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Convalescence, The Invalid Wife, and Emerging Bees
I’m convalescing these days. Convalescence is a great word, although we hardly use it anymore. It conjures up images of sickly people bundled up in thick blankets and wheeled outside for a bit of sun. Or rich sickly people doing the same thing on deck chairs of a cruise ship circa 1923. To my stressed-out co-workers it means I’m taking the winter off. … Continue reading
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Going Squirrelly
At 8 a.m. on a school day, this disabled French teacher sits in bed, surrounded by fluffed pillows, sipping from an enormous Parisian coffee bowl, and pondering an early morning dream in which a school colleague was driving a group of teachers in our old dilapidated ’91 minivan (the one that literally limped its way to… Continue reading
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There’s hope for snow days…
For all of you who are dragging your weary bodies through this warm, snowday-less winter, hope is on the way. The tractor is not running. Last week, during all those balmy days that were perfect for taking a walker stroll around Hunt Valley Town Center, the tractor was running like a charm. Smooth as silk. Of… Continue reading
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Hip Chronicles: In Which the Hipster and Hanny Go on an Outing
(If I’m lucky, Hanny won’t read this post. But I’m not that lucky.) In the third week after surgery, it is time for a real outing, but I need a chauffeur. That would be my mom, aka Hanny, who is not old but is a generation older than a daughter with a new hip. The… Continue reading
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The Ongoing Adventures of Bionic Hip Mom Mom: Week 2
I need a four-wheel drive walker. The two-wheel drive model that the hospital gave me is literally a drag, especially on outings to the lab for coumadin checks. The rubber thingies on the rear legs scrape along the parking lot, and lifting the walker every step is hurting my back. Plus, it slows me down. I am… Continue reading
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Bionic hip mom-mom: Week 1
I’m now one week bionic. With a one-week old titanium/plastic hip, I’m not quite leaping after butterflies in the meadows (although I do have narcotic-induced dreams that get a little bizarre); I shuffle around the house with a walker. I strategize my day to coordinate my one effort to get downstairs with my actual need… Continue reading
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In Memoriam: Peaches (1993-2012) and Fluffball 3 (May-December)
We are pet-less for the first time since about 1987 when Kristin, age 4 or thereabouts, prayed for a cat. A cat wandered into our yard; John fed it a hotdog; it adopted us. When we moved to Maywood in 1993, the cat came with us and promptly died. I took Kitty to the vet who… Continue reading
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Meditations on a Grilled Cheese Sandwich (with a recipe for Winter White Martinis)
Sometimes you just need a grilled cheese sandwich. You have a hunger in the pit of your stomach and you’re stressed out. A grilled cheese sandwich is comfortably warm and creamy while also offering a most satisfying crunch. (Crunch is important for releasing stress and anger.) So you get it into your head that your hunger… Continue reading
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2011 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,700 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people. Click here to… Continue reading
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A Mary Poppins New Year
Happy New Year! This year, like every other year, my resolution is to be like Mary Poppins–“practically perfect in every way.” (I can hear your snide remarks but, admit it, you have the same resolution. ) We’ll start with the cheery disposition, rosy cheeks, and no warts. I’m ok with the wart thing and there are… Continue reading
Slightly Off the Grid 