I was at the PT yesterday afternoon and he says the swelling has gone down in my ankle again. "Go ahead and give it a test," he says. "Just keep it under four hours."
This last statement is offered with good natured sarcasm. My PT thinks I'm crazy. Everybody in my life thinks I'm crazy. This is the downside of living in a place populated by very few ultrarunners. Nobody understands. Or almost nobody. I'm grateful for all of the Southeastern CT ultrarunners I know. All, what, five of them? Me, Susan, Bob, Davnet, Michele (whom I have never met in person, but I'm glad you're out there, Michele!). Have I forgotten anyone?
So I am going to give it a test. The kids have farm class for two hours this afternoon. While they are farming and making candles, I'll be hoofing it around North Stonington. The farm is on one of my favorite 6-mile loops. The goal is to make it around twice in the time allotted. No chatting with the Other Mothers at drop off time! Just hit the road and keep going......
The past week has been emotionally exhausting. Our 6-year-old middle child, Simon, was rushed to the hospital in Providence (yes, in an ambulance with lights and sirens) when they could not get his blood-oxygen numbers up at our local community ER. Scary. Simon and I spent a long couple of days at Hasbro Children's Hospital while the good doctors and nurses and interns and residents worked to stabilize his asthma. I didn't know he had asthma. Now I know. Now he is stable and I'm doing all I can to keep him that way. He was a good soldier in the hospital. Simon was a Buddha Child from Day 1, and that has never changed. Every parent needs one Buddha and one Wild Person. Keeps you balanced and humble.
Last weekend was entirely taken up by Make We Joy. This is a solstice celebration in the spirit of an Olde Medieval Revels at Connecticut College in New London. The kids are in the chorus every year. Nell and Simon absolutely love it. Ben goes to all of the rehearsals and then bails as soon as he gets on stage with all of the scary knights and guards and dancing men with sticks. (Odd how our most dramatic child shuns actual drama).
The dress rehearsal lasts all day Saturday. All Day Saturday. And then there are two shows on Sunday, one late afternoon and one early evening. (Thanks Brett and Joanne for the photos stolen from Facebook, as I have yet to download ours onto the computer.....)
Nell and Simon are in the middle of this first one. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to have Simon well enough to do the show. He was barely breathing in the hospital just four days before.
My biggest, most exciting, look-to-the-future type of news is that I have found and secured the most wonderful and amazing house for two weeks in August. By August I am so antsy to get out of town I drive everyone crazy. So here it is.....
A relatively cheap find at the very northern tip of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. My heart sings to think of us there in August, whales frolicking out the front door, mountains looming out the back. We will be on a seven mile stretch of dirt road north of Cape North, the northernmost town on the Cabot Trail. The nearest neighbor is miles away. The town in a 5K bike ride on an empty old road. Oh, bliss!So now on to the Christmas shopping and the running and the Getting Back to Life. Enjoy the holidays everyone. Even the hectic days leading up to the holidays. Breathe. Live. Love.
