Betty Birney’s Blog

I spent the past week in the good company of three of my favorite “people” pictured here: my son’s girlfriend Ania, our dog Desi and my son Walshe.  Ania and Walshe were visiting us from New York. All of us have had trying times recently: Ania’s father unexpectedly passed away just a few short weeks ago, a terrible loss. My husband, Frank, and I have been dealing with Desi’s dramatic and abrupt problem walking, which we now know is from a tumor on her spinal cord. We are starting a series of radiation treatments for her on Monday.

Somehow, just being together made us all feel better and we had a wonderful week talking, eating and relaxing. It was also Walshe’s 24th birthday yesterday. (Photo at top is pre-haircut; photo below is post.) He has that look on his face because he couldn’t believe that his ma actually stooped to using trick candles again (you blow them out and they relight) but I was impressed because he actually did blow them out eventually.

Ania and Walshe are back in NY, Desi is enjoying her California sunbeams and life goes on – though it will be a much quieter life for us for a while as I’m planning to stick close to home with Desi and won’t leave her alone at night  – so much for that Hollywood nightlife! It’s well  worth it, because who is here through all those quiet and often frustrating hours at the computer, by my side or nearby? Miss Desi, of course.

By the way, 24 years ago today, I was ecstatically happy, getting to know my beautiful new baby boy. It seems like yesterday.