memory of a beautiful woman who died. There were about twenty photos of this woman on the tree! I didn't know the woman, nor did I know any of the people grieving. But every time I passed that tree, I reflected on this woman's life and the loss that the people in that house must have felt. The image of the memory tree always remained with me, so now I decided I am going to adopt that tradition and hang photos of Mattie on his memorial tree at his school. I ordered prints yesterday and I got plastic coverings for them on Amazon. I will work on assembling them this week and visit the tree next weekend.

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2002. Mattie was four months old and though he looked like he was sitting in his stroller, he wasn't! Mattie was in his faithful car seat which I popped into the stroller. When I tell you we bought about three different strollers, I am not kidding! Regardless of the shape or type of stroller, Mattie hated all of them. But his car seat, he loved! I honestly do not know what I would have done without his car seat. Mattie ate in it and he even loved sleeping in it at night! 

Quote of the day: Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you haven’t really learned anything. ~ Muhammad Ali

This morning, I was sitting down at our breakfast table and I could hear someone was at my front door. It was my graduate school friend, Mary Ann. I have known Mary Ann for decades and we have been through many ups and downs with each other. Yet both of us are the kind of person who would never walk away from a friend. 

Mary Ann and I faithfully watch Lexington Scoop Co, which is a viral digital content channel that creates humorous, AI-generated mock interviews and satirical comedy series starring talking cats and dogs. Ironically I was introduced to this series by my friend in England. Yes it took someone across the pond to introduce something to me happening in the USA. I then introduced the series to Mary Ann. 

The cats in the series are true characters! Almost human like with bold personalities, clothing, clever names (such as Mittens Malone, Slick Sal, Bella Biscuit Bottom), and dialogue. In any case, whenever someone asks me who my favorite cat in the series is, my response is Ronnie. Ronnie is in essence a tough guy. He is a born leader, he's bold, and gets into trouble. But he always finds a way out! My friend in England is stunned that I relate to Ronnie, because Ronnie and I are like night and day. I follow the rules and the law.... unlike my pal Ronnie. Yet as I say all the time.... there is an inner Ronnie inside of me. 

Any case, today, Mary Ann surprised me with my own Ronnie (who is a "local problem" in his NYC alley) mug! I absolutely love it, because Mary Ann knows I could use a Ronnie in my life to manage several of my problems! 

We were having such a good time chatting, that we went out to lunch together today. Mary Ann was excellent stimulation for my parents, as there is so much I can do each and every day and now Mary Ann has experienced our Saturday hang out at the diner. 

Here is a video from LexingtonScoopCo. Within this video, you will see Ronnie and some of the cats. Just to put this into context, these cat supposedly live in a NYC alley. Leading up to the episode below, the cats found a placemat from a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in the NYC alley. However, the cats believe the placemat is a treasure map. They were determined to find the treasure from this map and therefore tracked down a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant and headed inside to find the actual treasure! It is a light hearted and fun series and given the nature of our world today, levity and fun are greatly needed!

Friday, August 28, 2026

Friday, August 28, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2006. I will never forget our visit to the USS Midway in San Diego. It was an amazing aircraft carrier that has been turned into a museum. Mattie loved ships and we just knew he'd love to walk aboard this giant ship and explore many of its levels. It was a day to remember!

Quote of the day: That was when I learned that kindness could break a heart just as sure as meanness. The difference was the kindness made that broken heart softer. Meanness just made the heart want to be hard. ~ Susie Finkbeiner

As many of you know, I have been writing this blog daily for 18 years! That is a lot of writing and for many of you that is A LOT of reading. In all those years, I never, I am mean NEVER received a nasty comment from a reader in any of my postings. The nasty comments began when I became separated and unfortunately they just keep on coming. Which is why, a few years ago, I changed settings on the blog so that comments do not automatically post each night. I have to moderate all comments now.  

For example, on my August 25 blog posting, I received this comment................

"Get the f* up. Your son died years ago. He left you most likely for this." 

Normally I do not respond to comments. This one however, deserves commentary. Mainly because anyone who thinks it is alright to tell a bereaved mom that her child's loss means nothing now, because it happened years ago, is way off base. The loss of a child is not finite, parents carry this with them forever, and the loss impacts every day, phase, and milestone in a mom's life. As horrific and insensitive as that comment was, to say that my son left me because of who I am as a person, is way off base and deeply insulting.

