Weird Things Happen on Friday

Whee! It's Friday, the doorway to the weekend. Isn't it amazing how people lust after Fridays? Like the song says, "Just working for the weekend."

I was reading an article about Friday the 13th, the historical event involving the Knights Templar, and decided to see how many weird things happen on Fridays.

To my surprise, I found a treasure trove of trivia. Let's get started with the Knights Templar. Read on and be amazed.

1. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France had hundreds of the powerful Knights Templar arrested. That event is often cited as the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition.

2.  Security data shows companies are disproportionately hacked or hit with phishing scams on Fridays because that's when IT staffs, like all the other employees, leave for the weekend.

3. Seafarers have long believed it was bad luck to start a new voyage on a Friday.

4. In the USA, TGIF means "Thank God It's Friday" whereas in Australia and the UK, Friday is known as POETS Day, "Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday."

5, In the USA, the crazy mad rush in stores on the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday because the first such event actually resulted in the death of a retail employee in 2008 in Valley Stream, New York.

He was crushed to death in the stampede of 2,000+ shoppers when the doors opened at midnight.

6. The expression “Man Friday” comes from the character Friday in the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The phrase is used to describe a particularly loyal and/or competent male personal assistant.

7. The restaurant chain TGI Friday opened in 1965 to capitalize on the popular TGIF phrase.

8. The popular saying “Friday on my mind” was popularized by the 1966 hit song of the same name by The Easybeats.

9. Friday is the most common payday in the United States.

10. Given that Friday is usually payday and that people are working for the weekend, it's no surprise that studies show worker productivity decreases on Fridays compared to other work days.

11. Friday is the only day of the week named after a Norse goddess, Frigg, who was the equivalent of Venus.

12. More bank robberies happen on a Friday than any other day of the week.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

TGIF! Let's have fun today and get ready for the weekend.

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Friday Freaky Facts

I love trivia and often save bits and pieces of weird information. I mean, you may never know when the opportunity presents itself to drop a tidbit into a conversation.

For example, you're at a cocktail party and talking with a bunch of women and men about mundane chores around the house.

Isn't that the time to say, "I too hate vacuuming the carpet and have often wished British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth, who is widely credited with inventing the first motorized, suction-based vacuum cleaner in 1901, had chosen to invent something else."

Now that's a stunner that will make everyone's jaw drop. Right?

With that thought in mind, allow me to share a few equally tasty tidbits of trivia because History is full of quirky little facts. How unfortunate that too many people think History is a bore. It's not. History is the adventurous exploits of the famous and infamous.

Here are a few things I've learned as I research various subjects. Enjoy!

In  1439, Kissing was officially banned in England in an effort to stop disease from spreading. (I imagine the country became a nation of lawbreakers.)

In 1912, a Paris orphanage held a raffle to raise money and gave away live babies as prizes!

John F. Kennedy, Anthony Burgess, Aldous Huxley, and C.S. Lewis all died on the same day.

Once upon a time, Karl Marx was a correspondent for the New York Daily Tribune.

Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard during high school and saved 77 people from drowning.

In 1487 in the Aztec dedication of the temple at Tenochtitlan, 20,000 people were sacrificed.

Romans used human urine as mouthwash.

A 19th century popular medicine for kids was Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup which had morphine as an ingredient.

In early Rome, a father could legally kill anyone in his family.

Attila the Hun bled to death from a nosebleed on his wedding night.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

There is no known civilization that did not tax. Even the very first known civilization, the Sumerians, recorded their tax history on clay cones.

In colonial America, pregnant women were not given anything to relieve the pain of childbirth because pain was considered God’s punishment for Eve’s eating the forbidden fruit. (That had to be the Puritans.)

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Next time your kid bemoans history, throw a few fun facts at them. Maybe it will interest them in the underlying drama that is history.

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NO POWER & CENTERPOINT'S AI CUSTOMER SERVICE

July began yesterday with the thermometer on our garage hitting 100° F. I think there was also 100% humidity.

This was the week that the power company began replacing underground power lines in our section of town. What fun this has been!

