Skipping Town

Busy busy day. Final day of preparations before orientation begins on Monday. It's become a family affair--my boss's son helped her do a huge shop at Sam's Club; Andrew and Greta brought the car full of the 700 waters and seltzers we'd gotten at Target to campus in the afternoon and helped bring all of it into our staging room. My boss and I are a very effective two-person department, but when planning a three-day series of events for 1,200 students, we need backup.  Lucia spent the afternoon and early evening with a friend, and Andrew, Greta, and I went to a Pirates game. It was bucket hat night, so we all got cute Pirates-themed hats. Greta and I entertained ourselves by bringing two of our plush pierogies to watch the game with us and, of course, cheer during the pierogi race, my raison d'etre for attending a Pirates game. Andrew tolerated us. I'm currently reading an insane nonfiction book about MLMs, and every story of trickery, fraud, and deception is just...

Well, the number has risen, but since I don't have any symptoms, am feeling great, and had a clear scan six weeks ago, the number is just "one piece of the puzzle" according to my dr. My next scan is September 3 and I'll have a CA-125 retest at that appointment too. Nothing to do but keep busy and enjoy the final weeks of summer. I'll enjoy it more when orientation is over. Just a few more days of work-insanity. While I stayed late at work, Andrew spearheaded a very busy evening: tutoring at 4, piano at 5:30, XC at 7. They didn't get home until 9pm. Next week is the official start of XC pre-season for Lucia; things are slowly ramping up.

I hate these appointment days. Andrew and I went early this morning for my labs and appointment with the PA. I hate walking into that building, going to those offices, getting the blood work and now waiting until tomorrow for the results. Hate hate hate.  The only way through is to stay busy, which isn't hard, with this being the final week before orientation; there just isn't time to obsess and worry. After I finished working I played Unstable Unicorns with the kids, and then Shuttles with Lucia. Then the girls and I went to the pool for a swim and dinner, and then we watched This Is Us. Andrew as at the pool too, having dinner with an old coworker.  We sent an email tonight confirming that we are going forward with the kitchen. We are very excited. 

We invited our realtor over this morning to take a look at all the work we've done on this house so far and give us her opinion on whether our potential kitchen plans are aligned with the house's value. Not that we're selling--we just wanted her thoughts about the project. When we told her the cost we were looking at, she said, "Are you sure that's all?", which obviously was not our reaction, but made us feel better about the numbers at hand.  The girls came with me to work after that to help me with some orientation tasks involving stickers and notebooks. They set themselves up at a table in my office, in front of two big bags of Pittsburgh Popcorn left over from another department's event, and ate popcorn and stuck stickers and shared earbuds so they could watch a show on Lucia's phone. They of course managed to turn the work into a race, which was loud and silly enough to be annoying to other people in the office (eye roll). Then they walked home an...

Andrew and I both went into work today and left the kids home to do summer things. Greta cleaned up and organized her room, practiced piano, and did some math review and reading. Lucia practiced piano and did some math, then had two friends over to hang out.  In the late afternoon, we all went to Bakery Square so Lucia could get much-needed new running shoes. Greta and I went to Anthropologie; I bought a dress for an upcoming event. Greta actually spotted it at the back of a rack, behind another group of dresses, and we both knew immediately it was exactly what I was looking for.  Andrew made delicious steak sandwiches for dinner, which we ate outside on the deck. Then I played a round of Shuttles with Greta and then Lucia (I got this vintage game at a yard sale this weekend; one might still be in my parents' attic), and then all of us played Rummikub. Look at us, fitting in family games on a regular evening--and it was at Lucia's request.  A nice summer day all around....

Andrew and I went to the farmer's market this morning--it's the height of summer now, the very best time for corn and fruit. We got some enormous plums, a basket of tomatoes, corn, basil. I still hate cooking dinner but I do love food.  Both kids had plans today--Greta carpooled to a swim birthday party, and Lucia went sidewalk-sale-shopping in Shadyside with a friend--so Andrew and I stole an hour to ourselves to go up to the pool. I also food prepped for the week, cleaned up the house, and read. Andrew helped Lucia hang a few things in her room. For dinner, Andrew made a delicious low-country boil from a recipe in the last Cook's Illustrated--shrimp, potatoes, sausage, and corn. We ate outside on the deck. It was delicious.

