One month ago today, on April 10th, I lost my mother.
She was more than 10,000 miles away, and it all happened so quickly. In less than a week after being hospitalized with what initially seemed like minor symptoms, she was gone. I’m deeply grateful that, thanks to a close friend who was by her side, I was able to say my goodbye to her on FaceTime.
When I woke up this morning and realized it was Mother’s Day, the reality of it hit me. I think I had been putting my emotions in storage until I return to home, where it will all feel more real.
Her passing came just seven months after losing my dad. The last time they saw each other was on their 63rd wedding anniversary last year. My dad still had his wicked sense of humor that day reporting back to me “Married 63 years. Some of them good!”
For those lucky enough to still have your mums, give them an extra hug today. And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums! 💕
Rest in Paradise, Angel 🪽🌈🕊️
May 2020 - 17th October 2025
Our hearts are broken that she left us so young. 💔❤️🩹
After nearly 6 months of fighting a brutal infection, we made the decision to relieve our sweet girl from her pain. Despite every effort from a team of vets at Cornell who performed a full mastectomy on her and our amazing team at Bentley Vet, she was unable to recover. Unfortunately, about 70% of goats in our area are positive for CAE, an incurable virus (sort of like a goat version of HIV that weakens the immune system). We did everything we could to help her and make her comfortable to the very end.
The last three slides are of her last day which was her last meal, Gatsby licking her goodbye, and her burial with 4 of her buddies also present. Too weak to sit up, she still enjoyed her last meal which was sliced pear. Not something she was allowed to have too much of due to the sugar content, but when we knew the vet was on their way, we let her eat as much as she liked.
It was a beautiful day—warm, blue skies—and our vet was incredible. She just went to sleep gently with her head in Grey’s lap.
She will be missed deeply by all her furry family here (especially her goat sister, Gallie) and of course her human family.
Her forever resting place is in our field where we will see her every day. RIP sweet and sassy girl 😢 🫶🏼
Thank you to her first rescuer @anachron_ for the adorable picture of her as a baby and for bringing these girls into our lives.
#goatsofinstagram #adoptdontshop #alpinemountaingoat
Finally, more than 3 weeks after the road trip to Cornell Nemo Farm Animal Hospital, they are home! Milky is skin and bones and definitely not herself yet. But doing everything possible to make her comfortable including a brand new barn. Milky had a full mastectomy due to a staph infection and is still recovering from pneumonia. Gallie had treatment for her hooves and arthritis and is moving better on her temporary orthopedic blocks.
We’re all so happy to have them back home. They really are the original G.O.A.T.🐐🐐#goatmasectomy #alpinemountaingoat #adoptdontshop❤️ ##cornellanimalhospital
Today marks what would have been my dad’s 85th birthday. This past March, living 10,000 miles away, I received the devastating news that he had fallen at home while alone. fiercely independent and, frankly, stubborn, he hadn’t yet gotten a medical alert pendant (a crucial reminder: if you have an elderly parent, please insist on this). The fall led to pneumonia, COVID-19, and two heart attacks, ultimately taking a severe toll on his health. Just over a month ago, he passed away.
The initial grief was so overwhelming that I couldn’t bring myself to speak about it. I lacked the strength to even reach out to many friends, as each conversation felt like another piece of me dying with him. My dad was one of my closest friends—a confidant with whom I shared my hopes, disappointments, dreams, failures, and, most importantly, our dark humor. We could talk for hours, as if in the same room, discussing science, politics, music, or whatever passion project we were dreaming up.
Today, while a tightness remains in my throat and tears well in my eyes when I think of him, I’ve entered a new phase of grief—one of accepting the loss and adjusting to a new reality.
Today, I want to celebrate the life of an extraordinary and humble man I was lucky enough to call Dad. Born at the beginning of WWII, his father was a POW for the first five years of his life. His life was driven by a passion for problem-solving through science and creativity through art, music, and writing. His resume was a source of inspiration for me to reinvent myself more than once. His career spanned computer analytics, pneumatic engineering, patenting lasers (including one of the first commercial laser pointers) in the late 70s, becoming an expert in de-commissioning audio bugs (technical surveillance counter-measures), and working in film, first as an audio consultant and then as a writer (his co-written debut film was an official entry at the Cannes Film Festival). He was also a jazz musician and a regular contributor to various newspapers and magazines, publishing fiction and non-fiction short stories under different pseudonyms. He achieved all of this despite having dyslexia (cont in comments)
Happy 21st birthday, Verity! I’m so grateful for our blended family and feel incredibly lucky to have you in my life. Your grit and strength of character continue to inspire me. Sending you all my love across the pond on your special day! Wish we could be there to celebrate this amazing milestone with you!
Love you SO MUCH! Xoxoxo 😘🎉🎂🥳❤️
23! 🤩🥳🎂❤️🎈
Happy birthday to my adventurous, vivacious, animal-loving, Sagittarius ♐️ girl @tabithazisser !
May you continue to have many adventures and blessings in your year ahead! LYSM!
😘❤️🤗xoxo
Happy 84th birthday dear daddums! This must be mid-late 1950s Sydney. It’s still your birthday here in NY. I just can’t get enough of the old 8mm grandma used to shoot and edit in camera. these frame grabs of the close up and wide establishing shot are too good. I would show the other angle over your shoulder but then it wouldn’t be showing you! I should have posted film clips. Watch out next year 🎥📽️
84 laps around the sun!
🫶🏼❤️😘
#super8 #8mm #kodakmemories
19 years ago today, I became what I am affectionately known as Birther ☺️.
Athena, I am not going to go on publicly how proud I am of you, or
how you’ve made it through another tough year and are even stronger, more confident, and compassionate. Well just that little bit…
More importantly, have an amazing birthday today and enjoy this last year of being a teen!
Love you, daughter! And forever thankful for you and my other daughters. 😘🥳🎂😘🎊🎁🎈
(Sorry I didn’t get all your amazing friends in here, but they all know who they are)