My blog is not mandatory reading. If I annoy you, if processing my journey with Mattie's cancer and death doesn't resonate with you, and you aren't interested in my reflections, thoughts, and feelings as I cope with my divorce, then I respect that and welcome you to find other blogs that meet your needs and interests.

It is comments like this that make me wonder...... what kind of world are we living in?! This week, my mom and I have been engrossed in the Lindsay Clancy trial. For those of you not following along, this is a mom who is 36 years old, was a labor and delivery nurse, and in January of 2023, killed her three children (ages 5, 3, and 8 months). She strangled each of them and left them for dead in the basement, while her husband was out running errands. When I heard about the Clancy trial, a part of me just couldn't comprehend a mother killing her children, even a mom suffering from mental health issues. More than one in five adults in the USA lives with a mental health issue, and most definitely this is a crisis that needs to be discussed. Questions, concerns, and doubts about the healthcare system need to be addressed. But the majority of people with mental health issues understand right from wrong, and it is a slippery slope when we allow issues to be used as excuses for unthinkable behavior. 

Motherhood is hard. Very hard! It challenges every aspect of your existence. It is a 24/7 job, it is exhausting, and most of the times you receive very little positive feedback for this tireless role. That said, I would hope that if a mom is struggling, that others would see this and offer help or that she would ask family members or friends to take the children for a while until things stabilized. From my personal experience, once I became a mom, the instinct to care and protect Mattie took over. Even when I had post partum depression, I may have been overwhelmed and had bouts of crying hysterically, yet meeting Mattie's needs always came first! I am still protective of Mattie and his memory now, which is why his Foundation will always be a top priority for me. 

Yet from the Lindsay Clancy case, what I am noticing on social media is that countless women are relating to her issues and have great sympathy for her choice to kill her children. Many are even saying that they are just like Lindsay. This to me is shocking, especially since I would do anything to bring Mattie back into my life. To me life is precious and children are helpless and innocent. They need our love, guidance, and protection. Having a child is a gift and a miracle. I just wish women like Lindsay Clancy knew bereaved moms like me. As I truly believe so many bereaved moms would rise to the occasion to help raise children coming from these vulnerable home environments in order to keep them safe, until their moms could get the help that is needed. I am very passionate about the rights and welfare of children and I could see the development of a non-profit pairing up bereaved moms with moms who are vulnerable. Seeing the beautiful faces of Lindsay Clancy's children is absolutely heart breaking and it makes me ill knowing the fear and terror these children experienced as they took their last breaths. May we as a society absorb this case, learn from this case, and never forget the three innocent lives lost through this great tragedy. 

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. I remember taking this adorable photo! We went out to eat on the island of Coronado (San Diego). The restaurant faced the water and Mattie was thrilled because he could order pizza. This was such a happy moment. The loss of Mattie has changed my entire life, as I lost my identity of being a mom, I lost the ability to see Mattie grow up and find his way in the world, and I lost the opportunity to eventually be a grandparent. Now of course I also see the changes in my parents, and that too is humbling. 

Quote of the day: I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. These small actions help remind me that there are so many great, glorious pieces of good in the world. ~ Dolly Parton

I started my day at 5am. I had to get up that early in order to get things done before my electrician, Bob, came at 8am. Bob is a morning person! He was at my house before 8am, and ironically he lives over an hour away from me. I asked Bob to help me change some outdoor light timers which burned out and to replace part of my under counter kitchen lights, as many are no longer working. In fact, when I saw Bob in June, he had me order the kitchen string light replacements. Turns out the lights he had me order were the wrong ones. Which meant I had to return them on Amazon. However, my return window expired. That did not stop me, as I got on Amazon chat and as always they assisted me and gave me a refund. But this time, I wasn't going to order the lights without Bob being present. Bob had me order them from his company's warehouse and I got the contractor price. So that means at some point when the lights come in, it's another early morning. 

Bob did help me with the outdoor timers, but he left me with the manuals to program them. God help me. I read the manual for 40 minutes and who knows if they will actually turn on tonight. I most likely screwed it up and will have to go back at it. It is times like this that I absolutely hate my existence. Things were must better when I shared them with my other half. 

