When real things happen to imaginary people

His cardiologist has given him a clean bill of health! He returns to work on Thursday next week, and spent the night at his own place last night.

(I'm betting his kitties were VERY HAPPY about that.)

Dad underwent a non-surgical heart procedure today. EVERYTHING TURNED OUT FINE, and he's already feeling better.

( The details )

Huge love and thank-yous to maiaarts, who took me to the hospital, kept Patti and I company, and then took me for therapeutic thrift shopping.

And now, I start prepping for Rufflecon!

Happy birthday to one of the most wonderful people in the world, my Dad!



Today is also Mom & Dad's wedding anniversary. I miss you, Mom. I always will.

So, the holiday season is going to be rough for me this year. In addition to the obvious pain of it being the first Christmas without Mom, there's the fact that things are tight this season. Plus we're not putting up the tree this year, as a decorated tree + two energetic and mischievous babycats = disaster and everything breaking. So, no tree.

But. I am doing everything I can to find my holiday cheer:

- Dad and I are going to keep our holiday tradition of the Father & Daughter shopping trip; we'll just be present-shopping for our other loved ones. (We always went shopping for Mom together, and it's been a tradition since I was five or six, I think.) It's an important thing for both of us, even if it will be emotionally-wrought for a while.

- On Saturday I went to Wight's Nursery with Thea and Eric. They are THE store of holiday decor around here, and have 31 different decorated holiday trees. Going to Wight's is kind of like mainlining Christmas decor and glitter into your brain, and going there always boosts my holiday spirit.

- Last night was the neighborhood Christmas caroling event at the park down from my house, put on by the local Salvation Army. While I DO NOT support their stance on a lot of issues (especially LGBT ones), the local group is full of nice people, and spending a cold, crisp evening singing carols (which I love) with my neighbors is fun. They make fresh donuts and hot cider, there are horse-drawn carriage rides, and the organizers are always genuinely happy to see me. One little girl looked at me (top hat, full skirts, red ringmaster jacket, stripy tights, glow-in-the-dark skeleton boots and gloves) and asked if I was from Halloweentown, which made my night.

- I spent today doing holiday baking. Two pans of marshmallows (rose and violet) are chilling in the 'fridge, there is a batch of Chex mix in the oven, and soon I will make the dough for the gingerbread bats.

So I'm slowly getting into a cheerier holiday state of mind. Soon will be the traditional watching of Nightmare Before Christmas, and the singing along to "Fairytale of New York", and those will help, too.

My Dad is doing his best to keep his head above water, but the financial reality is that the bills from my Mom's hospitalization and the aftermath of her death are pretty ugly. So I'm asking for donations to help my Dad.

Thank you, everyone, for your continuing good thoughts and help. We really appreciate it.

My grandmother, my Dad's mom, passed away earlier this morning.

Dad is, understandably, numb.

I never got to spend as much time as I wanted with Grandma Vida, as she lived in California. But she was warm, funny, and flamboyant. I look a lot like her, and I have some similar personality quirks.

If you can, please spare a thought for her, and for my Dad, who is having to cope with a lot right now.

Happy Solstice, folks. Now the light comes back.

I did NOT get to see the lunar eclipse last night, thanks to the cloud cover. But it was nifty just knowing that it was happening. Instead, I did what I usually do on a Solstice: talked to Clovis about what I wanted the next six months to bring. (Yes, I'm serious. Just nod, and accept that my particular forms of magic and ritual are different than most.)

Today is chores, chores, chores. Tonight is the traditional Father & Daughter holiday shopping expedition, also known as "How many people will Jilli and her Dad confuse!" It's one of my favorite holiday traditions. This year, to ward off "Are you a caroler?" questions, I think I will wear a B&W striped blazer, fluffy skirts, and my skeleton Docs. And a top hat, of course.