Writer/Editor, Artist/Maker, Family Caregiver, Perpetually Positive Spoonie, chai and mint chocolate lover with two sweet, wee rescue dogs
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Last month I fulfilled a dream on my Bucket List: Take photography classes and learn to use a DSLR camera. I love taking pictures, but sometimes I feel as though I’m not quite capturing my vision or the most memorable moments. Santa Cruz, Calif. – Photo Credit: Stephen W. Oachs […]
The 3 of Us (taken just weeks before Mama’s diagnosis last year) A year ago, my sweet mama had brain surgery. It was one of the scariest days of my life, to come that near to losing my only close family and my lifelong best friend. I am still struggling […]
First, here’s my disclaimer: I’m no doctor and I am in no way professing to cure any cancer. I am a caregiver and a writer. My mama is battling brain cancer and we’ve found some natural remedies for the symptoms of her cancer and treatments. All of these items can […]
Photo credit: Apple ‘How are you doing all that? What time are you getting up?’ That was one of my close friend’s reaction to my new 30 Days to 30 morning routine. On the grand scale, I’ve got a big looming birthday to motivate me, but feeling inspired each day […]
#OneGoodThing Daily 