Since Monday, the power goes off at unexpected times. Usually this happens when I'm frantically typing away, trying to get the words done before I lose the thought.

When does the power return? I guess whenever the heck Centerpoint decides it's time. We're on the text message list for Centerpoint. When they first starting this text alert system, they would actually send texts saying, "We see that the power is off at or near your address." Another text would follow saying why it was off, i.e. "damage to the lines is being repaired."

A while after that, we'd get a text saying, "Power is estimated to be restore by 4:00PM today."

AI OLIVIA

Now, we get no text alerts when the power goes out. We call Centerpoint and get OLIVIA, the AI in charge of customer service who asks why we're calling and gives a list of reasons. 

We select Power Outage. Olivia thinks and then tells us she sees that the power is out at our address. Then she asks if we are on their text alert system.

We answer yes. Then she asks if we received a text alert. We answer no. Then the all-knowing Olivia tells us we should manage our text alert settings at Centerpoint dot blah blah blah—which we've done countless times only to discover each time that the proper settings are still in place.

No explanation of why the power is out. No information, estimate, or guess about when power will be restored. Nothing but generic drivel by an AI named Olivia.

The first day the power was off almost 8 hours. We had an electrician working here on our construction. Of course, no power means no power tools. 

I went outside to report what I'd learned from Centerpoint aka AI OLIVIA. 

As an electrician, I'm sure he has had more interaction with Olivia than I have because he said, "I hate that AI BITCH."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Laughing, I agreed. I hate that AI BITCH too.

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Peace, Quiet, Soul Nourishment

Do I have any profound thoughts to share today? Not really. 

The next couple of weeks are vacation weeks for us.

We went to Louisiana for a few days for my annual summer siblings reunion.

My older brother lives on a farm in Louisiana so Darling Hubby and I drove to his home. My younger brother and his wife drove from Colorado with their RV in tow.

It's great to get together with them plus my nephews and their kids.

Mornings at the farm are glorious. No traffic noise. No sounds except for the birds singing in the the giant magnolia tree and in the elms and oaks and the rustle of foliage as the morning breeze brushes across the the soybeans and corn planted in the fields. Clouds obscure the sun, and a little mist hovers above the crops. The air is clean and pure.

The peace and quiet is stunning. Wonderful.  

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It nourishes my soul.

CYBER SECURITY TIP

In this world where Artificial Intelligence is capturing more and more of our time and attention, we are faced with puzzling questions and frightening scenarios.

How do we protect our family in a world where privacy seems to be declining?

FAMILY PASSWORD

This is something we've had in our family for a couple of decades. Create a secret password that each member of your family can remember.

If that password is ever used in what seems like ordinary conversation, it means: "I'm in trouble. Call 911. Send help."

If you receive a late night phone call from one of your kids: "Help. I've been arrested. Wire $5000.00 for an attorney to SOME WEBSITE." If the call is really from one of your kids, he would say the password to verify it's really your child.

WHY IS ALL THIS IMPORTANT?

Because we live in a world where people put their real birthdates and private information on social media. They have their phones set so they can take calls from social media followers. 

They post pictures and videos of spouses, siblings, children, and grandchildren. They log their daily movements and restaurants they frequent, vacations they take, and so much more.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

All of the above is fodder for scammers and crooks who can take those images and information and use Artificial Intellience to take advantage of you.

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Deciphering Online Typograpy Characters

Here's a quick tip to help you identify the difference between a lower case L and the number 1 when seen online.

To many people, those two look the same. Example, I'm typing l and 1—which was which? In this blog window what I typed looks identical.

In actuality, the first character I typed was the lower case L (l) and the second one I typed was the number 1— side by side, lower case L and number 1—l1l1l1.

It all depends on the font. In the compose font on my blog interface, they both look the same, but when you read this, the font will show a difference between the two with the lower case L being a straight line and the number 1 having a little slanted line at the top.

On Google apps, the lower case L has straight line at the top and the number 1 has a slanted line at top.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Hope this keeps you from making mistakes with passwords and other important information.

