Yearly Archives: 2007

Elgin again

Death, ,

Heading off to Elgin tomorrow afternoon. Parents again – but this time it is my husband’s family.

My mother-in-law passed away last night. My husband was there – he got to say his goodbyes – although he feels like it was more important that he was there in September when his mom was more lucid. She’d been “out of it” for a while. I’m glad he got to spend time with her then and that he was there last night. I’m also glad that my children saw her last when she was standing and able to give us all hugs goodbye. I really didn’t expect that hug to be the last one – I thought she’d be around for a while yet.

On this side of 50, I think about death a lot more than I did before. Not in a frightened way, just in a matter of fact kind of way, although I’d rather not think about it at all. It is amazing – and probably good – that young people don’t realize how short life really is – it is a rather depressing thought.

The kids and I spent the day getting ready for our trip. Andrew, who will be a pallbearer, wanted a black (as opposed to navy) suit for the funeral. He also needed shoes – he’d grown a couple of sizes from the last dress shoes we bought (two years ago).

We’re staying in a motel this trip. I felt it would be easier on everyone. My family would have the space and privacy to get ready for the ceremonies. We’d also be able to be together – something that was not easily done during the summer. It will be a little odd, staying in a motel in my hometown, but it is for the best.

Huh?

Musings

Am I the only one who thinks this is kind of weird?

An exercise bike for toddlers that has educational benefits. What happened to playing outside in sandboxes and running around and jumping. Or riding a tricycle? Or climbing a tree?

Maybe I am out of it – after all, I had kids in the last century – but this just rubs me the wrong way.

And when are they going to make one for grown-ups? I mean one that teaches us while we fake-cycle.

Something else to worry about

Musings,

I rarely read the Reader’s Digest, but I read an article about a Superbug not long ago. It was, in the typical yellow journalism way of Reader’s Digest, alarming and I was slightly concerned, but got over it quickly.  Yesterday the principal of my kids’ high school sent an email (and letter) out alerting the school community that a student was diagnosed with a drug-resistant staph infection. Then today we got an email saying that several news teams were broadcasting from outside the school, but not to worry – there were no more cases reported.

The second email mentioned the lack of hot water and soap in the bathrooms (it is advised to wash your hands to prevent spreading this disease) and my daughter agreed. The principal assured us that the students would see an improvement in that area.

This morning I finished Jon Krakauer’s harrowing Into the Wild and thought how terrible it was that the young man in the story abandoned civilization for a few months and died as a result of it, hoping that my son would never do anything so impulsive. Maybe Chris McCandless had the right idea – after all he didn’t have communicable diseases to worry about. Most of the students that have gotten the disease in this area are athletes. My son is a wrestler – the most contact of contact sports. I wouldn’t be surprised if they canceled wrestling this year.

I wonder how much of this we brought on ourselves. Using antibiotics when they were not needed. Using antibacterial hand wash instead of soap and water. (Tony Fauci just confirmed my theory on the 6:00 news).

If it’s not one thing, it’s something else. At least I quit worrying about terrorism.