Later this morning, Steve, my outdoor guru, showed up to do maintenance work on the grass. Before I owned a house, I thought grass just grew on its own. I had no idea how difficult it is to maintain! It needs weeding, seeding, aerating, and it gets diseased easily! Every time I see Steve, it is like I get another installment of a soap opera. He is a lovely person, but has had a very hard time finding a significant other. Every time I chat with him, I think to myself.... NOPE! I will never be doing this, as I have heard enough of his on-line connection nightmares. I met my other half the natural way, in college, and we knew each other for seven years before we got married, and even that did not guarantee me a life long connection. It saddens me, as I am mentally aware that one doesn't need a partner to be happy in life, but from my experience it does make life not only worth living but richer. 

I was juggling one issue after the other today and then someone from the research team that I am a part of sent me the next publication regarding our Psychosocial Standards of Care that is getting ready to be submitted to a journal. Do you know that seeing this paper sent me right over the deep end. Not the content! Not the people who worked on it! But the simple notion that I am not productive. I am not interacting with the world. I DO NOT live a normal life. My life has been decimated. I lost everything and in the midst of losing everything, I am caregiving around the clock. It is very easy to downward spiral emotionally in my house and yet it takes a great deal of strength and courage to muddle through. So may tomorrow be a better day. 

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. I will never forget this moment in time. We were staying on the island of Coronado, in San Diego. The hotel we were staying at had a fountain out front. Flamingoes loved that fountain and they intrigued Mattie. As we didn't normally see flamingoes in our daily life in Washington, DC. In this photo, Mattie was giving me his impression of a flamingo. To me this was absolutely priceless! 

Quote of the day: Never mistake a woman's silence for her ignorance, her calmness for her acceptance, and her kindness for her weakness. ~ Unknown  

This morning I woke up and realized next week is the beginning of September. A month I absolutely hate, as Mattie died on September 8, 2009. Acknowledging these moments are even harder now being alone. In addition, my former in-laws celebrate their wedding anniversary on September 1. Since my separation, I have not let one holiday, birthday, or anniversary go by unacknowledged. They have been in my life since I was 19 years old, and though I am completely on overload, they are a priority. Normally I would have baked something last weekend and got it in the mail this week, but with all this mortgage assumption nonsense, I did not keep track of timing. So today, I stopped everything and I started baking a lemon blueberry loaf for them and I am determined to get it in the mail tomorrow. I know first hand how special it is to receive gifts in the mail, and to not be forgotten!

This afternoon, I took my mom out for tea. While at Starbuck's I tried to read more continuing education material for my licensure renewal. My goal is to have over 30 hours of continuing education behind me by the end of August. I am truly giving it my all! However, there were people all around us today. Some were talking, some were listening to things on their phone, and between both of those things I could feel my anxiety level increasing. Since Mattie died, I can get overwhelmed by noise and when I do, I literally can read the words in front of me, but I have trouble comprehending them. This is very frustrating for me because I wasn't always like this, in fact, I used to be able to focus regardless of what was going on around me. 

When I get totally overwhelmed, my natural tendency is to get up, and start moving around. If I wasn't balancing my mom, I would have gotten in the car and came home. But she loves going to Starbuck's three times a week, so I knew, I had to figure out plan B. Plan B involved mentally talking to myself, to calm down, and to allow what others were saying to begin to fade in the background of my mind, so that I could actually read. Within about 15 minutes, I was able to get absorbed in my readings and made great progress today. 

I end tonight with this beautiful hibiscus! In the spring of 2005, I bought two small plants at Lowe's. They spent last spring and summer outside (never blooming), and then I winterized them inside. This spring, I brought them back outside. This is the very first time this plant has ever blossomed. To me it is a glorious sight! 

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 -- Mattie died 860 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. We were in San Diego and Mattie wanted to try this bicycle with a surrey on top (which is what I called it). This thing may look cute, but WOW what a work out! The frame of the bicycle was super heavy, so pedaling was like moving my legs through taffy! Nonetheless, look at Mattie's smile! Mattie loved it and it was worth the effort! What I did not know at that moment was it was going to be our first and last bicycle with a surrey experience together. 

Quote of the day: It is better to lock up your heart with a merciless padlock than to fall in love with someone who doesn't know what they mean to you. ~ Michael Bassey Johnson

I thought the mortgage assumption process was over! I learned today that it is NOT! The closing documents are now in the hands of the post closing team! This takes another two weeks. I honestly do not know how much more of this I can take. Whenever I see that 1-800 number pop up on my cell phone, that sickening feeling comes over me. I have been dealing with this feeling since May 1, and frankly whenever this is finally over, it will take me time to normalize again. The mortgage assumption process has been sheer hell, along side dealing with COMPLETE FEAR over where I would be living with my parents. 

