Grief is lonely. When you lose someone close to you, they leave pieces of you that only they could keep company or understand or guard. The overwhelming feeling of loss is…

I was planning to write our next blog with a recap of the extremely successful event we hosted last Wednesday, September 16, but the anecdote that follows about a sweet dog in need is taking priority. Helping animals and their humans is…

With just two days to go until Jeannessa’s Friends inaugural event— our candlelight vigil and after-party— I’m thinking a lot about all that Jeannessa had to offer the world and why carrying on her work in her absence matters. If you’re…

Recently on Facebook, I saw a dog that looked exactly like Humphrey. (I did a double take!) He desperately needed a foster or better, a furever home to avoid being…

Friday was intense! That morning was the most wound up I’ve felt on the way to court, perhaps because it had been more than three months since our last court proceeding. Pulling off the freeway near the courthouse I saw a “Tell Your Dog I Said Hi!” bumper sticker and I knew Jeannessa was with us. Arriving to find a…

The last week has been filled with family milestones and court is coming up this week, which explains why I woke up so grumpy and out of sorts on Saturday. Arya turned…

By now you may have heard the fantastic news! Jeannessa’s friends is officially recognized by the IRS as charitable 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization (#41-3234544)! I’ve been trying to write this post for the last few weeks, but…

Congratulations to the 2026 Grads! In my world, that mostly means the class of 2026 of Summit Tahoma with a few of the Notre Dame High School gals thrown in. We’ve been busy with…

Last Friday, court went as expected: no plea has been recorded and an extension was granted. The next court appearance will not be until July 31 at 9:00am. We have been assured this is…

A bird flew into my front window this morning…It appeared to be a juvenile mourning dove, though I am no expert. Frankly, this is Jeannessa’s territory and had she been…

My dad passed away on Easter Sunday in 2019, just three weeks after our last trip to Disneyland. He had been terminally ill for a couple of years and we didn’t expect ….

On Tuesday, after dropping Arya off at camp in the mountains above Aptos, I took a stroll on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful day: sun shining in a bright blue sky, a light breeze, and many happy people outside enjoying the day. I walked north past the surf museum and…

Yesterday’s court proceedings produced the outcome we were hoping for! The judge ruled in favor of the prosecution regarding the issue of conflict of interest in the public defender’s office, which means that the defendant must…

This has been quite the week with two court appearances and two court ejections! Yes, that’s right- I was kicked out of court twice this week! As mentioned in my last update, the first time was from the Teams Meeting on Monday due to what has been labeled as a “miscommunication,” and on Wednesday the deputy threw me out because…

Today I am not ok. Of course, the grief and the overwhelm of all we need to take care of in the aftermath of Jeannessa’s murder are always at play. In this moment, I am particularly upset by…

We recently got word that the District Attorney’s office will be meeting with the Public Defender’s office in court this Monday morning, February 23 at 9:00am. It is a motion to declare conflict of interest. Apparently, the defendant contacted his…

Happy 25th Birthday to my dear sweet baby girl, Jeannessa!

We are reminded of her light with the gorgeous weather the Bay Area is enjoying this week, just like the week she was born 25 years ago. Although she was not born there, I remember holding my newborn baby on the top floor of UCSF and…

When I heard the news of Bob Weir’s passing, my first instinct was to text Jeannessa. She was always interested in that sort of news- often the one breaking it to me. I’m not usually a person who is very attached to celebrity news, but this one was…

Lots of people are asking me “How are you?” or “Are you ok?” I’m so grateful for the check-ins, but I’m not sure what “ok” even means anymore. Under normal circumstances, these are the polite, yet surface inquiries humans make on…

During the brief proceedings, Deputy District Attorney, O'Bryan Kenney called attention to the numerous friends and family that were in the courtroom on Jeannessa's behalf. In his debrief with us afterward, he let us know that he routinely makes note of…