Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2003. This was Mattie's second airplane trip to Los Angeles. At a year and a half old, Mattie learned to become accustomed to traveling. Unlike me, he LOVED it. The turbulence did not bother Mattie in the least and just like on land.... there was no napping. So I had to come with a big bag of tricks to keep Mattie occupied and entertained. I recall back in the day that I actually shared toys and books with fellow parent passengers around me who were desperate to quiet down their children.
Quote of the day: Grief is not a sign that you’re unwell or unevolved. It’s a sign that love has been part of your life, and that you want love to continue, even here. ~ Megan Devine
It was another full day on the Farm! After dropping my dad off at his memory care center, I came back home, did a few chores and then got my mom in the car. I drove to the city for her to have her hair and nails done. This salon is in the same neighborhood that I used to live in. It saddens me to see how the city I once loved has been taken over by graffiti, homeless encampments, and garbage. In fact it is almost unrecognizable. This is yet another example of another big change in my life, as I believe you can NEVER go home again. I learned that bitter lesson at a young age, when my dad's job moved us from New York to Los Angeles in the 1980s. Leaving the home I knew and loved at the age of 15 was far from easy. Yet as time moved along, what I quickly realized was I did not fit in anywhere. I did not view Los Angeles as my home and I was no longer a part of life in New York. Once again, I am faced with a similar feeling. In fact in many ways, I wish I never left the city or my townhome. Life was ironically simpler there and I was surrounded by a community of people who looked out for us for over two decades.
While at the salon today, I had a chance to chat with my manicurist. I have known this woman since Mattie died in 2009. Prior to that, I rarely got my nails done. But I will never forget after Mattie died, I went to get my hair cut for the first time and I was thoroughly traumatized. The owners of the salon understood and wanted to do something nice for me, so they treated me to nail service. I was reluctant, but I did it. This is how I established the connection with my manicurist. We have been together since 2009, and we have shared the ups and downs of our lives together. In fact, I probably know more about her life than some of her family members. In many ways this woman and I are very much a like. We are devoted to our families, put them first, are loyal, fierce, and strong minded women. Which is why we appreciate each other and can understand where the other one is coming from. I always find it amazing who can rise to the occasion and help me, when I am at my lowest moments.
Later today I went to Bank of America. This is where our Foundation has its account. I am trying to activate the PIN on my card. How difficult could that be? I assure you.... DIFFICULT! I have tried calling, I have even tried booking an appointment with a banker on-line! FORGET IT. I literally had to drive to the bank today to schedule a live appointment for tomorrow. Talk about a lack of customer service. We shall see what tomorrow holds, but what I know is it will be another EARLY start as I have to take the car in for service by 9:40am. That may not sound bad, but before I can do that, I have to feed the animals, give Sunny chemo, get myself showered and dressed, make breakfast, get my dad up, showered, dressed, and downstairs. Literally I am getting up at 5am, to make all of this happen. I look back at the days before I moved into this house and the notion of getting up at 5am, was totally out of the realm of possibility. Some life changes are not always for the better.
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