Severe Case of Spring Fever

Yes, I guess I've diagnosed myself with spring fever. It's been a week since I've blogged because I've been overcome with all things spring.

My purple iris are blooming and so are my knockout roses—so many roses covering the bushes that it's breathtaking.

The vitex trees in our patio pots have grown a foot and have leafed out. They're so green and pretty. The plumes of purple won't be far behind.

Yes, the world is alive with fresh green leaves and blooming flowers. It's SO difficult to stay inside in the office when I want to be outside installing a new flower bed on the west side of the back yard.

So pardon me for not "chatting" with you since last week. Today I forced myself back inside and to the computer. After all, I'm supposed to be a writer, not a gardener.

Ah, Spring Fever has me in its grip. Torn between two loves. But, I've plugged away and pulled 700 words out of my brain this afternoon. Alas, I won't have this book finished by the end of March. Now I'm aiming at the end of April. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Sometimes being your own boss is a problem—especially if the boss (me) is easy-going. This first week of Spring? That's me. Easy-going and refusing to put my nose to the grindstone.

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All About Azaleas

At last, my azaleas are blooming! I was afraid the sudden cold snap we had a couple of weeks ago destroyed the buds.

In case you didn't know, Houston is famous for its azaleas. Every year, thousands of people flock to the Azalea Trail. This yera it runs from March 6–8.

Organized by the River Oaks Garden Club, it  features tours of private gardens in the River Oaks/Tanglewood areas and the historic Bayou Bend and Rienzi gardens.

ARE AZALEAS RHODODENDRONS?

Azaleas are not Rhododendrons, but they are part of that genus that has over 10,000 varieties.

These gorgeous shrubs thrive in acidic, well-drained soil with dappled shade, and they're known for spring blooms. They can be evergreen or deciduous. Amazingly, they've been around for 50 million years. They symbolize femininity, passion, fragility, and temperance and are native to Asia, Europe, and North America.

You should know that all parts of the azalea plant are poisonous to humans and pets because they contain grayanotoxins. They can grow from small dwarf shrubs to large bushes reaching 8–10 feet in height and are often called "royalty of the garden."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Most of my azaleas are the Formosa variety shown above—large shrubs covered with blooms. I have some medium height azaleas that bloom red.

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Post Super Bowl - Thank Goodness

I don't know about you, but I'm tired after nearly 3 days of Super Bowl celebrations, commercials, and reports.

I'll admit I don't watch much football so I didn't have a "dog in the game" so to speak.

I mainly watch the commercials or the puppy bowl on other channels. This time I didn't watch the half-time show at the game or the alternative show.

Instead, I read Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine by George M. Taber.

We'd had dinner with daughter Adina and son-in-law Mike yesterday, and Mike gave us a copy of the book because he knew how much we'd loved the movie Bottle Shock which was based on the Paris Tasting in 1976.

(By the way, I highly recommend Bottle Shock, the movie which starred Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and Bill Pullman. If you love wine and underdog stories, you'll really love this flick.)

I hope you enjoyed your Super Bowl event as much as I enjoyed mine.

MONDAY, MONDAY

Like you, I'm back in the office. So far, it's been a frustrating day. I spent 4 hours looking for the page proofs for one of my backlist books. Finally found it—persistence pays off—so I think I'll take a coffee break before I tackle the rest of the items on my TO DO list.

Here's a quote for you to guide your week—especially if you're pronE to insomnia as I often am.

"If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep." —Dale Carnegie

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you work at night instead of staring at the ceiling, you may be yawning through the next day, but you may get a lot accomplished too. What do you think?

 

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6 Quick Tips Identify Scams

If you're like me, your email Inbox is inundated on a daily basis with scam, spam, spoof, and AI bot mail.

I'd say about 99.99% of that is designed to steal your identity and/or your money—probably both.

6 QUICK TIPS IDENTIFY SCAMS

1. Always be suspicious of anything that insists you act now. The only acting you should do is thinking and figuring out if it's a scam.

2. Fake messages like from the post office or an online business claiming there is a problem with your delivery or your account. The post office will NEVER send you an email unless you have signed up for USPS alerts, and if you have, you'll know exactly what those alerts look like. 

