A New Jewish Year
We spent last Rosh Hashana at the Cancer Treatment Center. It was actually a surprisingly nice Rosh Hashana, all things considered… Right before Mama Jude’s radiation treatment, we had an […]
Author Archives
gabriana
Writer/Editor, Artist/Maker, Family Caregiver, Perpetually Positive Spoonie, chai and mint chocolate lover with two sweet, wee rescue dogs
A Very Different Kind of Trip
I’m living in Venice, Italy this month. I have the fortune of living here for a month — in a city most tourists seem to think they can “see” in a day or two! You’d think having been here a week already, I would have seen and done everything Venice […]
Adventures in Becoming a Temporary Venetian
We arrived safely in Venice, Italy just past midday Wednesday and have been settling in as temporary residents, rather than tourists. Though we’ve been here more days than it seems many tourists spend in Venice, I’m sure we’ve seen fewer sights. The travel and the humid heat has been taking […]
The Best Travel Tips
In just two weeks time, Mama Jude and I will depart on our very special trip (plus Abby and More Diane round out our traveling party) to Venice, Italy; and friends and loved ones have been sending great advice. I thought I’d share some of the best travel tips. Please […]
The Traveling Party
Meet More Diane In just a few weeks time, I will be traveling to Venice, Italy with My Amazing Mama, who’s fighting a rare terminal brain cancer, along with our sweet, healing service dog Abby. Given that Mama’s condition requires full-time caregiving, traveling abroad alone was a daunting goal. We […]
Finding the Perfect Venetian Home
A small canal in Venice (credit: Mama Jude) Due to our circumstances (I’m a FT caregiver for my amazing Mama fighting terminal brain cancer), finding the perfect Venetian home had to be Step 1 in our traveling process for Mama’s Last Wish Trip to Venice, Italy. We knew it would […]
Premature Isolation of a Young Caregiver
Mama Jude and Me (20-something years ago) I turned 30 this past April, something I find myself embarrassingly admitting lately. It’s what I find most isolating about being a young caregiver ― the young part. It seems most everyone else I meet caring for a parent is about 20 years […]
Buon Viaggio Celebration… Planning Underway!
RSVP to gabrianam [AT] gmail [DOT] com for the address! The watercolor background of this graphic invitation was painted by Mama Jude herself during a previous trip to Venice, Italy. You can read about her past adventures and see more of her gorgeous work on her blog, Giuddittalia. When she’s […]
My Amazing, Memorable Mama
Mama and Me My Mama is just adorable. She glows with an inner excitement for life, even amid debilitating cancer treatments. I realize I’m biased as her daughter, but in truth she’s always been “cool” (though very strict when I was a kid). She’s done so many things and lived […]
Lil’ Nosy Parker Travel Favorites
Abby ♥ Santa Cruz (Photo Credit: Gabriana) We all have our favorite must-have products. My beloved sweet Abby, a 5-year-old rescued Boston Bull Pug, who’s a natural Lil’ Nosy Parker […]
#OneGoodThing Daily 