I know there are many very important family milestones to mark, but for this writer, the last two weeks have been overridingly about pain. Back pain, in particular. The short story is: I finally got into to see a doctor who ordered an MRI and found that I had fractured my sacrum. Isn’t odd that we learn anatomy by the things that go wrong? Whoever heard of a sacrum bone? Or, for that matter a prostate, that I kept mispronouncing for months last year? Anyway, the best guess is that the treatments for my prostate weakened my bones, and this one, just above the tailbone, broke. I told the folks in London that I broke my butt. Easier that way.
But, that hasn’t necessarily stopped everything. All I can do is wait for it to heal. Sitting is the best position, so a long drive to DC over the weekend was the perfect medicine. Distractions, with family and grandchildren, are also pretty darn good medicine. And tomorrow, we’ll combine both sitting and distractions to keep our planned travel to Berlin. Pain relievers also help.
Down in DC, we had a chance to reacquaint ourselves with the happiest little girl, considering she had an ear infection and a rattle in her lungs. Darcy got some medicine at an urgent clinic and was back to normal fast. Simon had Monday and Tuesday off from school, so he went to a “hoops” camp and then an art camp. Of course, Halloween is in full swing down there. It’s a busy household, as you can imagine or remember. Were we ever that busy?
Probably, and we had a little reminder of that, as we happened to drive by Peter and Janet’s old house in Silver Spring. Fun days, but hectic as well. Happy birthdays to Janet and Johanna who was seen with her father at a couple of sporting events, NY Giants and women’s pro soccer. We also remembered Sean and Erin’s wedding seven (or eight?) years ago. Congratulations!
We talked to Annie and Sankar when we were down there. They have hit a little snag with their property, but seem confident they’ll figure it out. It seems zoning rules are a little opaque there.
David and Paula are heading down to DC next week to check in on Jeff and Melodie. On their way back, they will pick up a new kitty in Pennsylvania. Yes, another Maine Coon Cat. Wikipedia says it’s a “large, gentle-natured domesticated cat breed native to North America and the official state cat of Maine.” Emphasis on gentle-natured. Or maybe emphasis on large.
Over in London, there is also a very busy household with after-school activities that include rugby and ballet and music and homework and just plain old play. Leonor starts back to work soon.
Andrew and Lur were up in Ripon for homecoming, football and fireworks and Green Lake meditations. Claire joined them for the game. Meanwhile, back in Dundee, Billy and his family arrived for a week’s vacation. (That's Theo below in the soccer uniform) Andrew tells me there’s a Midwest team doing pretty well in the baseball championships. Did I just jinx them?
We played host to a couple of Foreign Service couples which was a lot of fun. “Thirty-six hours in the Berkshires” that included cider tasting, Theo’s hot dogs (of course) and a guys spa date, for pedicures. You women have been hiding the fun all these years.
In between her hostess duties, Mary has been super at caregiver. Never flagging, always cheerful. I just hope I can step up if and when it’s my turn.
So, next letter, we’ll tell you all about our chocolate cake and coffee tour of Berlin!
Love from up here.
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