If you know you have never ordered anything or bought anything from the "business" trying to contact you, send that email to the junk folder.

3. Third-party social media posts and ads with a deal that seems too good to be true. Never click on the link. If you're interested in the item, go directly to that company's website and check it out.

AND STOP SCAMS!!

Always remember, anything too good to be true is never true.

4. Never click on anything—even in "white" space of an email—no matter who it is from that asks for your password, the last 4 of your social security number, your birthdate, or any basic vital personal information that could be used to compromise you and your privacy.

If it's something that involves a credit card that you have, call the phone number on the back of the credit card and tell them why you're calling. Same thing with your bank and any other place that involves your money and savings.

Why not click on a place in the email that's just white space? Because that white space may content a hyperlink in white text. By clicking at a random spot on a scam email, you just might be sending your computer information to the crooks.

5. If you get a phone call from an unfamiliar number, let it go to voice mail. If no voice mail is left, it's probably a scam artist.

6. Since so many people order from Amazon, just be assured that Amazon will never email you or call you regarding your order or to verify anything about the order. All communication for Amazon orders goes through your Amazon account portal.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope this helps. Be aware. Be safe.

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Friday Random Facts: Natural Disasters

Websites that list significant events in history are very popular. I subscribe to a couple of those. As an author, I never know what might strike a cord and inspire a story.

I find it's interesting to look at what happend on "this day in history."

It's odd how certain events like natural disasters can happen on the same day years apart. Here are a few such events.

1. 1556: Shaanxi Earthquake, deadliest on record, in Shaanxi Province, China, killed 830,000 people.

2. 1812: A 7.8 earthquake strucck New Madrid, Missouri, and it's still discussed today.

3. 1859: Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii begins an eruption that lasts 300 days.

4. 1973: Helgafell volcano on island of Heimaey Iceland erupts for first time in 7,000 years.

5. 1989: Hundreds feared dead after a powerful earthquake strikes the Soviet Central Asian republic of Tajikistan.

6. 2016: Category 5 blizzard dropped a record 3 feet of snow across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S., killing 55 people. The economic losses were estimated at $500 million to $3 billion.

7. 2017: Thunderstorms and tornadoes in Georgia and Mississippi killed at least 18 in the U.S.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Looking back over this post, I see that it's a little macabre. Sorry about that. Maybe you can file this post under trivia.

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Scary World: Dealing With Scammers

After spending a couple of hours clearing out the spam email from my 3 email accounts and checking a couple of dozen emails for credibility without clicking on them, I'm frustrated.

The AI world has enabled the internet crooks to increase their output of scams, spoofs, and frauds. 

Everyone gets these emails, but for authors, it's even more frustrating. We get huge amounts of emails praising one of our books and bemoaning that the book hasn't a bigger presence on social media and/or number of reviews.

They tell you that they are in charge of a coffee/booze/cocktail/senior citizens book club or online community of reviewers that can shoot you to the top of the bestseller list! All they ask you to do is email them for more information. 

The emails are always gmail addresses despite the name of the so-called readers' group they offer in the email. Guess they never heard of Facebook groups.

Never, ever email them in return. It's risky just seeing the email in preview. Don't dare open it. 

In fact, don't click on anything in the email, not even a "blank" spot because there may be a hidden link, colored white that won't show up. It's a fricking minefield.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

These are the letters supposedly from literary agents, publishing house editors, and movie production companies. They want to take your book to the big time. I've checked out the names and the companies these scam artists supposedly represent. The names, photographs, and companies are real, but the fraudster using them is not. The contact email will always seem like the legit email, but there will be some character in the email that makes it wrong.

Then there are the alleged lawyers who threaten to sue you because you used music or something in a video that the copyright owner wants you to pay up. These are frauds too.

HOW DO I KNOW?

With any letter about copyright, I know because I keep a record of the rights owner of any photo or music I've used.

With the letters supposedly from publishing representives and lawyers, never click them. View the information you can see without clicking on the email then go to a Search Engine and query, "Is email regarding copyright from XYZ Law Firm legitimate?"

