I really don’t mean to just update once a year around these parts. It’s just that Life gets in the way. So let’s catch up.
Last summer, we drove to LA and flew to London for 5 weeks. We saw nearly everyone I was desperate to see and Rob got to see all the places and things. We spent the first 3 weeks in a basement flat in Hammersmith, on the southwest side of the city. We visited St. Paul’s, the Imperial War Museum (which has been ruined in it’s last overhaul), the V&A, St James Park, Trafalgar Square, the Tower. All the tourist things and some out of the way, not tourist things – namely my flat in Finsbury Park and the great restaurants around our flat.
We moved on to Cornwall and stayed in Penzance for a week. It was so relaxing, even though Rob came down with gout and was a bit hobbled. We had the most amazing seafood dinner for our 10th anniversary and enjoyed our small row house in the middle of town. We drove all over the Cornish coast and spent a day with some long time, online friends who live in Cornwall. It was blissful and worth all the years waiting for us to be able to go.
Last school year generally sucked. Beleaguered by tech issues, trying students, low staff morale, I felt really worn down by all of it. My parents celebrated their 50th anniversary in February but my mom is struggling with dementia. It’s a daily battle.
Things seemed to stabilize until March. Rob’s grandmother fell at her assisted living facility and broke her hip. She’d been plagued with dementia for several years and was increasingly more feeble. She survived surgery and was starting the rehab process. We talked about flying back to Kansas City but she stabilized and we decided not to go.
Mid-March, my grandfather came down with influenza. At 96, he was in overall good health and mentally still sharp. But he was ready to be done with this world and move onto the next. We said our goodbyes and waited. Twenty four hours later, I was sick with a hacking, wet cough and a fever. The influenza diagnosis wasn’t far behind for me but with the added complication of pneumonia. Thankfully, I got sick the day we went on spring break so I only ended up missing 2 days of school but we were both so sick, we had friends bringing us food and medication. It was a blessing to use Door Dash for food and Shipt to bring supplies. That same week, yearbook was due to the publisher and Eden went into heat. (We skipped that cycle and the yearbook got done on time!)
In mid-April, my grandfather had been moved back to his apartment and continued to decline. We asked for no treatment and he was home. The day he died, I left school early to see him. I just had a feeling he was going to go. My mom and her siblings left for a break and Rob and I sat with him. I told him all the things I needed to, I played some music for him, and sang to him. My parents returned and about 20 minutes later, he took his final breaths.
Two weeks later, Rob’s grandmother slipped away. Rob’s brother had flown down that weekend to see her and we were grateful he was there to help my in-laws. We knew it was only a matter of time before Grandma died but the reality of both of us losing our only surviving grandparent within 2 weeks of each other was hard. We flew to KC and then drove to Waterloo, IL for the interment. We celebrated her life with a beer and fried fish at Otts in Millstadt, a family tradition from way back when. We visited with Rob’s paternal uncle and got a lot of answers to long standing questions. It was emotional and helped both of us put some things to rest.
School ended and I’ve never been more grateful for a year to be over. We spent this summer fairly close to home, camping a few times and taking Eden to the beach. I felt recharged when school started up again in August and this year has started off a lot better. My school family were so kind and thoughtful while we were grieving. They brought food, helped with lesson plans, listened, and gave a lot of hugs.
The weather is starting to cool a bit and I’ve got my first cold of the school year. We are grateful for friends and our family, both near and far.