Currently living/working: I’m ecstatic to say that I’m back in Alaska! TONS of big changes around here for all our summer hustles & beyond. Most notably, Justin is the new manager of Discover Denali, an organization dedicated to promoting tourism beyond Denali National Park and into the surrounding gateway communities. It will be sort of…
(1988 Note from Patrice to Mom) Please forgive me for all the times I talked fresh. (1993 Note from Patrice to Mom) I’m sorry I never show how much I love you, but I do love you a lot. Please don’t talk about this note or school anymore because it will make me grouchy. (1994…
Currently living/working: My time as the dutiful daughter in NJ will be winding down mid April as I’ll hand off the caregiver torch to my sister to take over the hospice care in her home (in CT) while I return to AK in time for our typical robust summer work schedule. Current mood: I’m trying…
I sleep in fits, thinking I hear the floor creaking from my mom walking around. I sleep in the basement, which has its own heating zone so I can drop the temperature down to 60 for prime sleeping conditions. Upstairs, the thermostat is set at 75, the carpeted floor and wood paneling contain 40 years…
There’s a trickle down byproduct of inheritance that people like to avoid thinking about: acquiring someone else’s mountain of stuff. Over the years, I’ve watched in horror as every inch of available space in my mom’s house filled up to its maximum capacity. I figured starting the monumental and daunting task of pairing down was…
Currently living/working: Justin joined me in NJ for a few weeks this month! Thank goodness for gig work and our convenient side hustle of virtual library presentations because trying to incorporate the tide of personal responsibilities and work goals into the caregiving seems impossible to me. Also, I sold at least 6 Between Each Step…
Dear Dad, Five years is both an eternity and a blink of an eye. I learned so much going through your death that I thought it would prepare me for others. I learned that proactivity is important. I’ve now realized it may not mean much in the long run. As it turns out you were…
Confession and disclaimer: If you’ve been keeping up on my blog the last month, you probably have noticed I have some heavy thoughts circulating in my mind. It’s hard not to be metacognitive when I have so much time and space while being my mom’s full-time caregiver. I intend to keep sharing, but I’m talking…
Currently living/working: I took a leave of absence from my job … Wait, who am I kidding? I’m a freelancer who makes her own schedule. For the foreseeable future, I’m an unpaid—but much appreciated—caregiver to my mom in NJ. It’s what I dubbed as my limbo life. Meanwhile, Justin is battling the dregs of winter…
You’d think my skin was as thick as Kevlar with as much rejection as I’ve endured over the years in my freelance writing career and book publishing journey. But 2023 ended up being deeply soul-sucking in the ratio of my article pitches to published articles. In an attempt to rationalize (to myself) why I have…
Yes, I am still in NJ passing time and wondering do I go back to AK or stay with my mom—who despite having a terminal prognosis seems fairly stable, but embraces her fate waking up everyday and saying, “I just didn’t think I’d be alive today.” Reality bites, but I am practicing my best forms…
Currently living/working: It’s been an eventful month, and I’m so grateful for the carefree time in Mexico, because it’s all gone downhill! Let’s see, where to start? While we were in Denver visiting Justin’s family for Christmas, Justin ended up in the hospital. Apparently, he had a bacterial infection—unrelated to Mexico, but related to one…