The Story

  • Take care of yourself.

    If you don’t take care of yourself, who else will? This month was full of tough moments, new memories, and exciting times. My son moved away. That was tough. Two friends treated me to lunch on separate weekends. Those are good memories. I am refinancing my house, which makes it easier for me to stay Continue reading

  • If your child is an addict, I am your worst nightmare.

    A movie called Four Good Days was in my suggestions on Amazon Prime. The movie stars Glenn Close and Mila Kunis. It’s very much worth a watch, but I found myself sometimes shouting at the TV, sometimes closing my eyes, and sometimes just feeling it right in the gut. Although Stephanie was never a heroin Continue reading

  • But in the end we all come from what’s come before.

    My son forgot to take his humorous calendar with him from the office, but it seems like it knows us. Every month, there are funny sayings (instead of pictures) as the main page, with other funny things throughout. If you’re easily offended, skip the list below. Also, why the hell are you reading my blog Continue reading

  • Last weekend, lost weekend.

    This is the last weekend my son will be living with me, probably ever. It was out of necessity that he moved home from Raleigh ten months after losing his job and being unable to find another in 2012. He has had an apartment and then a townhome that he owned since then, but he Continue reading

  • Life changes. All good!

    The last 3 weeks have been super busy. Many, many changes are on the horizon. First, I’m done with treatment for breast cancer! I couldn’t sleep Friday night because I was so happy and excited by the news and the positive changes it brings. No more every-3-weeks Herceptin/Perjeta infusions. No more every-3-weeks bloodwork and oncology Continue reading

  • Where that leaves us.

    I’ve got a few things on my mind this Friday evening. First, it’s always something. Second, experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. And finally, where does the road lead now? Yesterday, I shelled out a few bills to get my house, deck, and windows power-washed. It was sorely needed, Continue reading

  • 12 Years a Bereaved Mom.

    Yesterday was the 12th anniversary of my daughter’s death. Twelve years without hearing her voice, being able to touch her, or being able to celebrate special days with her. Sean and I spent it this year as an ordinary day, which is kind of a miracle considering how it used to flatten all of us. Continue reading

  • This is not the vaccine talking.

    I’ve started dreaming about secret rooms again. Rooms that you can’t get to directly when you enter a house; you need a guide or to have already been in the room. It’s been awhile since I dreamed about secret rooms. Last time was not long after my second divorce. It was a time when I Continue reading

  • Radioactive.

    I’m beginning to see why everyone who has gone before me says that radiation makes you tired. It isn’t so much about the treatments themselves; it’s about getting up and out of the house every day to go have the treatment. This week was a killer. Not only did I have to be at the Continue reading

  • And no bad dreams.

    Tomorrow marks the day I’ll start radiation. It’s the last step in the multi-pronged approach to beating breast cancer. I’ve survived chemotherapy, surgery, and complications. Now I just need to go let them blast my chest with radioactive particles, more toxins to kill the bad cells that could still be floating around. I’m trying not Continue reading

About Me

A writer and solitary soul in the mountains of Western North Carolina.