Backyard Graduation and Mother’s Day
(From the Journals 2020s in a pandemic and divorce)
May 2020 – Time is up at Quarantine Cottage. In a pandemic, and a divorce, have to find a new place to live. Visited Casa de Coco, a dreamy new potential. Loretta got a new job. Went to family home, full of stress and anxiety. Trying to plan a backyard graduation party for Daughter amidst the chaos. Then had to decide on the new cottage ASAP and pay and sign life away. Then go pick up flowers (second time) for Daughter and then….
Homeless Woman Incident:
Loaded Daughter’s grad flowers and lei into my car. Backed out about 5 feet, then a homeless man on a bike started pounding on the car, nearly breaking the window; thought we were being attacked. THEN see a homeless woman laying prone (like sunbathing), masked, acting like I ran her over. Cut to 10 police officers, firemen, ambulance, MTD bus drivers, passerbys, photos going off. Interviewed by police over and over. Traumatic. Witnesses finally corroborated that it was all staged. Oh my nerves.
At home graduation quarantation celebration.
Daughter’s official USC graduation week. School of Cinematic Arts, Film and Television Production, Magna Cum Laude. Obviously not the same as an on campus extravaganza, but this ended up a beautiful moment. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins represented from a safe social distance or via FaceTime. Son in Ireland. So proud of my girl. Best Mother’s Day gift ever.
May 10 – Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to my mom who taught me to walk, to dream, to love, and to be a mother myself. She raised three pretty amazing kids, who are in turn raising a total of six beautiful kids.
Never in a million years did I think I wouldn’t be able to give her a hug for months on end, but I’m grateful for her health, and the fact I can see her from a safe distance in person.
Very blessed during these uncertain times to be able to spend time with Daughter (champagne and flowers!), and share a safe distant “curbside” Harry’s lunch with my mom, and at least a FaceTime with Son in Ireland.
Took a little time of nostalgic reflection tonight on Mother’s Day, which happens to hit the week both of my kids are graduating and moving on into the world. Looked at some photos and old Mother’s Day cards which brought a smile and a tear! What a journey.
So Many Questions
May 11 – Rogue and I reminiscing about pre lockdown that last week in Edinburgh – Fishers, Thistle Street, etc. Never thought I’d be back here in my hometown. Talk and talk. Plans and dreams.
May 12, 2020 Cannot believe we’re in endless lockdown. Borders never open?? Rogue never here? Me there? When see my Son again? Thank God for Loretta. Parents. Daughter. A few other friends. But no human touch? No divorce!!
May 13, 2020 Bubbly over forming UK branch of my company! Accountant call. Script notes. Feeling hopeful.
May 14 Divorce papers to deal with. Vocational exam looming. Too much. Feeling so sad and overwhelmed.
Daughter’s Virtual Graduation
May 15 USC official graduation day. Surreal, never imagined it’d look like this, watching alone on my laptop, but proud moment nonetheless. Congrats to the Class of 2020!! Strange times, but oh so proud of the strength, courage, and persistence of all of these young people. May better times be around the corner as you go out into the world! And one day in the future hopefully there will be the “real” graduation ceremony.
Celebration
Drove down State Street and saw (gasp!) some shops open!! Don’t fret, there were masks galore. Couldn’t tell if it was “curbside” but there were tourist type shops, a cigar lounge, ice cream and yogurt places open – to go INSIDE! Then, I picked up Santo Mezcal for my USC graduation celebration and I heard… wait for it… the clinking of ice in a cocktail shaker. There was a REAL bar. With Bartenders. Granted it was “curbside”. But I was INSIDE. Jalapeño margaritas for the road. Oh bless them. And queso fundido, ceviche, salad, guacamole…. Oh blessed be. The little things are MASSIVE right now. Salud to all.
USC School of Cinematic Arts ceremony… this was a treat! Commencement speeches by director John Chu and Ron Howard among other guest appearances (plus Will Farrell in earlier ceremony). Such inspiring messages of hope and the need for the arts and creatives even more now. I must say when I saw my daughter’s name scroll down with the music there were tears… What a journey. So many emotions. Proud mama. Class of 2020 will be one for the books.
May 17 USC School of Cinematic Arts, Film and Television Production, Senior Thesis Film screenings (“480”). Would’ve been in a big theater, but I enjoyed it over Zoom nonetheless. My daughter, along with her team, worked tirelessly on this, and fortunately finished filming before COVID. They still had to do post production all in their various quarantine situations. Everyone is so talented and adapted to the crazy situation and challenges. I have loved watching all of these film students on their journey. Congrats once again to the Class of 2020!
Productive and Hopeful
May 18, 2020 Alone time. First option payment came in on a screenplay I wrote. Feeling productive and hopeful. So many projects with forward motion. Time to reflect. Get healthy. Nearly divorced. Time to move on. All I want.
The Rogue started talking about coming out to California in detail. So many possibilities. Road trip. Nashville. Half work/half play. I want to be free to travel and go where I want on film sets. See my friends and family. This is what I want.
May 19 Today I was supposed to be on a flight to Ireland, then Thursday my Son and I were going on his grad trip to Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Well, that’s not happening! BUT he and I are both so busy pursuing other dreams/goals during this crazy time that we’re okay with it. I took a voucher rather than a refund, because we WILL go one day soon. Miss him though. FaceTime saves me.
56 days since I landed from the U.K. into this crazy time warp. I’ve settled into old-fashioned pursuits including all things with wheels (rollerblades, the ancient bike…just need what? A tractor? A horse and buggy?), a thirty year old picnic basket (perfect for curbside quarantinis), journaling (by hand!), vision boards, at home work outs, and splurging on weekly fresh flowers. I’m coming out of Quarantine QuaranFIT, healthy mind, body and soul.
Sentimental
May 20 Finally watching “Normal People”, makes me feel like I’m back in Dublin (where I should’ve been today). End of episode 3 when Yaz plays “Only You”, it took me back. Now the “Best of Yaz” is playing on repeat. So many classics, heart tuggers like “Mr. Blue” (good isolation song), “Nobody’s Diary” (lots of pages in my journals haha). Of course “Don’t Go” is a great dance in your house alone song.
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