I'm not a huge Dr. Phil fan. In fact, I'm not sure why I even watch the show - which is not often. There must be something better to do. But. One time I did watch, he was counseling a woman who had lost her daughter to murder and he asked her if she wanted to celebrate her daughter's life, why was she focusing on the moment of her death? She had a breakthrough, and decided not to commit suicide after all - yada yada yada - another victory for the bald "tell it like it is" Oprah protege from Texas.

As annoying as Dr. Phil is, I keep trying to heed his cousel. Especially these days. I cannot seem to stop thinking about this week last year. I call it "hell week". It was one year ago today that we all flew down to Florida, as my father had stopped breathing during the night and was sedated on a ventilator. I was due to go down to Florida that day anyway, but everyone came with me - Sarah, Martha and Robert. On Friday it is one year ago that my father came out of sedation and had all his faculties and it was the last day I saw him alive. On Sunday, early in the morning, is the one-year anniversary of his death.

We are all getting together on Saturday at Martha's house, just to be together. As hard as it is, I really want to stay away from the memories of "hell week" and instead celebrate my father's life and how far we have come since that awful day. We have really come a long way, especially my mother. I'm very proud of her and how well she has held up, the new things she has learned, the new friends she has made and how well she is getting along.

Here's the backsplash above the stove. The border consists of 3 different colors of glass tiles. It was put up today therefore it hasn't been grouted yet and there are still those little spacer things in each grout line. The lamps in the kitchen are in the foreground, blurry, but the colors in the backsplash are all in the lamp, except for that cobalt blue. I still think it looks nice.

It's a gross, rainy day so I'm making a pea soup. I wish I could make soups like my mother does. She's so good at it. She makes the best. There's not much to report these days. I'm a little disappointed that the Patriots lost, but I'm consoled by the fact that spring training starts next week. Plus I got my tickets in the mail for the game we're going to in July. That was nice. It's like the groundhog - it makes you think of spring and summer and you know it's on the way.

I'm also looking forward to getting past the 17th. I can't believe it's been a year. A year ago, I was on the phone with my father and he was yelling at me telling me I was "just like Stephen, you don't ask any questions". I remember getting very angry at this and wanting to just rant back at him and hang up but I was reluctant to because I was afraid that he would not be around much longer and I didn't want that to be the last conversation I had with him. So I didn't and it wasn't.

In a few weeks we are going to Disney World. The goal is to bring Elizabeth and watch her have fun there. I hope she likes it. I know Robert and I do. I can't wait to go. I need to get away from the icky weather and Disney World is so much fun, it's one of my favorite places.