I am not sure if it is the greyness today or simply being worn out physically and emotionally, but all I want to do is put my head on a pillow and sleep. Naturally that is not going to happen, but it feels like another bleak day. A day in which the reality of my divorce has hit me, and yet at the same time it still seems unreal. When I talk with other women who have faced the uniqueness of what I am going through (and remember you are only hearing a portion of my journey on this blog), many have admitted needing hospitalization, the support of a suicide hotline, and medication. No judgment on my part, as I can absolutely appreciate why any and all of these resources would be needed. But my journey looks a bit different. Partly it is because I am caregiving and partly because my mind can't process what has happened. It is as if I am going to wake up one day and learn that none of this happened. That I am not divorced and that my long time view of the world is real and intact, rather than crumbled and shattered in pieces like it is now. 

Even at night, my brain is working over time trying to process my divorce. Last night was no different. As is typical with dreams they don't always make sense, but all I know was I was visiting Chicago with my other half and his family. It was so real and I can recall that I was arguing with the hotel staff because they had life sized RATS walking around. Kind of like the big rats you see in the ballet, The Nutcracker! No one else seemed to be bothered by the rats, other than me. The hotel decided to try to calm me down and gave us an amazing dinner in a magical setting. It was so wonderful that by the time dinner was over, I too wasn't bothered by the life sized rats. Totally, NOT LIKE VICKI! As no dinner could placate me in real life if I were surrounded by rodents! What do it mean? I have no idea! I looked up what this could mean and learned that dreaming of life-sized or giant rats means a hidden problem, fear, or difficult person in your waking life has grown too large to ignore and is making you feel completely overwhelmed. Sounds about right! 

Any case, when I am feeling on overload, it means I have to back away from the computer, start moving around to work out the confusion in my head and heart.  

I end tonight with two of my favorite Dolly Parton songs! I grew up with her music and to me she was bigger than life, that it is hard to believe she died today. 

Monday, August 24, 2026

Monday, August 24, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. We traveled to San Diego that week and we were at Sea World waiting the Shamu show to begin. It is hard to believe Mattie is gone and to see the monumental changes in my parents! The emotional toll of all these losses just seems to be piling up. I am thrilled my parents do not have serious health issues, and I celebrate that, but at the same time, it is hard to describe the daily challenges of caring for someone with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.  

Quote of the day: Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world. ~ Robert McKee

This morning, after I dropped my dad off at his memory care center, I came home, and got myself ready for my Zoom interview. Given that my mom was both listening to the radio and videos on her phone at the same time, I decided to give her my ear plugs, because I could hear both from my office. After Mattie died, my ability to hear the TV or the radio and concentrate simultaneously was lost. 

Honestly I had to mentally talk to myself today before this Zoom interview. Mainly because I have been so used to doing interviews with my other half. We would tag team answering questions and typically built upon what the other was saying. Now, I carry the story alone. I assure you that alone is a HUGE loss. If I did not put all this fear in check today, I would have been unable to string two words together. 

When I was in graduate school, my dissertation advisor taught me to NEVER speak to an audience without knowing WHO I was talking to! Seriously that was EXCELLENT advice, which has become engrained in me. So before I met with the interviewer, guess what I did? Yes, I googled her and learned that she is a cancer survivor and lost her husband suddenly to a heart attack. Somehow knowing this mentally helped me, as I felt I was going to be talking to someone who has lived her own psychosocial journey with cancer. 

Any case, the interview went very well and you know what the interviewer told me? She said that I was an excellent story teller! That is a high compliment to me, because it is vital to understand Mattie and my story, in order to understand what guides my leadership at Mattie Miracle. I would say that I had story teller skills to begin with, but writing Mattie's blog for 18 years has really honed in on this vital skill. 

In reality, we are all story tellers! This is the best way to help others understand us, understand our experiences and perspectives and chances are people may not remember dates, facts, and details..... but we always remember the stories people share with us! Stories bring content alive and provide an intimate window into our thoughts and feelings. 

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. Mattie was five years old and we were visiting my parents in Los Angeles. That day we took him to the LA Zoo. It was such a hot day, that we bought Mattie a water spray bottle with a fan. He loved it and we were all asking him for a turn to use his fan! The visor I was wearing, was actually Mattie's! We got it at the Zoo, and it had a big zebra stitched on it. However, Mattie preferred his Boston Red Sox hat. Mattie gave me his visor to use, which I actually appreciated given the intensity of the sun. Back then, I thought we would have many more August's in California. However, Mattie never returned to California again, because the following July he was diagnosed with cancer. 

