The New Normal (temporary, but it sure doesn't feel like that now)

We're getting a little used to our new life.  Part of it hasn't changed: my law partner has been suffering from serious neck problems for a while, and has been AWOL for going on three months now.  He had serious surgery a month ago and is rehabbing much more slowly than expected.  So I've been doing the work of two for quite a while and will for quite a while more, and was really looking forward to a vacation, even if it was only a week.  However.

We are fortunate that Janet was able to get to the hospital in Pittsfield in good shape as that meant her fracture was not aggravated by movement.  John and Mary were yeoman help, even as they juggled being hosts for their unexpected guests from Peru.  Since Janet's immobilized knee wouldn't fit into our little Fiat (we call her "Bella"), Mary drove Janet back while I followed.  Mary stayed an extra night and helped get things set up.  I had to get back into the office more than I wanted.

The cast is purple, but that's about it.  It holds Janet's leg out straight and she can't put any weight on it.  So she uses a walker and hops around.  We moved her Mom's old recliner into the den, moved some things out, and we both sleep in the guest room.  When we first moved in this house, we knew that none of our parents (all still alive then) would do well with stairs, so we converted the dining room into a guest room.  Little did we know that some day we would be "guests" ourselves, using Janet's mother's recliner, a walker just like the one her father used, and a rolling table that we used when her father came to visit.  Fortunately for Janet, we had just replaced the old big screen TV in the den with a big flat screen, so at least she gets that.  She also has the incredible Bose radio from her father's apartment.  But she can't get around much, can't take baths or showers, can't really cook, or do wash, can't drive or take those nice long power walks, and (these really break her heart) can't rake leaves, take out the garbage or recycling, water the plants, vacuum, clean bathrooms, paint, sweep the walks, trim hedges and bushes, chase deer away, take Dasha out, go to the cleaners or grocery store, or book store, or mall, etc.  You get the picture -- I sure do!  She's already made it clear, though, that she, the Disabilities Coordinator at McCarter Theater, is going to see opening night this fall as a "person with a disability."  And she's getting ready to go back to work.  But we'll miss the Springsteen concert at the Meadowlands.

We see the doctor again tomorrow for a follow-up x-ray to make sure all is healing well.  We'll keep you posted.  Thanks for all your good wishes.

The X Factor

It's quiet here tonight, but our thoughts are with Janet. She and Peter should have left Pittsfield today to start their New England vacation. But instead, they went back to NJ with the plans to see a doctor after Janet broke her leg on Saturday morning, on day one of their vacation here in the sunny Berkshires. It was a fluke break, as she fell during her walking exercise regime. Peter and Janet spent the better part of the morning in the Berkshire Medical Center, and they decided to overnight one more night before they headed back this morning. Janet was in a fair amount of pain, especially when anything caused her to move her leg, but otherwise was in good spirits. They have a long road in front of them.

Sean starts his second year of law school this week, and Johanna is
coming home on Tuesday to help out.

Adding to the complicated weekend was a call from Connie and Allen,
friends from Peru who were stranded in Albany with no place to stay.
They stayed a couple of nights when Peter and Janet were here, and
kind of added to the confusion.

We had arrived home a couple of days earlier from our Canada vacation,
following my own stint in the hospital. Antibiotics are a wondrous
thing, and all is better on my front,. Too bad they don't fix a
broken leg as fast.

We had stopped for three nights with our friend Cliff at his "cabin"
in northern Maine. We did our usual Maine stuff there - put bait out
for bears, drove around looking for moose (tracks but no animals), and
swam at our favorite. cold swimming hole. On the way home we stopped
at a kilt maker in Maine to scout out kilts for Joe.

Two signs from our trip: "There is no I in team, but there is a U in
suck." And when we got in Maine, there was a sign on a garbage
barrel: "For your good health, barrel picking is prohibited." Sad.
And, we stopped at a store that advertised it sold pizza and guns. I
wonder if that's a new topping?

We see updates from Montana on David and Paula's trip out west.
Fishing and visiting haunts where we had gone to as kids. There was
one picture from the road to the sun in Glacier Park that Mary and I
visited two summers agom but was back then completely clouded in. We
didn't know there was a peak/butte right there. Couldn't see it.
David and Paula did and took the photo.

Margaret and Andrew went camping this weekend at Chincoteague Island
and sent pictures of the wild ponies running along the beach, with D
eagerly watching. Looks like they had fun.

John and Marilyn started their month-long vacation this week, with a
week with their daughters and families in South Carolina. Then they
head west for New Orleans, Texas and then Colorado. Johnny had mowed
our lawn when we were gone, and it needed it, since we got some badly
needed rain. Thank you!

Joe has moved in to his new apartment and likes it and his new job.
We got a couple of e-mails from Annie who got a new computer and
helped a client with some media training, poising as a Wall St Journal
pushy reporter.

What else? We went to the Guthrie Cetner to see John Gorka, which
unfortuantely Peter and Janet missed. I've been spending a couple of
days a week at UMass helping students who want foreign scholarships
and I got my first homework assignment since 1984.

Danny and Claire started back at school, with Danny in high school
this year, and Claire preparing for senior year and college! When did
that happen? Maybe Claire can submit "Chirstmas in Connecticut" for
her college essays?

Seeing Janet off today, I said "Courage!" She's going to need it and
our prayers.

Love from up here.

Homeward bound

Mary's writing postcards so that means our trip is almost over.