With everyone I've received, I've found dozens of SERPs that show they're scams.

You can check the publishing house professionals' names and companies this way also, by querying whether they are legitimate and/or whether their name and image is being used in email scams.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It's a scary world out there for the unwary so be aware. Question anything that is designed to excite you or scare you.

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Hurray for Home Projects

Instead of posting the recipe I'd planned for today, I worked on cleaning out my office while Darling Hubby built another shelf in the pantry.

I didn't finish my office work, but he did complete the new shelf. We have really high ceilings in our home, and the pantry had a top shelf about 6 feet from the floor which left a good 4 feet between the existing top shelf and the ceiling.

Since I'm always in need of more storage, I convinced him to install another shelf above the top one. He went to Home Depot yesterday and today, he built another shelf that matches the others in the pantry!

He did a great job. Then he went outside and cut all the roses in bloom since we're expecting a freeze tonight. What a sweetheart!

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

A new pantry shelf and a bouquet of roses! What more could a woman want? Stay warm tonight!

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When Aliens Invade...

Recently, I binge-watched Falling Skies—see my review if interested—and I'll be watching the new documentary The Age of Disclosure this weekend.

I must have UFO's on the brain. The other morning we were making a quick jaunt to Cosco and stopped at our local Shipley Donuts for sustenance.

When Darling Hubby brought out the box of 4 donuts in a box that usually holds 6, the aroma was incredible. They were hot and dripping glaze.

When we arrived at Costco, we parked and had a donut with our travel cups of coffee. OMG. There's nothing better.'

I said, "If aliens invade from outer space, the first thing I'll do is go by Shipley Donuts and some hot, fresh glazed donuts because there probably won't be any donuts—ever."

We both laughed, but that got me to thinking of all of the things we'd miss from the unimportant to the crucial if that happened. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

What would be your "last chance" treat if aliens in UFO's invaded?

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Breakout the Halloween Candy

Halloween is 2 days away. If your Hump Day is tough, give yourself a break by breaking out the Halloween candy.

Are you like me and buy the bagged candy that is your guilty pleasure?

How does your Trick or Treat preference stack up against the rest of the nation?

I did a little research and discovered these candy facts.

Number 1 in 2025 on the tastebuds of Americans is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is loved for the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. It's certainly my #1 pick.

That's followed closely by M&M's—classic and peanut—Kit Kats, and Snickers—luscious chocolate, caramel, and peanuts. (I'll take all of them except the M&M's.)

As you may suspect, chocolate dominates the Trick or Treat scene but sour, fruity candies like Sour Patch Kids and Skittles are favorites with Gen Z and Millennials. Gummy candies are rising in popularity too.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

So to get over the hump that Wednesday can be, enjoy a few of those bite-sized candy bars and remember how much fun Halloween was when you were a kid. Why? Because money can't buy happiness, but it can buy chocolate—which is almost the same thing.

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40 Hour Work Week - Seriously?

Okay, let's be honest. Do you know anyone who actually works a 40 Hour Week?

I'm not talking about juggling a job and raising a family and taking care of a home. 

Everyone I know who works—inside the home and outside the home—puts in way more than 40 hours a week, and that goes for women and men.

There may be jobs—probably the kind where you punch a time clock—where someone works a 5-day week, with each work day beginning at a specific time and leaving exactly 8 hours later, but that was never my experience even when I was a teen working for an hourly wage.

Most working people get there before their official day starts and leaves after their official day ends. A lot of people work during their lunch hour, and many take home work. that they do in the evenings and weekends.

Why am I even talking about this? Because on this day in 1940, the  40-hour workweek went into effect in the U.S.

It was actually part of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, but it took 2 years before it went into effect.

WHO HAS THE WORST WORK WEEK?

As someone who is self-employed, I think I can safely say that the self-employed work the most hours every week. Whether you're an author like me or someone who makes and sells something physical, you work far more hours than someone getting a paycheck from an employer.

