Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I wanted to watch Contagion last night but my husband thought it hit too close to home.  We settled on Snowpiercer, Bong Joon-ho 's crazy climate change/end of the world/ class struggle film.  Several of Parasite's stars are in it, as well as Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt.  I mean, Tilda Swinton - what's not to like?!  It's fantastical, weird and gripping.  I loved it when I bought it years ago, but my husband didn't; he agreed last night due to being very sick.  I am also very sick, but unweakened in my opinions.  Parasite is the greater film, but this one is crazy and fun and has an amazing last scene.
Other than sitting like zombies in front of the TV, we slept ate and read.  I'm reading mysteries - not the ones I wanted to get, because when I went to my bookstore seven houses away, a video crew was filming an interview with the owner, and I could only get to the new releases, when I actually had to authors I was looking for.  Oh, well, next time.  Evidently, the directors thought the bookstore was representative of the craziness of my fair city, and maybe they're right.  It's a warren of books on the floor, gifts for those who want to be buy something useless for their friends, like miniature vampires or chucky dolls, blow up dragons, and ancient posters of cult books.  He has everything, the trick is to find it. 
Excuse me while I cough my way to my book.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Well, since I last wrote, we have a new grandson, pink and plump, and because we caught a virus from the next oldest grandson, we have not been able to hold him or be around him.  I'm just hoping his brother doesn't catch it from being with us for over three days and nights.  I sleep with him, and luckily, my coughing didn't wake him, but it woke me.  Both my husband and I were ragged by the time we handed him back over to his parents.  Evidently he too was exhausted, as he took a 3 hour nap.  After we deposited him we came home and slept all afternoon, then watched a horror movie, Lighthouse, which was strange and powerful.  I guess we'd had enough of Secret Life of Pets and Shrek.  I told my friend that the morning we took him home we went for a walk in our neighborhood, as we were too sick to do a park, and our grandson kept picking up sticks that had fallen from a windstorm and whacking bushes, flowers and trees.  He was the proverbial wild thing.  We'd seen his new baby brother at the hospital the night before, and I think it had sunk in that his life was altered.  We abandoned plans to take him to his favorite place for lunch and battened down the hatches.  He finally calmed down and sat in the rocking chair with me as I read Curious George, Frog and Toad and other favorites from before.  He needed to be a baby again for a few moments.  His last hurrah.  Or not.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Well, still no baby, I mean in the outside world.  The hospital sent my daughter home yesterday, but today she has an appointment for an induction at 4 pm.  I hope it's easier and faster than last time.  In the meantime, my husband and I are really sick with colds and terrible coughs.  I must have coughed a couple hundred times last night, then my grandson woke me up at 6:15 am.  We baked croissants and watched Molly from Denali.  He tried to stall going to preschool, but I finally got him to the car.  Once at school, he cried, but the teacher whisked him away quickly, and I left feeling guilty but knowing I needed to rest or I'm not going to make it to the weekend.  He peed in the bed, so tonight I'm insisting on a diaper.  He's doing great with the potty training, but nighttime is too long.  We were in a king sized bed together, but only on 1/10 of it.  To say he likes to cuddle is an understatement.  He's being a good sport, what with no baby arriving and no hoopla yet.  We watched "Secret Life of Pets" last night, which he loves, and he laughed and laughed.  I tolerate it pretty well, so I wasn't bored.  After we read Curious George books and "Are You My Mother?" then he settled in quickly.  Me, not so  much.  I hope the cough eases up.  It is a nasty one.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Both my husband and I are suffering from colds and coughs caught from our grandsons.  We've been lucky up until now, but not this time.  Since we expect our daughter to give birth this week, this presents a challenge.  Can we take care of a three year old and support our daughter and son-in-law while coughing, blowing our noses and feeling like limp noodles?  We'll see.  In the meantime, I made an emergency run to Pharmaca, where I bought my husband's heavy duty syrups, my homeopathic remedies, about six throat coat kind of teas, cough drops, and other paraphenalia that the sick believe might just fix you right up.  I'm now heavily armed.  I also got Progresso soups, and a Swedish pancake mix I'm in love with, to treat the grandson properly.  We've promised him a huge stuffed toy, but luckily the toy store is walking distance, so we should be able to manage that.  He's a chocolate croissant kind of guy, so I have the kind in the freezer that you let rise overnight and bake in the morning.  I'm as prepared as I'll ever be. 

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I shopped with my younger daughter and we had lunch.  Three days overdue and feeling it.  She goes in this afternoon and they might break her membrane, as she's four centimeters dilated.  Something is going to happen soon!  I admit to being nervous.  Now I understand how anxious my mother would get.  We know too much and have too many stories swirling around in our heads.  I've stocked up on snacks and goodies for my grandson, so he has a good time when he's with us.  We've promised him a big stuffed animal when the baby is born.  To celebrate, I've told him.  He's three, but you can't put much past him.  I have no idea how he will react.  I remember not being pleased at all with my baby brother.  He was a boring blob who was no fun at all.  Later, he was a lot of fun, but I wouldn't have believed it if my parents had suggested that at the time.  I wanted ALL the attention.  But later I would change my mind about that as well!

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

My daughter sent me some great news this morning:  because the chemo has halted the cancer the doctors want to try a trial and/or an experiment that shows promise, so they are working on extending her life.  I feel so hopeful.  Of course, I was always praying for a treatment, but now its on the horizon.  I'm thrilled.  She is such a fighter, this young woman, and she is fighting to keep with her daughter as well.  Her book is getting great publicity, her friends and family are giving strong support, her spirits are up, up, up.  I feel so blessed that all these people's prayers and efforts have had a lovely effect on all of us.  We aren't in this alone, and that feels so comforting.  Thanks to all on this journey with us.

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

We just dropped our daughter-in-law and grandson off at the airport to join our son in visiting our older daughter.  My husband circled while I went in with them and helped them check in.  My daughter-in-law had a bag the size of Delaware, heavy beyond belief, a stroller, a carseat, little bags, a backpack, and well, the baby, at around 28 pounds.  I pushed the stroller with my grandson and dragged the big bag on wheels.  First that bag was overweight and the agent wanted to charge $70 over it.  Then the carseat had to be moved to the upright position to fit in the plastic bag.  Then he suggested she check the stroller at the gate.  She has PSA Precheck, but it didn't show up on her ticket, so that took ten minutes.  Then the carseat had to be wrapped.  at this point he finally relented and waved the $70.  After 20 minutes checking in we were off towards security, with me pushing the stroller and she juggling everything else.  I hugged them at the line and hurried out, to have my husband grumble about waiting for me so long.  Then he preceded to complain the rest of the way back, about various things, none of them interesting or worth hearing, and now I am out in my studio to have a respite from him.  What a grump!  Yesterday my daughter was grumpy, but she has a reason.  She's uncomfortable with a big baby load, and today's her due date and no labor.  She's tired and miserable and ready to roll.  My husband, well, he has no excuse.