Mother's Day is going to suck this year. A year ago, we didn't know her cancer had started to grow again. We didn't know until mid-to-late May. I had no idea it would be our last Mother's Day.

When I got home from my (totally clean, go back in ten years) colonoscopy on Tuesday, my sense of smell was even more acute than usual for some reason (probable reason: I was high as a kite), and the lilacs in full bloom were overwhelming. All I could think was how much Mom would have loved the smell.

This club sucks.

Manassas is cool though

I once met up with an old college boyfriend for the weekend and at first we got along great and then we, two grown-ass adults, got into an absolute fucking screaming match in the middle of that battle field. This was evermore referred to as Third Manassas and we never tried dating again.

Definitely dreading Mother's Day, from both ends now.

Timelies all!

Yeah, Mothers' Day is gonna be rough for me as well. First one without her.

Meanwhile, things are gonna be rough at work. Today was the last day for my co-worker D. We're supposed to get some students, but they aren't starting until June. Another co-worker, B, is taking all of next week off. To top it off, I will be pretty much going solo on Tuesday until the late shift person arrives. Sigh...

There is a nice little gluten free bakery, Honey&I've. I did not actually have any baked goods but I bought a print from a local artist and had an awesome hot chocolate. They also had a Little Free Pantry and Little Free Library.

And we went to the comic book/vintage toy store. The employee gave M some free comic books since we won't be able to go to a free comic book. Alas none of them were the Dungeon Crawler Carl. Im hoping I'll be able to get a copy somehow.

E's play was great. I haven't seen too many school productions but the kids were really talented. Especially the girls who played the Sour Kangaroo and The Cst in thr Hat. The kid who played Horton also did a bang up job and it was his first play.

Unfortunately the band was often louder than the mic'd up kids so you sometimes couldn't hear them.

We are having my father’s funeral next weekend, and also interring my mother’s ashes. Yay, Mother’s Day? I imagine we may spend brunch with my aunts (his sisters) and cousins. Though no idea where to best get brunch in the area we’ll be in and hate to be waiting in crazy lines…but we will need to eat somewhere!

Oh mara. I hope the day goes smoothly.

I hope the weekend gathering brings comfort, meara. Restaurants are pretty nuts on Mother's Day. Maybe you can get a takeout feast and go to a park?

Mother's Day here is the Air Show this year, which super fun from my balcony. The hotel across the street sold out at $599 for the show! (per person, but does include an open bar and hors d'oeuvres) I'll serve food, but BYOB. My eldest son will be here, and maybe my nephew and sister. Not sure what other family will come.

My brother's neighbor was at the musical and it surprised my SIL. She said later the neighbor's mom has advanced cancer and the neighbor is her mom's primary caregiver but needed to get out of the house and just have an escape and going to the Musical really helped.

So if you ever need to just escape for a bit of cheap entertainment and also want to support your community try a local high school production. I'm going to see if there is anything with the local high school to support them.

Oh! And at the end of the show when the cast came out the students who had been in the audience mobbed them for autographs. It was so fun to watch the kids sign the playbills.

M suggested to E that he get some playabils and have the cast sign them all and send them to both his grandmas.

It was a quick visit but a good one and the drive is beautiful.

Hugs to everyone missing their loved ones. Today is 3 years since my Papa died, quickly followed in the next two months by Father’s Day and his birthday. So, this has become a rough time of the year for me. Father’s Day has always been rough since Dad died when I was a toddler, but since Papa was the one who took over all those dad things it’s become so much harder. I want to call him every time I cook or eat something delicious since he was the best cook I ever knew.

So frustrating. Tim's lung collapsed again -- the same lung he had surgery on in 2022 specifically to prevent it from collapsing again. He went to the ER after midnight last night (I didn't go with him), and now he's being transported to a different hospital about 20-30 minutes from here. I'm slamming down coffee and cheerios so I can go meet him at the new hospital.

I'm pretty overwhelmed (not specifically from this; from my whole goddamn life in general), and I think I have been for a while and have just been ignoring it. And I'm going to have to do that a little while longer so I can go be the caretaker again.