From the journal
Horses Persnickety
February 24, 2026
In the memory of Vladimir Vysotsky
A Day In My Life
A new song is out. This one continues my quest of the lyrics in the memory of world-famous Russian actor and musician Vladimir Vysotsky. Horses Persnickety is a song celebrating life, hope and faith. If you didn’t listen it yet, the link to the YouTube upload is here:
My life goes on day by day, without my beloved family, but hope remains. In one day I might write a song, reflect on it in a blog like this, post some social media, do research and start new projects, edit my existing ongoing works, publish or unpublish my books, build on my website, etc – all along at the time. And I have to survive. Below you can read what had happened at the end of this particular day, the day when I mounted the video and uploaded the song to my YouTube channel.
Today, when after another night that hardly gave me some rest, after exhausting walk along hot Phoenix streets with a heavy backpack, filled with documents and a laptop, I finally had a chance to eat something, I chose a small cozy restaurant in Gilbert, Pizza and Wings.
“Do you have something for low income people in the menu?” I started the conversation with a friendly smiling attendant in the restaurant.
“We have a slice of pizza” he offered.
It was slightly above the MacDonald budget that I was going to spend for the meal tonight, but for the love of pizza and for the convenience of the location I decided to stay and give that slice a chance
I am glad that I did. It was not just a slice. It was a giant slice of pizza baked into perfection perhaps at 500 F. I didn’t know that simple cheese pizza could be so good.
When I was eating it, I made a wish. I always make this wish when I enjoy something during the last 15 years. I feel a little sad when I enjoy something because I am enjoying it on my own without my family.
So I made this wish, that when we are together, we shall certainly come to this restaurant again. My dear daughters, Angelina and Anna. If you have chance to read what I am writing now, please know I pray for you every moment of my conscious life and I pray for you when I am asleep.
Angelina and Anna. Do not give up. Do not give up on life. Do not give up on one another. Do not give up on me.
We are family. I love you unconditionally. I will do whatever it takes for you to overcome the trauma and feel the love, safety, peace of family home again. I dream about the time when we can gather together at our family party in our new home, and look back at the tragical days with a forgiving smile.
My sweethearts, I started another fundraiser today, and I hope it will be a successful one, because the administration of the fundraiser reached out to me and offered their review.
Now I am waiting for the fundraiser to be approved. I will also keep looking for other sources of help and will keep look for a work, too.
A little later, today, the fundraiser is released:
GoFundMe Fundraiser for Galina Nelson and my children to start a new life together.
My daughters, my sweethearts. Reach out to me. If I can help anything at all, I will. Call me and I will be there where you are, because I care.
Before our reunion happened I keep looking for a place to stay, a shelter, a friend with an extra bedroom for a mom in trouble, a friend who will be interested to accept my problems as our problems.
I keep running my horses, though, there is a difference, — I don’t feel that I am not spared … I am spared through my faith, and I want to collect you all who care, who miss me, who are my family, my friends, back into my sleigh, my home to go together in the journey.
With all my love,
Mom, Friend, Daughter, Writer Milana Nelson