Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.

Yes. I was a lot more close to my mother’s parent’s and actually lived with them in my teen years. My grandmother, Mary, was from an English background. What I remember most about her was our tea parties every afternoon. We would talk, over tea and cookies, and there was no problem that couldn’t be solved over tea! I loved talking to her, and missed her so much when I married and moved away. And then, of course, when she died. I still think about her often.

My grandfather, Frederick (Mary’s husband) was all German. He arrived here in 1906 at the age of nine years old. That’s when he met my grandmother, who was friends with his sister, Kätchen. Mary was teaching Kätchen to speak English, and Frederick learned too. Papa said he decided early on, that he loved Mary and someday he would marry her. And they did, and remained married until Mary died at the age of 86. Papa followed Grandma 8 months later. He had no will to live without his beloved Mary.

2. What’s an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?

When I was very small, I would spend time at my grandparent’s home in Brighton, Massachusetts. Grandma would leave out the wooden Noah’s Ark that Papa brought with him from Germany. It was all hand carved and I loved the little animals, as well as Noah and his family. I played with it for hours and hours. When Grandma and Papa died, I was given the Noah’s Ark. I have it to this day and it remains something very special to me!

  3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.   I see the lake and the trees. I live in the lakes region of New Hampshire. I’m on a hill above the lake, and so I have that lovely view. But around the lake, and around my yard we have beautiful trees.   4. Do you like sour candies? Which of the ‘sour’ foods listed below would you say is your favorite?   I do not like sour candies. My favorite are butterscotch hard candies.   grapefruit, Yes Greek yogurt, Yes tart cherries, Yes lemons, Yes limes, Yes  sauerkraut, Yes buttermilk, Only for cooking or kumquats No   Have you ever eaten a kumquat? Yes What’s your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list?   I guess Sauerkraut is a favorite because I love  hot Pastrami Reuben Sandwiches with Sauerkraut. YUM!  

5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it’s going so far.

Hahahahaha! Let’s see. It certainly has been challenging. After simple surgery I got an infection and that was a three month event, with the added thrill of home treatment with IV therapy. Then Jack got the infection in his toe, which did not respond to antibiotics, and after a month of treatment his toe was amputated. We’re both still recuperating, but both of us are doing so much better.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Right now we are in a holding pattern for Jack and his foot. We did get the bone pathology report, which showed  clear margins with the infected bone, and this is all good. He still has stitches in, and will for another week and a half, but the drain is out. The strangest thing, Jack reports, is that he still feels his missing toe. I call it his phantom toe. It’s gone, but his brain has not forgotten it.