Remember how my mom's car blew up a few weeks ago? It turns out it didn't actually blow up; it apparently sparked some and caught fire, but it didn't do much damage, except that any damage is too much for my mom to fix.

( Oh, grandmothers. )

Two days ago, my mother's car blew up. This isn't nearly as surprising as it might sound, because it's a 1997 Pontiac. She's been driving it since before my parents split up, and paying it off was one of the last things my father did before he ended their marriage.

( Read more... )

I've been needing to write for a few days about what happened in therapy.

( Make me laugh, say you know, what you want. )

This was a barbecue at Ryan's for Sephie and my niece Elle last night. I've been meaning to go to Dallas to see her, but since I've been in Kansas for a few weeks, that hasn't really been a possibility and it's not likely to happen soon. By the time I fly home on August 4, I'll have been in town for seven weeks, and that's a long time to be away ( Read more... )

( Of the bag, that is. )

It's hard not to be disappointed that instead of landing at the airport and being back home with friends and family members, I'm caring for a sick baby who seems to have caught the tail end of the infection that kept me grounded in the first place ( Read more... )

Dear Mom ( Read more... )

So, I've been trying to get used to the idea that I have postpartum depression. I have no problem admitting it to myself, even to the extent that I hear babies crying all the time. Even when Sephie is awake, or there is no baby around. If that's not a red flag, I'm not sure what would be ( Read more... )

Currently, I'm watching "Precious." And I have to admit, that while my own abuse pales in comparison to what the protagonist suffers, this film is incredibly triggering. I'm having a lot of strong reactions, emotionally, to not only the depiction of Precious' sexual abuse, but especially to Mo'Nique's portrayal of the abusive mother ( Read more... )

Being back in Kansas City was fun, but I can also say I'm relieved to be home, for the most part. I also find myself amazed that two weeks was just not enough time to see everyone--I regret that I wasn't able to see Dionne or Meg, for example, nor was I able to go to Dave and Buster's. But what I did experience, I enjoyed, and most of the people I ( Read more... )