Nizzibet slays dragons. She’d rather not. She’d rather bake bread and garden and have tea with friends. But dragons keep tearing up the landscape and making life miserable for everybody who isn’t a dragon. So she picks up her sword and goes to work. That’s the kind of lady she is.
Also celebrating 18 years around the son, my nephew on Nizzibet’s side of the family. Happy Birthday Old Man!
Nizzibet and I have been together now for 18 years. During that time we’ve each been, at least, half a dozen different people. We’ve grown. We’ve changed. We’ve given each other the silent treatment. We’ve said too much. We’ve danced. We’ve made art. We’ve made family and expanded it. We’ve been each other’s cheerleaders. We have made a home in each other where the doors are always open and a warm fire is always burning.
Happy Anniversary to my favorite Mouse.
Trisha Smith Creekmore passed away on October 18th, 2012 at 8:25 am.
I’m thankful that she and her husband, David, were so open and sharing about their lives and her illness. I know from my own experience that, during troubled times, it’s important to let people know about the trouble. We’re social animals. We need company in both good times and bad times. In the 21st century, some of that company comes via the internet. It doesn’t replace spending time in person but it can add to it.
Through their posts and more direct Facebook exchanges I got to know a person who could have remained just an old memory. I got to know a living, amazing person. That was priceless.
Above videos by David Creekmoore.
I posted this cartoon for Trish on Facebook with the caption: Heaven Can Wait. Unlike Trish, I don’t have cool taste in music but apparently the caption was appropriate. Iron Maiden, a band that she liked, had a song by the same title.
When I was a senior in high school I made an effort to give a card and, often, a rose to every girl I knew on her birthday. I drew the cards myself. The rose was usually stolen from out of a yard somewhere in our town of Sebastopol.
I don’t remember what I drew for Trish’s card. I do remember the look that Trish gave me when I handed her the card and the rose. I can’t tell you what the look meant. It looked to me like a mixture of curiosity, disbelief and appreciation but I really have no idea. Like I said, we ran in different social circles. We didn’t hang out or have conversations. She said thank you. I said you’re welcome.
Trish was born October 6th, 1964. I wanted to do a special illustration for her birthday this year but I didn’t think it was smart to wait until her birthday to deliver it. She was in hospice card and had been given a limited time to live. I posted this cartoon on Facebook on October 3rd, 2012.
Brave. Loyal. Stoic. Cool. Adventurous. Irreverent.
Trish loved cool shoes. And travel.
Trish loved the ocean.
