March '13 Round-Up: What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs

New York Public Library by Neil Kramer

Welcome to the March edition of my monthly "What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs" feature. The place where I share what has caught my eye (and brain, and heart) on the internet over the past month.

Also, as usual, I am also featuring many photos from my friend and amazing intstagram photographer Neil Kramer - of the blog Citizen of the Month - who has been in NYC this month and doing some wonderful work.

Please notice a lot more humor this month. (Don't worry, there's still a lot of gut wrenching, lyrical beauty and thoughts on autism, as per usual.) March is such a heavy, heavy month for me, I really needed help to lighten up - so I'm passing that on to you here.

Morning, Queens by Neil Kramer

Let's start with some funny...

A conversation about the cat that has nothing to do with her weight by Alice of Finslippy

And Then The Phone Rang by Nancy of Midlife Mixtape

St. Patrick's Day Parade, NYC by Neil Kramer

Frida & Diego by Deb of Deb on the Rocks

Hop on the Bus, Gus by Anna of An Inch of Gray

Chrysler Building, NYC by Neil Kramer

Was It My Fault by Tracy of Sellabit Mum at Scary Mommy

Our real lives by Mary (the Barnmaven) of Clean Shavings

Reading, Highline, NYC by Neil Kramer

Why it’s okay for parents of autistic children to not be okay… by Lexi of Mostly True Stuff

Dear Relative: What Are You Waiting For? by Leigh of Flappiness Is...  

Elevated #1 train 125th St., NYC by Neil Kramer

Chosen: First Grade Politics by Debby of Everybody's Boy

Our "College" Tour by Liane at Autism After 16

Yellow Chair, Highline, NYC by Neil Kramer

For the First Time (Since Ever) He Didn’t Sit Alone by Jo of A Sweet Dose of Truth

six years — or — no. hell, no. hell to the mothereffing no. by Jess of a diary of a mom

Woman 23rd St., NYC by Neil Kramer

And because I promised you funny and after the first two selections we dove back into serious... ending with funny!
 
The Game of Life by Jillsmo of Yeah. Good Times.

Evasive Maneuvers: A Guide To Parental Escape by Vikki of Up Popped a Fox

And now, a word from Max's sleep-deprived dad AND Special needs mom's head explodes! by Ellen of Love That Max (Who was extra funny this month and I just couldn't choose!)

Clock near Flatiron Building, NYC by Neil Kramer

Finally, a few more photos from Neil, who was on fire this month - really inspired by NYC architecture...

Hotel New Yorker, NYC by Neil Kramer

In Shadows, NYC by Neil Kramer

Madison Avenue, NYC by Neil Kramer

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC by Neil Kramer

Reflection, NYC by Neil Kramer

February '13 Round-Up: What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs

Birds by Neil Kramer

Welcome to the February, 2013 edition of my monthly "What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs" feature. The place where I share what has caught my eye (and brain, and heart) on the internet over the past month.

Also, as usual, I am featuring photos from my friend and amazing intstagram photographer Neil Kramer - of the blog Citizen of the Month - who for some reason decided to leave sunny LA to visit cold, gray NYC this month.

I have been so busy mourning and dealing with the aftermath of losing my mother last month, I barely posted in February. But thankfully, so many other folks wrote wonderful things, and I am happy to now share these with you...

Wall, New York City streets by Neil Kramer

Early Spring by Deb of Deb on the Rocks

On Feeling Lonely by (The Empress) Alexandra of Good Day Regular People 

We Are More Than the Stories of Our Fears by Elan/Schmutzie of Schmutzie

Mailboxes, Queens by Neil Kramer

fierce and weak – on fighting like a girl by Heather of The Extraordinary Ordinary

Drinking From the Well of Confidence by Ciaran of Momfluential

Girl on Fire by Alysia of Try Defying Gravity

Red Ball on Fire Escape #2, Queens  by Neil Kramer

Bully: I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means by Jennifer of Anybody Want a Peanut?

Autistic People Should Be Free to Flap by Jo of A Sweet Dose of Truth

Winter Coat by Neil Kramer

I'm not much of a planner by Maxabella of Maxabella Loves 

Life is beautiful by Stacey of Is There Any Mommy Out There?

This Old House by Lisa of Smacksy

 Recycle, Queens by Neil Kramer

What you don’t know about me by Jessica of Four plus an angel

How We Do It: Part XXIII in a series by Elizabeth of a moon, worn as if it had been a shell

LAX by Neil Kramer

Be well, and let's hope for an early spring.