Quote of the day: Anything you can’t control is teaching you how to let go. ~ Jackson Kiddard

It was another challenging day! Not unlike yesterday and the day before. Managing my dad's irritable bowel issues are hard on a good day, but when doctors add medications to his regimen, havoc always ensues! So tomorrow, I will be reaching out to his doctor because something has to give! As it is Sunday, I took my parents out for a late lunch, like I do every weekend. Today was exhausting and I had to fully change my dad twice while at the restaurant. If that was the only issue that would be bad enough, but I was also policing the pace of how my dad was eating, so he doesn't choke, I was balancing his debris and countless tissues (as he goes through two tissue packets at each meal..... and if I did not bring a garbage bag with me, he would be tossing the tissues all over the table!), and while all this was going on, my mom was absorbed in her phone on Facebook. I have concluded this is part of her dementia, and what makes me crazy is when she reads me horror stories while I am balancing the impossible. At one point today, I literally told her to STOP. I couldn't hear one more story about a woman being attacked, abused, and the list goes on. 

Tomorrow, after I drop my dad off at his memory care center, I will be interviewed by a professional cancer association on Zoom. They want to talk about Mattie Miracle, Mattie, and our research initiatives and innovations. Naturally I am very happy to do this but to me it is also very bittersweet. As I always did these type of interviews with my other half. The two of us looked at the world from different angles, but together we provided a very comprehensive picture of the Foundation's history, our psychosocial mission, and of course the beautiful story of Mattie. Will I ever get used to running the Foundation now on my own? I have no idea, all I know is I have no other choice. A common theme in my life. Nonetheless, I will give my all to this interview, because ultimately it reflects on Mattie!   

Saturday, August 22, 2026

Saturday, August 22, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. I absolutely LOVED this photo. That week, we drove to Coronado, right near San Diego, with my parents. During that visit, we actually stayed on the island of Coronado and this photo captures our bicycle adventure on the island. In the backdrop, is the famous Hotel Del Coronado (with the red roofs). This historic hotel is famous for being a rare, massive Victorian wooden beach resort built in 1888. It gained legendary status by pioneering early electric lighting with Thomas Edison, hosting U.S. presidents and Hollywood icons, starring in the film Some Like It Hot, and cultivating a famously haunted history. Mattie always had such a good time visiting San Diego, and back then, we thought we would have a lifetime of happy moments together. 

Quote of the day: Faith is seeing the light with your heart when all you see with your eyes is darkness. Faith is fully trust in the unknown that lives within you. In short, faith is believing who you truly are. ~ Luis Ojeda

Today felt like an absolutely bleak day. Most days I feel sad and disillusioned but can park those thoughts somewhere and move along. Of course no matter how I feel, I have a whole household awaiting my every move, so my routine doesn't stop on bleak days either. But the difference between my usual sadness and a bleak day, is that thoughts and feelings about my existence on a bleak day just keep popping in my head. What triggered this today? Who knows, maybe the signing of the mortgage assumption on Thursday, maybe because it is a weekend (which I have hated since Mattie died.... these are days with less structure), or maybe because my dad's irritable bowel issues are wearing me out. My dad has had a recent change to his diabetes medication, and every change seems to invoke havoc on his gastrointestinal issues. I will spare you the number of bathroom trips and accidents I had today. 

My dad had his physical therapy session outside today. He seems to do better when his sessions are alfresco! The therapist had him walking 27 consecutive minutes today. Which is a feat, because when he is with me, he fights me tooth and nail to walk at all. 

Later on today, I took my parents to our local diner. The diner used to have great desserts which were featured in a refrigerated glass case at the front of the establishment. However, about a month ago, something happened to the case and it needed a repair. Now the glass case is up and operational again but all the desserts on display are terrible. 

Today, they wanted me to try four of the desserts they were featuring at the counter. They literally brought me out a platter filled with four different treats. I am picky about food, but I am over the top about baked items. If I am going out and ordering dessert, I expect it to be fantastic. Not fair, not good, but excellent. I tasted each of the four items they brought me and I hated each and every one. One was worse than the next, and I told management that if I were them, I would pull each of these items out of the refrigerated case, open the garbage, and toss them in. To me they were inedible. At the very least, I made it clear that I was not going to pay for today's dessert. Needless to say, I left the diner even lower than when I arrived. Some people are not regulated by food, but I am! Good food to me is an experience and makes life worth living.  

