We're down here to check in on Timmy, Mary's brother, who landed back in the hospital again after another fall. We flew out of DC where Mary has been spending the last two weeks helping out the parents, the big brother, and the teeny weeny girl, Darcy. It's hard to believe that she was born a mere two weeks ago. Life has certainly been totally changed since then. In a good way.
I had left DC even before everyone got home in order to keep a few medical appointments. Looks like I'm a candidate for cataract surgery soon. The checkup in Boston went well.
And it was a different planet in the first of March then two weeks later. And not just because of war. I came home to a couple of feet of snow and now it's almost all gone. I even saw our first robin. As you can imagine with all the melting, there's water everywhere. Lakes in the yard. Another sign of spring? The changing of the clocks.
It was a different planet for Kiernan, Daniel, Lur and Erin too. What do they have in common? Birthdays in the first two weeks of March. Wow! A record of sorts. Hoping each and every one had the best birthday ever.
Another hospital story. Andrew had hernia surgery and is on the slow road to recovery. But, no other choice.
It's official. Annie is the closest thing you can get to a dual national. India doesn't recognize dual nationals but it does have a category that comes close. She got word that her status was approved. So now she doesn't have to get a tourist visa all the time. Now if only Sankar could get a tourist visa to come here. They're working on it.
Joe and family are back from a trip of a lifetime. But that's probably not accurate since I suspect there will be another to top that by this time next year. They are back to juggling work and children schedules.
From the "Wayback" machine. I found a few notes in Grandma's handwriting this week. She was recording some family stories. Her mother Velma was the eldest of five children and the only one to go to college. She ended up a teacher in a one room schoolhouse and among her students were her brothers and sisters. She also got a job in an insane asylum. Then she went on a hike with a friend all the way out to California. And back. She then went to Washington DC and got a job in military intelligence which sent her to Bern Switzerland as a secretary. She didn't stay long and came home and worked in a retail store where she met a man five years younger than her and later married him. Talk about packing it in. Talk about an independent woman! Grandma wrote, "Pioneer."
In the months ahead, there are more wayback stories in this treasure trove.
We see photos of snowshoeing in New York State, rugby in England, brotherly love in Maryland and DC.
Two Dickson authors. Simon has written his first book. Spoiler alert. It's about Yoshi. And the same day Darcy was born I received 100 books in the mail. It's about Melville.
Simon wants his mother to talk about his book at her book club. He'll be a good salesman.
With that, we'll sign off with a wish that March indeed will go out like a lamb.
Love from down here
