Family Archives - Tara Choate

Something is better than nothing

Sep 16, 2019Tara1 CommentBirding, Family

It’s been a few weeks since I posted, and the reason is a bad one: I forgot. I have mentally started on a couple of posts, but then it all just slipped away. This weekend I went down to the beach and made a determined effort to just “have fun.” Friday I went whale watching

Margaret Marie Power Choate – August 21, 1947 to December 31, 2018

Aug 18, 2019TaraFamily

This week would have been Maggie’s 72nd birthday. While I’m not really one for keeping track of birthdays after someone has gone, it seemed like a good day to tackle the chore I’ve been meaning to do for eight months: Mom’s final history. The memorial service was April 13 and was well attended, with people

The Beach House

Jun 24, 2019Tara2 CommentsFamily

Preface: I had hoped to have my website completely updated and finished before pushing a new blog post, but I needed to vent a little. We’ll call this a “soft opening.” History I don’t think I’ve ever written about “The Beach House” before. My mom and dad purchased the land, in a development south of

Disheartened & overwhelmed

Feb 4, 2019Tara3 CommentsFamily, Personal

Through the process of Mom dying, I rarely got stuck. When I started thinking, “I can’t do this,” my inner voice would say helpful things like, “Just make the next phone call”, “Take a minute to breathe”, or “You don’t have to fix this, you just have to be here.” Over the last month, I’ve

Not so in order

Jan 14, 2019Tara3 CommentsFamily, Painting, Personal

I have a habit of writing emails and posts that contain numbered lists. Occasionally, I find this a little obnoxious, but there is something extremely comforting about a list. I had 18 things I wanted to accomplish this weekend. At the same time, I’m having trouble remembering how doors work. Friday Friday was day two

Re-entry

Jan 7, 2019TaraFamily

Tomorrow I go back to work for the first time since Mom’s death. While I can’t say I’m excited (at least not with a straight face), I do think it’s time. It will be nice to talk about normal things again. While there is still a long list of things to get done, sorted, addressed,

Good-bye, Maggie

Jan 2, 2019Tara1 CommentFamily

As most will know by now, my mom, Maggie Choate, died yesterday in the late afternoon. I posted the information on her CaringBridge site and then on social media. For those left out of those venues, I have spent the day emailing and (as a last resort) calling with notifications. I sat down just now

Deserving

Dec 19, 2018Tara1 CommentFamily

The last few days have been tough. Mom fell on Sunday morning and call for me for an hour before I heard her (it was early morning and I was sleeping.) When I finally woke up, we called the firemen for a “non-emergency lift” and later that day I got baby monitors so I could

Random Notes about Hospice

Dec 16, 2018TaraFamily

Morphine is not living up to the hype. As a “Generation X”er, I am sure that most of my colleagues remember sitting in health class and being told terrible things about drugs. How they were so addictive and terrible. Of course, heroin was the most terrible of all. One dose and you would become a

Where’s a saber tooth tiger when you need one?

Dec 6, 2018TaraFamily

Today it has become clear to me that humans were not meant to live a long time. We were meant to be killed and eaten in our prime by a saber tooth tiger. As Thomas Hobbes put it, “Life is nasty, brutish, and short.” I wish! Mom had a bad pain day today. I’m not

Tara Choate

Artist • Writer • Maker

Category Archives: Family