Friday, August 26th, 2022:

I've been away on vacation this summer. Writing. Healing. Learning how to wield my Happiness Palace drawbridges and set real boundaries. Now it's reintegration time.

Image Credit: Yours Truly and La Profe!

August 18th, 2022:

As I wait for Etienne, I prepare a curry with my brother's saffron rice recipe. I ponder all the unsolicited advice I've tried to give my brother over the years. 

Image credit: Etienne and me

August 16th, 2022:

I've never known a love like this. My very own fairy godmother, manifested out of thin air. I led an excavation project yesterday to find our anniversary in my diary...

Image credit: Jaeri on Pinterest

August 14th, 2022, continued:

Last night, Jessie asked me if I believed in magic. Something beyond the metaphysical, like the god of Abraham and Moses. He said he didn't believe in anything at all.

Image credit: Rafael Guajardo on pexels.com

August 14th, 2022, continued:
When your head is spinning and your heart goes numb, you must leave. If not, the cycle of abuse will keep on going, and you'll keep getting hurt. 

On average, it takes 7 tries for a victim to successfully leave his/her abuser. Leaving is not easy. 

Leaving Gavin was one of the hardest things I ever did. 

Image credit: Sydney Sims on Unsplash

August 12, 2022:

The trauma is lessening. The words are coming, even though some stories will always stay unwritten. There will never be quite enough time, and healing is always a process. 

Image credit: Yours truly (see other images at https://medium.com/@lifeandloveinlaville/on-trauma-processing-and-unwritten-medium-posts-b-g-f094d8e7988e)

August 11th, 2022:

My ex-husband and I started speaking again a couple of years ago. By then he was engaged to be married, I think, or about to propose. His wife’s name is Lorelai, just like mine. I got pretty emotional when he told me they were pregnant...

"Ice castle" image credit: Jacob Campbell on Unsplash

August 9th, 2022
Spoiler alert: Ramy Season 2, Episode 9

The camera zooms in on a man sitting in a steam-room, naked except for a towel. He is thick-muscled, hairy, and perhaps more attractive than you had initially given him credit for. He is alone at…

Image credit: Unknown artist

Andrés and I played a fun game last night on our midnight road trip home. It was called “Guess-my-real-first-name,” game.  

In which my affinity for amazing cheese and my time away unfortunately coincide with fried refrigerators. Time for a food funeral. Wah!