We Are Back!

                

                

January 9, 2023

Where to begin, I ask myself as I sit here staring at the screen. Things have changed exponentially since my last entry in 2017, and I am happy to report that it is all for the better. 

Griffin has matured in every way even having progressed developmentally and mostly of his own volition; I could not be more proud of him. His Papa and my father passed away in 2018, and that was a tremendously traumatic event for both of us. Griffin watched him as he was dying and whispered, "I am crying inside" because Griffin has never had to ability to shed tears and actually cry and apparently he was acutely aware of this which caused even more sorrow for him and me as well. It broke my heart and still does. 

I am passing back and forth from past to present tense lazily not correcting my writing as I go because it is a big No-No for writers and because I am finally seriously working my book I must practice doing things as close to correct as I possibly can. Please bear with me. I need to stick to having a structure making sure that my story is not confusing and that it is interesting enough to maintain the reader's attention. There ya go...my confession as a novice writer.

Griffin and I, since his Papa's passing, have grown much closer to his Nana, my mom, and it was a bit of a roller coaster there for awhile but I am eternally grateful for him to have an opportunity to spend time with her and get even closer to her. She just became 80 years old...Wow! The move from Alaska in 2006, was a decision that I, hypothetically, would have never changed for any reason. Alaska was awesome for twenty years and Griffin was born there but it was important for him to grow up around his family especially mom and dad. His uncle Michael passed away in 2011, which was also a traumatic event, Griffin and I were close to him.

We had spent a couple of years with organized religion learning a lesson that it is just not for us. At least I can speak for myself. We are perfectly happy being non-conformists just as he has been and I have been for most of my adult life. Following has never been a good path for me because I am not happy that way and I think that it is safe to say that Griffin would agree that he is that way too. Incidentally, high school didn't work out because one of his teachers, Mrs. Montgomery, was downright mean and cruel to him triggering him intentionally so that he would run out of the building into unsafe areas and ultimately of course as she knew that she was going to far, he hit her. He didn't injure her but get this...she had the audacity to try to get him arrested and the magistrate literally laughed her out of the courtroom. There are nasty words for inhumane individuals like this but I will keep that thought in my head and you can figure out the rest. I took him out of school in nineth-grade but he continued being educated through ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) which was a roller coaster but in the midst of it a couple of the instructors were stellar and he learned skills that are necessary to move forward into his future. He does the dishes, takes out the garbage, cleans his room, does laundry even folding at times, and whatever task I request of him. For the most part he doesn't complain as long as I don't say too much nor can I request more than one task at a time.

My health has greatly improved I even had Long Covid for seven months which was debilitating. Poor Griffin wasn't able to do much outside unless my mom picked him up to drive around, go to the lake, and eat out; mostly because I was extremely fatigued, weak, and in chronic pain sleeping basically all the time. I have a pain doctor who has given me some non-addictive pain medicine for my Fibromyalgia and since the Long Covid left I am a brand new person full of energy and practically pain-free! We are active every day and almost every day drive about 45 minutes to go visit my mom. The Fibromyalgia is not cured but it is no longer debilitating.

Griffin is a self-taught artist not only for all cartoons, be it Steamboat Willy to current cartoons he has taught himself animation on his tablet and it is amazing. He is a consummate artist possibly because that is practically all he does during his waking hours honing his skills using the talent that was passed down from my dad to me and then Griffin. Perhaps he will let me publish a couple on her but he is private about his work. 

Soon new doors will open for him as he has finally, after a twelve year wait, got a slot on the NC innovations waiver. There's a program in which he is on the list called, Feed the Need, specifically for those individuals with autism. I will give more details in my following posts.

I am so happy to be back and I hope to find my old chums and read your blogs again as well...just like the old days. I have missed this.