Pictures of my Mother: the final months

Mom, September 2012

Ever since my mother fell last May and entered the final phase of her life, the rapid decline that ultimately brought about her recent end, I have taken pictures of her nearly every time I have visited.

There was that constant feeling of "Maybe this is the last time..." and I wanted to document her final months, wanted to capture what was fleeting, what I knew would soon be gone.

I always had my phone with me, outfitted with intstagram, a documentary minded person's perfect tool these days. And thus I snapped away.

I captured her in her many moods: happy, sad, contemplative, playful, lost, loving, sleepy - often sleepy. But always beautiful. And always her own unique self, an iconoclast, not just another garden-variety old lady, for sure.

The folks who worked in the nursing home grew to love my mother, were deeply grieved to hear she was gone. "She was one of a kind" they said, and it's true.

Mom, September

Out for a drive, October, 2012

This weekend it was very hard for me to look at pictures of my mother. They made me so sad. I kept thinking: "This is it. There will be no more photos" and, even, harder, "I will never see her again, except in these pictures and memory."

Mom, September 14th, 2012

But I wanted to finish this post, share these pictures of the last months of my mother's life. So I pushed past the wall of pain, late, middle of the night while the boys were sleeping so they wouldn't see me crying.

Mom in the hospital, June 2012

November, 2012

Mom on her 90th birthday, September, 2012

Fallen, August 2012

July, 2012

Telling mom not to pick the flowers just made her want to pick the more. She always loved to nick bits of plants - from woods, parks, neighbors, garden stores, botanical gardens - and bring them home to root and grow. She had a wonderful green thumb and nurturing living things made her happy.

July, 2012

Mom, Thanksgiving 2012

Even in pain, she always looked at me with such love, so much adoring in her eyes. No matter how terribly her mind was dissolving away, of this she was rock solid sure: we loved each other.

Mom, June 2012

This is the last picture I took of my mother, alive, the day before she died:

Mom, January 16th, 2013

She wouldn't open her eyes that day, or the next (her last).  She was becoming very sleepy; already starting to drift away, I believe.

Mom, January 3, 2013

But I'd rather remember her like this, the sparkle of love in her eyes, smiling for the camera, for me.

December Round-Up: What I Loved on OTHER People's Blogs

Nightfall, New Zealand by Neil Kramer

Welcome to the December edition of my monthly "What I Loved on OTHER People's  Blogs" feature. The place where I share what has caught my eye (and brain, and heart) on the internet over the past month.

Also, as usual, I am featuring many photos from my friend and amazing intstagram photographer Neil Kramer - of the blog  Citizen of the Month - who took a December trip to New Zealand (of all places) and is sending back beautiful photos of the place, as well as his stop in Australia along the way.

Opera House, Sydney, Australia by Neil Kramer

So, without further ado... December's gems:

Newtown: On Guilt, Grief, and Gratitude by Jo of A Sweet Dose of Truth

Peace, Love and Understanding by Alysia of Try Defying Gravity

My Hope for Newtown by Deborah of MaNNaHaTTaMaMMa

Little Girl Running Towards the Water, Sydney, Australia by Neil Kramer

How We Do It, Part XX in a series by Elizabeth of a moon, worn as if it had been a shell

I'm jealous of you. by Lexi of Mostly True Stuff

The Gifts We Receive by Jim of Just a Lil' Blog at ChildsWork's ChildsPlay Blog

Tree, New Zealand by Neil Kramer

When It's Not Norman Rockwell by (The Empress) Alexandra of Good Day Regular People 

The art of a well secured mitten by Stacey of Is There Any Mommy Out There?

One more thing about Chanukah by Deborah of Peaches & Coconuts

Juli's son Sam. Morning, New Zealand by Neil Kramer

Dreams of a New World… by Ariane of Emma's Hope Book

A Christmas Miracle by Tracy of Sellabit Mum

A perfect nonsensible pair by Kris of Pretty All True
 

Christmas Caroler, Los Angeles by Neil Kramer

And, last but not least, a bit of holiday cheer (this being December and all)...

The Seventh Annual Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert! by Neil of Citizen of the Month

Finally, as has been my habit for a while now, I am leaving you with a vertical triptych of photos from Neil. I really love finding 3 images that work together this way...

Photos by Neil Kramer