Hard Scrabble Life in California

This has been a strange and rather sad week in Burbank. One of my co-workers is going to have extensive surgery on her back next week and since she is 65 it is rather worrisome. She has been living with her son for the past several years since she had a severe heart attack. And now he has decided with the advent of a new girlfriend he doesn't want his mother living with him any more. So he literally threw her out in the street with no regard for her upcoming surgery or her well being. He refused to help her find an apartment or replace what he sold. He even refused to give her the paintings her mother painted that he had stored in his locked bedroom closet. Another co-worker and I helped her move yesterday into the home of one of her friends. This is only a temporary home for her until she recoups from the surgery then she will have to find a place. Since he sold all of her things when she moved in with him she will literally have to start over. I hate that she is going into surgery with such a heavy and pained heart. And I can only hope her son and his girlfriend have a bad case of karma. And I wish I had mob connections that could inflict a little pain on their kneecaps.

Finding a place in Burbank is real tough, I know I have tried. It is nearly impossible for a single person to live alone. Decent places to live start at $1300 and up for one bedrooms. Mike and Michelle pay over $3000 for a place and that is not unusual. I feel very fortunate to have found my place at Diane's. And I hope my friend will be as lucky. People are harsh here in California too. They have harsher personalities, live harsher lifestyles and seem to have less heart. I don't know if that is because they are jammed into less space, have less economic stability or the climate is just tooo damn hot. They live in a superficial world of illusion. And I know that I will not live in California for the rest of my life. Michelle and I were talking about this way of life this weekend and she agrees with me about the harsh reality of life in California. And neither of us feel it is a place to raise Brooklyn, not even in beautiful downtown Burbank.

After spending the day helping my friend move I came home and Diane told me that Noah's sister had been murdered by her husband/boyfriend. He had beaten her to death. Noah and his partner Chris adopted Noah's sister's son William who is 6 and just an adorable child. They live a block up the street and they have come here for dinner several times and have had us to their home for dinner a few times. A couple of weeks ago we went to their house for Noah's birthday and I met his mother and other sister, her husband and nieces and a delightful bunch of gay guys who kept me laughing the whole evening. To have this tragedy is horrendous. Apparently William's father had threatened to kill Noah, Chris, William and the sister and they all had a restraining orders against him. Chris and Noah installed an alarm system. But a restraining order is only a piece of paper to a crazed individual. Thankfully he is in jail now and hopefully they will keep him there. I won't be here for the funeral so Diane and I will cook food and take it their house Thursday evening. If you are the praying sort say a few for my friends Chris and Noah and little William. Chris and Noah are truly wonderful boys and would make any mother proud to have them as sons. And they have really turned little William's life around since they have had him. He is an engaging little boy with big brown eyes and a mop of thick brown hair who didn't speak and wasn't potty trained when they got him a couple of years ago. And now he doesn't stop talking and is just a charming little boy. Fortunately the adoption was final in July so he is now their son legally.

On a much happier note I leave Friday the 22nd to go to Sacramento for the weekend. I look forward to seeing the girls. I am taking them school shopping especially since this is Jac's first year in Junior High and I know how looking and feeling good about yourself is important at this age. So even though Nana hates to shop we are going to hit the mall with a vengeance early Saturday morning. Since I hate to fly I rented a car from Enterprise for $62 for the weekend with unlimited miles plus I will get a 10% Aramark discount. Not a bad deal. I bought one of those Aerobed's so I am all set. The girls all are excited especially since their Great Aunt Josephine sent each of the girls, Jac, Bubba and Brooklyn $100.00 cashier checks. This is my ex husband's sister whom I have considered a sister even though I divorced her brother. They don't get any better then Josephine. I value her friendship enormously. I am not sure if you all remember but Josephine left her own family and came to Oregon to spend Christmas with us the year Mary Etta was diagnosed with cancer. We have been each other's moral support through Mary Etta's death, the unexpected death of her sister and then the death of her husband from cancer. I don't know how I could ever live my life with out the wonderful family and friends I have. Blessing to you all!

Love to you and yours,
NanaCarol