If you're self-employed and home-based, your time is never your own. Your work may not even be at a specific time especially if you have children. You probably squeeze in some work time before preparing meals, after getting the kids off to school, and walking the dog.

Then you juggle your "work" with house work, laundry, meal preparation, errands, and all the other things that make you think you have the worst of both worlds—career and parenthood.

In fact, to the self-employed, having 40 hours to do nothing but work your business would be a blessing.

Those who work outside the home, i.e., getting a "real" paycheck, and then come home to the chaos of children, meal prep, and, hopefully, time to work your self-employed dream, may well question why you're trying to start a sideline career.

At night, when everyone else is in bed, the self-employed worker bee, like me, is in the office with a few hours of peace and quiet to devote an hour or two to creating something to get the self-employed paycheck.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Do you work only 40 hours a week? If so, I congratulate you. Leave a comment and tell us how you manage that. I'll take notes while I finish my coffee.

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Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Image by Linda Roisum from Pixabay

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends.

To my American friends, here's a little bit about Thanksgiving as celebrated by those north of the border.

Thanksgiving in Canada is a national civic holiday, not a religious one. It was first celebrated in 1578, when English explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony to give thanks for his safe arrival in what is now Nunavut.

At various times over the next few centuries,  Thanksgiving was observed at various times over the following centuries to celebrate momentous occasions such as the birth of a royal child or military victories.

Gradually, the celebration began to focus more on the harvest for the agrarain country. In 1762, the first community Thanksgiving celebrated the harvest in Halifax. 

In 1879, Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday with the date originally set as November 6th. As the years passed, the date varied though and after the end of World War I, it was merged with Armistice Day.

Finally, in 1957, the Canadian Parliament officially set the second Monday of October as Thanksgiving Day, making it a holiday separate from Remembrance Day in November. It's still not a federal holiday in some provinces, and in Quebec, it's called Action de grâce.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I didn't know much about Thanksgiving in Canada so I'm glad I did a little research on it. I hope you found it interesting too.

Hello, September!

I happily welcome September wth this quote from Rowland E. Robinson, "September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn."

This morning was slightly cool after the storm last night. It was, I hope, foretelling cooler days this month.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH 

Have a great month, Readers.

Revisiting Hurricane Harvey

Eight years ago, on this day, Hurricane Harvey, considered the worst hurricane in Houston's history, made landfall here.

Darling Hubby had gone to our house in the country which was our "storm escape" plan to avoid being near the Gulf Coast when a storm cane in.

I'd driven our daughter to physical therapy that day. We'd planned to join him later, but by the time we left the hospital, it had started raining.

Daughter insisted on being returned to her home so I did that and prayed she and her husband would be safe there. By the time I reached my home, I was resigned to riding out the storm there.

Wind and rain had started, and that began 48 hours of the most horrific rainfall I'd ever witnessed. It simply never stopped. Hours and hours of rain for 2 days.

By the second day, our chimney had become saturated with rain and the brick inside the house became soaked too. I placed towels around the bottom to protect the wood floors. That was worrisome, but it was nothing compared to what thousands of people were experiencing.

To my surprise, we never lost power or water or cell service, but people in other parts of town were being rescued by boats from their roofs.

It was scary. I'd been through countless hurricanes as a child growing up in Louisiana and through typhoons as an adult living in Japan. Hurricane Harvey beat all those experiences.

Although Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane, its impact was off the charts due to the catastrophic and widespread flooding, the high winds, and the record-breaking rainfall.

The problem was that the storm stalled over Southeast Texas after making landfall. It's considered to be the wettest hurricane on record in the U.S.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Emergency responders and ordinary citizens who pitched in were amazing. The people here are one of the reasons why we love living here.  

Random Thoughts - Acceptance or Resignation

William James said: "Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune."

A dear friend passed away. We'd been friends since the late 1980s. Even though she had moved away, we stayed in touch nearly every week.

I can't believe it happened. I guess that translates into I can't accept it. I thought of the quotation above and have come to the conclusion that acceptance must be the optimistic cousin of resignation.

Takeaway Truth

I know I'll eventually "accept" this loss, but it will simply be that I'm resigned to it.