Why am I mentioning this? I mention it because if I am cooking for someone, whatever the item maybe, I want to do my best to make the food/dessert as tasty and fresh as possible. I am just one person, yet I would hope and expect that such an attitude would be valued and executed within a restaurant. People should take pride in what they are cooking and serving, and when I see that this standard isn't met, to me it is upsetting, as food is costly. I do so much cooking at home, that when I go out, I would like to be able to enjoy food, without having to guide and provide feedback to others.  

When I arrived home today, I received a package in my mailbox from one of the hospitals Mattie Miracle supports. These thoughtful gifts and heartfelt messages were in honor of my birthday! Notice the photo on the card.... it is a stargazer lily! One of my favorite flowers!!! Needless to say, acts of kindness are always appreciated as I find trying to survive the loss of my other half, takes a great deal of support in order to cope manage, and find a way forward. 

Friday, August 21, 2026

Friday, August 21, 2026

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. I know this fountain very well. It was located at a restaurant my parents went to every Friday in Los Angeles. In fact, I even went to this restaurant when I was in high school! That is how long a connection we had with this establishment. The restaurant had an enclosed patio and Mattie preferred to sit out there because it featured this lion fountain. In fact, Mattie wanted to sit right by it! What a charming smile, what a beautiful moment in time, and how unfair that this amazing boy isn't still in my life. 

Quote of the day: Women are like teabags. You never know how strong they are until they are in hot water. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I came across tonight's quote and I absolutely love it! I love it because I am a tea fan and I think the analogy is spot on. Speaking of tea, my tea journey continues. Now that I found my very fine tea strainer, I am enjoying all the loose tea I have been gifted. Until I found this strainer, I used to get frustrated because no matter what I did, I would be drinking tea leaves in my cup! Now nothing gets through with this strainer! Seriously the difference between loose tea versus tea from a tea bag is like night and day. Yes it is a bit more work, as I have to measure out tea and clean the strainer, but since this is something I enjoy drinking, I have rationalized with myself, that YES I can take the few extra minutes in my day to brew something I would prefer to drink! I am always so worried about making others happy and meeting their needs, that mine fall through the cracks. 

I did my usual Friday routine, of going grocery shopping after dropping my dad off at his memory care center. When I grocery shop, I move at a clip! I am not roaming around! I always take the smallest shopping cart, but I strategically pack it! Apparently the store employees (at the self check out area) get a kick out of me, but today, a fellow shopper stopped me. He wanted to tell me how impressed he was to see how I had things stacked/packed in the cart. Today was one of those days were I had to buy tissues in bulk as well as toilet paper in bulk. So I assure you, when I tell you I had things highly stacked, I am not kidding. Back to this fellow, he was pushing a bigger cart and I am sure in his mind he was thinking.... why is she using a small cart!? Before he could continue his line of questioning, I literally told him the small cart enables me to smartly shop, without having to push a big cart. In addition, no matter how much I plan on buying, I am going to the self check out area. I always bag my own groceries, and bigger carts don't fit in the self check area! 

I have gotten to know most of the employees who monitor the self check out area! One woman, Shelly, chats with me every Friday. I have learned about her parents, her sister, and the chores she does weekly to help her parents maintain their home. Tomorrow she is going to the county dump and she told me she would be coming back next week to give me a full report of what they accepted from her clean out of part of her parent's home. I don't view my connecting with people as unique, but from what others are telling me, NOT all customers are like me. 

Case in point, I took my mom to Starbuck's today for tea. I know every person who works there, including the general manager. They know that I am a full time caregiver and they observe me with my mom. I have been going to this Starbuck's since 2023, when I became separated. Back then I was completely traumatized, and I am not sure how I functioned. To make a long story short, after I order things at our Starbuck's, do you know that they hand deliver me the teas and food right to the table? This is not a service provided to most customers, but again, I have been told that everyone there loves me. The general manager and I got to talking today because I commented that the store was practically empty compared to Wednesday. Wednesday it was like standing room only! In any case, given what I was reporting to him of my observations in front of and behind the counter, he asked me..... do you want a job application? He was being funny, but he is aware of my knowledge of what goes on there from week to week. I suppose in life if all else fails, I can always work at Starbucks! After all, just like every employee there, I never sit still and I am constantly managing issues and problems.