Well, gang. If you saw my post from the middle of the night, Tommycakes passed away.

She began to show the signs of dying right when I was leaving for town to get the groceries. So I hurried to town and back, and then spent the remainder of the day just trying to be near her, to comfort her, to be present.

Around one in the morning, she finally let go.

Then this morning, after I had my breakfast, I went outside and buried her right next to Weenie– up close to the back of the house. I can see both of their graves from the kitchen window.

A painting that Valerie did of Tommycakes back in 2016:

I find it really interesting that I had the premonition that she was going to die this weekend, so I canceled my trip to NYC, and she did indeed pass away.

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The other thing in my life that has hugely changed — and I can’t go into all the details of it because I want to protect his family’s privacy–

I asked to be removed from my favorite 95-year-old Japanese man’s account.

I am no longer going to be working with him. Sadly, my decision had absolutely nothing to do with him, but with factors that have changed in his home life since Annie died. And I am worn out, exhausted, and it created a depression that was taking over my life.

Along with the decision, though, came a sense of release. That I am back within my own life. So maybe now the constant exhausting depression is gone?

One thing I know for sure: I now have a total of NINE hours — 2 shifts — every week for the rest of the summer.

While that feels FANTASTIC (!!), it’s obviously going to have to change because I can’t afford to only work 9 hours a week….

I’m just going to focus on one day at a time right now. It feels kind of incredible. To suddenly be free.

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So my “vacation” went from going to NYC to not going to NYC, to watching one of my cats die, to leaving a (work) relationship with a man I adored that will now make my free time sort of endless…

And then last night, the main reason I was even going to NYC — the Lambda Literary Awards…

Wow, I watched the livestream on YouTube and I want to at least give them kudos for trying, but it was a technical disaster. I finally gave up trying to watch it.

Even though I’m out the $188 I had spent on a ticket to attend the Awards in person, I’m wondering if I would have been really upset to attend the Awards and then have it be such a technical disaster at that price (plus airfare & hotel)?

Plus there was a thunderstorm in NYC, right when I would have been heading to the show. And a heat advisory– upper 90s Fahrenheit.

It almost seems as if saints & angels were looking out for me throughout that whole thing, and I was just meant to stay right here at home.

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This is from Charlie Ward’s newsletter yesterday. I thought it was kind of important so I’m passing it along, in the event you have children or grandchildren.

A growing number of adolescents and young adults are turning to AI chatbots for mental health advice, according to a new nationally representative survey published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers estimate that nearly 1 in 5 people aged 12 to 21—around 8 million individuals in the United States—have used tools such as ChatGPT, Meta AI, or Character.AI for support when feeling stressed, sad, or angry.

The study, conducted in November 2025 with just over 1,000 participants, found that more than 40% of those users rely on chatbots at least once a month. Alarmingly, over 60% said they have not told anyone about using AI for emotional support.

The findings highlight growing concern among experts, as many AI systems are not designed or regulated to provide mental health care. Previous research has shown that chatbots may offer inaccurate or unsafe responses, particularly in crisis situations such as suicide risk. Experts warn that these systems can appear highly responsive and emotionally engaging, which may increase their influence on vulnerable users.

Mental health challenges among youth remain widespread, with many facing barriers such as cost and limited access to professional care. Researchers emphasize that while AI tools may feel accessible, they are not a substitute for trained mental health professionals and can pose serious risks without proper safeguards.

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On a whole different note, but still AI–

I found this on Google this morning and really loved the summary (AI), so I wanted to share it, too. (You can pre-order my novel here.):

The Curse of Our Profound Disorder by Marilyn Jaye Lewis is a coming-of-age novel about Jemima Callahan, a young woman who navigates trauma, abuse in foster care, and sexuality while searching for her father, Reverend Parker Peabody, after her mother's mental health declines. The story explores themes of identity, belief, and survival on society's margins, influenced by her mother's philosophy that passion and divinity are intertwined. The book won a New Century Writer Award and was a finalist for the William Faulkner Writing Competition. 
Key aspects of the novel:
•	Protagonist: 
Jemima Callahan, who endures a difficult childhood with a teenage mother and abuse in foster care. 
•	Plot: 
Jemima's journey involves survival through selling herself, followed by a job as a housekeeper for a lawyer, all while seeking her father. 
•	Themes: 
Trauma, sexuality, identity, belief, and the intersection of passion and divinity. 
•	Awards: 
Winner of the New Century Writer Award and a finalist in the William Faulkner Writing Competition. 

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And here’s this!

From Johnny Depp and Castle Fine Art, updates on Johnny’s new artwork:

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And from George Vjestica!

A photo from the show in Dublin this past Wednesday, and a reminder that the next show is tonight in the Netherlands! Buy tickets here! (But hurry, because they’re in, like, a whole different time zone…)

And a couple more lovely shots of Nick Cave in Dublin!

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And I think that is it.

I guess I will close this and sit and think about life for awhile. It is absolutely stunning outside today. And I’m still on vacation…

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you are in the world.

Thanks for visting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I’ll close with this.

One of the songs I sang to Tommycakes last evening.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1985, “Southern Accents”. Enjoy, gang.

“Southern Accents”

There’s a southern accent, where I come from
The young ‘uns call it country
The Yankees call it dumb

I got my own way of talkin’
But everything is done, with a southern accent
Where I come from

Now that drunk tank in Atlanta’s
Just a motel room to me
Think I might go work Orlando
If them orange groves don’t freeze

I got my own way of workin’
But everything is run, with a southern accent
Where I come from

For just a minute there I was dreaming
For just a minute it was all so real
For just a minute she was standing there, with me

There’s a dream I keep having
Where my mama comes to me
Then kneels down over by the window
And says a prayer for me

I got my own way of prayin’
But every one’s begun
With a southern accent
Where I come from

I got my own way of livin’
But everything gets done
With a southern accent
Where I come from

c – 1985 – Tom Petty