Where have we been for the past eight years?
One morning not too long ago, after church, I happened across this name tag, apparently dropped by a child who had come on one of our Sunday school busses. I’ve heard a lot of interesting names for kids, but this was a first. It was just too perfect. I had to have a picture.
The “Reality” name tag, to me, goes along with this quote I found on Pinterest. We’ve all probably seen this concept expressed in various ways, and I think we can all relate. Life isn’t always how we thought it would be, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have joy along the way.
April 13, 2024, is the eighth anniversary of the day my husband Mark passed away. In thinking about this year’s memorial post, I realized that a lot has happened without him, both good and bad, over the past eight years. It would have all been so much better if he had been here, but the reality is that he wasn’t. So, this year we’ll take a look at some of the story we’ve been living.
In August of 2016 a tiny creature came to live with me. Once a foster kitten at my neighbor’s house, as soon as I brought him across the street, his name became Foster and the rest in history. (In 2022, Foster and Panda “did” a post about their first six years together called “Happy Cattiversary”.) As you know, they’re still best buds.
Shortly after Foster’s arrival, I decided to paint the kitchen. I had begun to realize that “coffee and pretty things”, brought me solace and a sense of purpose.
There’s more about this in “Talavera Kitchen” Parts 1, 2, and 3.
In 2018 I discovered that a relatively small, sixty-something lady really can remove a toilet, install a new one, and mosaic the old one, although you may not want to try this at home. It’s all about being “Big Girl”.
In 2019 I decided to mosaic the tile in my bathroom with sea animals. This project took just over a year to complete, beginning with “Because I Can” and ending with “Sea Animals, Done!”
Then, around Christmas, 2020, during the Covid lockdown, and I decided it was the perfect time to mosaic the edge of the mantle in the front living room. You can see the whole story in “The Fireplace Mosaic”. Would Mark have approved of all these “home improvements?” Based on the fact that he always expressed admiration for my “artistic endeavors”, I can only assume the answer is “Yes”. The cost of the supplies? I can hear him now, saying with mock dismay, “Woman, you’re going to break me!”
It goes without saying that my adorable grandkids have been growing! Here they are in 2016 (ages 13 and 9) and 2023 (ages 20 and 16). They are now 21 and 17. Every time they are both here together, I make them stand by the tree for a “kids and tree” photo. We started that when the city put in the baby tree in 2010. (If you want to see them with Papa Tracy in 2008, check out “Follow the Directions.”)
Sage and Drake at Sage’s college graduation, May 2023.
Drake and Nana.
In other grandchild news, Carlos and Kate, who got married in April of 2015 with Mark fulfilling the role of father of the groom, now have two children, ages 6 and 3. While they only know Papa Tracy from pictures, they know me as Nana, the third of the “tres abuelitas”, along with Grammy and Grandma.
Not everything that’s happened since we’ve been without Mark has been necessarily, shall we say, pleasant. This summer you read about my being diagnosed with breast cancer, having a summer’s worth of chemo, with a mastectomy in January. Would I have preferred him with me during all this? Yes, but there’s that thing called Reality. True to his character, he left us with an amazing example of how to get through the things that weren’t part of “what we thought life would be like”. So the only thing we could do was carry on. And you always have to be Big Girl, after all.
“I’ll take what you’ve instilled in me, I’ll try to be all I can be, and walk the path that you have left behind.” – From the song “I Sure Miss You” by Gerald Crabb.
Nana's Whimsical World 
Thank you for sharing your memories, good and less good ❤️💚❤️
I’m glad you liked the post, Yvon! Hi to Annie and Charlie!🥰
I love this post! I can’t believe it’s been eight years. And yes, a lot has happened since his passing. I sure do miss him! There’s no one like him. He was truly a good father, grandfather and hubby. ❤️❤️
Yes, he was! 🥰🥰
A very sweet and touching post. I suspect anniversaries are still challenging, and I can only imagine how challenging cancer has been. Happy to see your smiling face, even in the midst of chemo!
Thanks Susanne! I’m glad you liked the post. Yes, the anniversaries are still emotional, but they are made easier because of the kind of man he was. 🥰
🥰 Aww thanks Gail❤️❤️💕
This is such a nice post. It is hard to believe 8 years have gone by already. Mark was such a good person and he would be so proud of you. You are such a strong and amazing woman and I admire all you have done. You are a wonderful sister too❣️🥰🐱🐼🐈⬛♥️
Aww thanks Gail! 🥰💕❤️🐱🐼
What a sweet post I’m reading this morning and a little smile reaches up in my face. It was lovely to see the photograph of your beautiful husband, Mark. I remember it so well. Such a good man and fun as well.
Reading down I smiled even more – Foster and Panda, the lovely people and every clever thing that you have done. We’ve all had good things and bad things, but just as you said, ‘find the joy in life.’
😊💛😺🐼🌸🤗
Thanks Chris! I’m glad you liked the post. It seemed like the right thing for this year. When I found that “Reality” name tag I knew it was definitely going to become “blog material”! 😊🥰🐱🐼
Great memory post❣️… I can’t believe it’s been 8 years already 😢 we miss him everyday, and my kids would have loved papa Tracy, and he would have loved them too 🥰
Thanks, Kate! I agree with you, it would have been love at first sight for him and them. 🥰🥰
Wonderful memories are the best way to get through life. Thank you for sharing. My cats Freddie and Morticia send their meows in greeting to Foster and Panda. I have always enjoyed your post about the adventures of Foster and Panda.
Thanks Sandra! It’s nice to hear from you. “The guys” send their greetings to Freddie and Morticia too! 😀🐱🐼
Such a lovely post! I am amazed at your strength and the way you set an example for how to take the downs of life. We all struggle with them and how they disturb what we think life should be, when it is just like you write – a question of enjoying what your life IS, the best way you can. This is something one should definetly give more thought. Thanks!
Thank you for your sweet comment, Thérèse! I’m glad you got a chance to see a glimpse of my wonderful husband. I always say that we’ve been able to go on without him, largely because of the type of man he was, and the example he set for us. 🥰
That is so amazing, and it is truly what one wants for one’s family if one has to leave this earth early. You all look very happy and loving in the photos 😍