Friday, June 14, 2024

Friday, June 14, 2024

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2007. Mattie was five years old. He was invited to his friend Ellie's birthday party! I believe this was the party that had a pony! I can't tell you how exciting this was for the children! Mattie absolutely loved the ride. Mattie had the best preschool community and I am forever grateful that his speech therapist referred me to this school. It was within this school that Mattie developed amazing friendships and to this day, many of the women I am closest to, I met at this school! 

Quote of the day: It’s hard to let go of someone who has been a good friend, but it’s even harder to hold on to someone who doesn’t want to be held. ~ Unknown

Several months ago, I befriended a woman in England. She is experiencing similar issues as I am, as we met in an on-line support group. Ironically after two group sessions, I dropped out. Those of you who have been long time readers of mine, know, I am NOT a support group type of person! I value the need and importance of support groups, but this mode just doesn't resonate with me. However, it only took two on-line group sessions for me to connect with this woman. We write to each other daily. She writes me in the morning and I write to her before I go to sleep. It has been our pattern for months.  

One of the things we discuss is the art of keeping busy. We all have different names for this! I call it diversions. I swear by diversions, as they are the only thing that helped me survive and cope with the tragic loss of Mattie. Why? Because it is absolutely impossible to sit in grief, with stress, and angst 24/7. The body and mind need breaks from this to recharge and regroup. This is where diversions come in. After Mattie died, I literally spent days in bed. However, while in bed, I was watching Hallmark movies and doing all sorts of crafts. Hallmark and arts and crafts were my therapy. 

My friend's message today included pages from a book she is reading. It is about the therapeutic value of cooking. How we can get invested in preparing a meal, feel control over selecting ingredients, and get lost in the art of chopping, stirring, watching things simmer. I of course believe in this wholeheartedly. I have always loved to cook. Maybe because I like to eat! Or maybe because it reminds me of my maternal grandmother, who was an excellent cook. But I know when I cook dinner (practically every day of the week), it takes my mind off my boat load of troubles. 

I went grocery shopping today and always bring fresh fish home on Fridays. I am a big kalamata olive fan, and bought fresh ones today. I cooked onions, garlic, olive oil, white wine, tomatoes, olives, fresh basil and oregano (from my garden) and tossed it on the flounder and then baked it in the oven for 20 minutes. It was wonderful! But you have to be an olive fan!

My neighbor gave me a white yam! I did not include a photo of it, but I chopped it up and roasted it in the oven with cinnamon and nutmeg. The white yam, tastes like a orange yam, but its consistency is much firmer than the orange yam! 

I also sauteed eggplant and peppers together! I even got my dad to eat eggplant, which is a feat, as he isn't the best with vegetables. So these were my productive diversions this evening. 

Three things I am grateful for:

1. Friends who email, text, and write to me!
2. Being almost done with the 15th anniversary video. 
3. Post-it notes. I have so much going on, that I have notes to myself all over the place. Who ever invested these sticky notes, I thank them!