Winter Break

Last year at this time we were coming back from Rome...the year before Sardinia. Both were great trips. This year we are coming back from the East and our circumstances are changing dramatically. We had a difficult time visiting and arranging things for Alies. The plan is for her to come home on Thursday as dying in the hospital is not as comfortable as dying at home.

We needed to clear out her living room to make space for the hospital bed. Going through some things was a lot of work but it gave us both feelings of liberation. Gerda, Naomi's aunt, loaned a TV and a recliner so we transported and installed those things. The old TV was beginning to melt (I took it apart and found nothing amiss - I am mystified) so we got rid of it.

Fall has been turning to Spring - we skipped Winter - and it is time to think about putting in a garden. First we need to get the fence repaired that was blown over in some of the windy storms of the past months. Perhaps this year we can grow a bit more that weeds...

Not looking forward to school tomorrow. The distraction will be nice as I have had motivation for almost nothing apart from reading lately. It will probably be a short week as I will need to take Friday off to go with Naomi to help Alies settle in. We aren't sure if she will make it that long, so Naomi already said her goodbyes. A big week coming up, this one.

The Last Week

We were really dragging our feet this week...just trying to stay afloat until the end of school on Friday, doing nothing more than necessary and enjoying the Olympics - Dutch coverage is so much better than NBC. Luckily I got out of school bit earlier than usual on Friday. I only have tests for one class to grade, so that isn't too much work for the holiday.

I tried something a bit new this week - an online quiz. I used Google Forms and for the most part it went pretty smoothly, although the wireless connection is so bad that I need to reserve the computer lab as a backup. I made the questions difficult so the students did not do very well. One of them cheated by having a digital version of the book open during the quiz, and his classmates reported him. I was going to talk to him about it but he simply got up and walked out of class.

Friday some results came in about Alies. Naomi didn't understand it. Something with the kidneys. Proteins not unfolding properly and causing things to jam up. Seems terminal. She will stay in the hospital to see how she responds to two weeks of progesterone treatments. Not sure how much time is left...

The car has been of great use to Naomi. She probably wouldn't have made it through the week without it. In a short while we will take it to Amsterdam to visit Ron and Edith because they are working on the rails. Tuesday we will go pick up a special chair for Alies from Gerda and spend a few days on the East Side. Very nice not to rely on public transport any more!

No Motivation

One week of school left before we get a week of vacation. I can't wait! I have been dragging my feet lately...taking any possible moment to lie around on the couch. No motivation for writing, pictures, woodworking, sports, cooking, or anything except reading and watching TV. Must be February. Hopefully the weather changes soon and my motivation along with it!

Yesterday I was at school for an open day and Naomi drove up and down to visit her mom in the hospital. Last night we had a few friends over for a movie - Cool Runnings in honor of the Olympics. Good thing they came, otherwise our messy house never would have been cleaned up.

Now it is time to take care of the weekend essentials - going to the gym and getting some groceries. Sure would be easier if the sun were shining...

A Full Parking Spot

Almost two years ago I spent a lot of time and energy building a parking spot for the car we didn't have. I thought that guests could use it...but that only worked if their car was tiny. Now there is a car parked out front. Naomi's mom is too sick to drive, too sick to get out of bed, so we took the car back with us. The doctors still have no idea what is wrong with her. Strange.

The weather was beautiful today, sunny and 45 degrees. We went for a nice walk this morning and even saw a convertible with the top down. The grass is still green and we have only seen a handful of frosts. This is the beginning of February?

We left Friday night for the East Side. It was a busy week at school and a heavy weekend. Naomi has a cold, so she won't go to school tomorrow...I wish I could stay home too. At least we have a vacation in two weeks!