Category Archives: Relationships

Into the Woods

Getting ready for vacation is so much different than it used to be. Rob, Scarlett, Otto and I are in Calistoga for the week, a nice drive less than two hours from our house. In short, the perfect,  easy summer trip. But here is a snapshot of our family getting ready this morning:

My sister is over to help me shower. Rob is loading medical devices into the mobility van. Scarlett and her cousin Jack are reading together on the couch, until reading turns into kicking, which turns into yelling, which turns into falling on the floor, which somehow turns into doing a puzzle together. Otto takes this opportunity to climb onto a piece of furniture that is not dog approved. I notice, but say nothing. I am annoyed at my helplessness, my inability to get this act together. The prep takes hours, even though Scarlett packed her own bag, and my assistant set out all my clothes the day before.

My sister cleans out the fridge, and then helps me pack my medicine and a bag of makeup that will never grace my face. But why not bring it? Then we’re finally in the car, looking once again like the Beverly Hillbillies. Read More>

|Categories: Life, Progression, Relationships | Tags: , | Permalink

Language of Life

Otto, our now 11-week-old puppy, was sick last week, with some kind of rash on his neck and a vomiting problem. We feed him healthy dog food that comes from a reputable store, yet he still insists on eating leaves, sticks, feces and winged insects in the backyard. I get it, he’s a dog, and there’s not much you can do about his dietary predilections. “Don’t eat that bee!”, for example, proved to be ineffective.

But Scarlett was really grossed out by his throwing up. “IF I hear him making that sound one more time like this,” she announced, making a gagging sound herself, “I will completely lose it.”

I don’t think I talk like that. In fact, I often suspect she gets most of her vocabulary and phrasing from the books that we read. But per-haps her dramatic flair and penchant for hyperbole do come from me. My husband is a pretty calm person. You can make him mad (and, in case anyone is curious, I know exactly how to do that), but for the most part he’s even-keeled and takes things in stride. Thus far, those qualities do not seem to have rubbed off on our daughter.

“I’m mad at you,” she’ll inform me, after watching two episodes of the Care Bears on our giant TV. “You never let me have anything, and this behavior is unacceptable.” This is because I said no to gum. Read More>

|Categories: Life, Parenting, Relationships | Tags: , , | Permalink

To My Nephew on His 3rd Birthday

Dear Jack,

Yesterday was your birthday party. We went to Nick’s Cove in Tomales Bay, which has become a tradition, because at this point, the adults are still in charge and we like oysters, pink sparkling wine, and bloody marys. Nick’s is a great place for the whole family, though. You ate macaroni and cheese with dungeness crab, opened a few presents (“PURPLE MAMOKO!”), and then went fishing for seaweed out on the pier with Scarlett. It was a beautiful, sunny day and even a swarm of aggressive yellow jackets couldn’t ruin the fun. Deciding it was either us or them, we tried to get them drunk on apple juice…it’s a long story. No one got stung.

Afterward, we came back to my house for dinner, more presents, and a very ornate Frozen performance by you and Scarlett, which involved Pops hiding behind a blanket and sprinkling Styrofoam “snow” over the two of you while you spun, gyrated, and sang. It was certainly the highlight of my day.

It’s been my habit to write letters on your birthday, both to commemorate another year and so that you know how important you are to me. As my ALS progresses, I find myself wondering how many more letters I’ll be able to write to you, what the chances are that this will be the last one. If it is (and even if it’s not), there are a few things that you should know.  Read More>

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