In another post - quick update since things are getting more insane here. I temporarily moved with the cat on Friday to a friend's place with a nice secure room (shelter) while they're abroad to spend the war there. I'm safe.

Hugs to you too, Shir.

Shir, I'm glad to hear you're safe.

That’s good to hear, Shir. I’m sorry shit continues to be insane like that for so long.

I am safe and sound in San Leandro. This move has easily been the most traumatic of my life, but I am with people who will take good care of me. (Mike just went to Costco and brought back donuts for the household.)

I love you all, and I am keeping up with Natter, but I probably won't be posting much for at least the next month.

In particular:

Tom, the hug I shared with you at JZ's gathering continues to warm my heart and make me smile. I was telling my household here that among this group of really wonderful, loving people, you stand out to me as one of the gentlest, warmest souls I know. I am so sorry for your loss. Please remember that you are so, so loved here.

Shir, getting to share a hug with you was truly wonderful; I am so glad you could come out and see us and feel our love for you. I will continue to hope for compassion and safety for you and those around you.

Awww, babe.

Glad to hear you're safe Shir, and simultaneously sad that it's necessary for you to be in a place with a shelter to make that so.

Tom lots of love to you. (((Tom)))

Shir I'm glad you are safe

Karl. I'm sorry you've had such a rough time but I'm glad you are with people who care about you and can help.

Timelies all!

I'm so sorry, Tom.

I have a new phone. It's a smartphone, but a very basic one. The T-Mobile store didn't have any dumb phones, so I went to Best Buy, which only had Jitterbug phones in stock.(They could order me a dumb phone, but it wouldn't be available until Thursday.) Went back to the T-Mobile store and bought the smartphone and a charger. Didn't know most smartphones don't come with a charger.

Sorry you have to go through that, Shir.

At the end of May, I went to a family gathering, and saw my Mom the last time before this Friday. She had slowly but steadily been declining for years, and she had just received her cancer diagnosis, and I knew that the end was coming soon. In the end, it wasn’t the cancer that got her, but the cancer treatments left her in such a bad state that she finally just gave up.

I’ve been in such a deep funk all summer, which I was in denial about the causes of, but after she died, with me there to see it, I now feel like a weight has been lifted off me.

I grew up in Northern New Jersey, but my Mom was from the Jersey Shore, and she moved back about 15 years ago. My sisters researched our ancestry, and Mom has very deep roots to the area. My sister pointed out the graveyard behind the funeral home, and said that my Mom has relatives there going back to the Eighteenth Century.

Thanks, everyone, for your support.