It was a lovely summer Saturday. Mom and Dad came over in the morning and we all set out for the Friendship neighborhood yard sale. We had some successful yard-saling, and then went to lunch at Ritter's diner. After lunch, Mom and Dad helped me repot my giant jade, into a pot I'd gotten when I visited them earlier in the summer. It was a precarious repotting--the jade is enormous, and had been leading against the window where it lives; moving it even slightly made it fall over. I had to support its many branches while Mom filled the pot with dirt. Then it fell over. We had to add some bricks to the pot to keep it upright. I arranged all the leaves that fell off into a new pot, and I hope to nurture them into little jade babies. You can never have enough jades. Andrew and the kids went for a run later in the afternoon, and then we went up to the pool for dinner and a swim. We made the kids watch Good Will Hunting tonight, which was not at all well-received. 

Final two days of 5:30am trips to Verona for crew. The activities this summer have been amazing, but the kids are completely wiped out. Greta has dramatic and appalling callouses across her palms and can barely stay upright past 8pm. Lucia, a pillar of energy and enthusiasm for her camp of two-year-olds, came down with a cold this week thanks to a couple of sniffly twins. They're both sad to see their crew/camp end, but it will be nice for them to have a restful August. Summer is going so fast. They've had a really great one. I myself am emotionally pummelled because, this week, the girls and I watched the most difficult episodes of This Is Us: the fire and Jack's death. They're no easier to watch this time around. We are all very invested in the Pearson family. In Maplewood, Andrew made me watch these episodes in the basement so my reaction wouldn't upset the kids. Work for me has gone beyond crazy into a kind of gray zone of mania. Just one more week until orienta...

Another insane day.  6:00 am - Greta crew 8:15 am - Lucia work 8:30 am - Andrew work 10:00 am - Margo PT 11:00 am - Margo work 11:00 am - Greta pickup 4:30 pm - Lucia pickup  5:00 - 7:00 pm - late work meeting for Margo After all that, the four of us managed to get to the pool for dinner and swimming. Only two more days of the kids' summer crew/work activities; then at least we can eliminate all the driving around.

These days are just crazily busy. Here's what the day entailed: I drove Greta to crew at 5:30. We saw a baby raccoon in the middle of the road by our house.   I came home, showered, and then drove Lucia to a dermatology appointment at 7:15. Crunched for time, I rushed from the dermatologist to drop her off at work at 8:20. In the meantime, Andrew let the cleaners in and left for work. We didn't have time to relocate Nutmeg to the attic so we just told the cleaners to skip Greta's room (which, because of Nutmeg, is the room that really needs cleaning the most, but ah well). I parked the car at home, grabbed my work bag, and caught the bus to work, which is crazy busy since orientation is in less than two weeks. Andrew picked Greta up at 11. I picked Lucia up at 4:30. We went to Target to pick up prescriptions. Andrew somehow made dinner. Andrew took Lucia to XC at 7. I, finally off duty, went to the pool with Greta. And this isn't even the craziest day of this week!  Gre...

Saturday we drove home from Cape May. I was incredibly sad to leave. It was such a fun week and a beautiful house and perfect weather. Immediately upon returning home, Andrew and I unpacked the car, got showered and dressed, and then went to my thirtieth high school reunion. I really did not want to go, but I'm glad we ultimately did.  Sunday was a blur of laundry and catching up on real-life things, and then Monday it was back to work, Greta's crew, and Lucia's job. Greta and I set out for crew at 5:30 a.m., and on our way we saw a family of raccoons, a mama deer with two fawns, three baby bunnies, and a mouse--all within a block of our house. It was a Squirrel Hill safari. This week, Lucia is with a camp of two-year-olds in the morning and four-year-olds in the afternoon.  It always feels like summer is over once Cape May is over, but this really isn't true. We still have a month of summer left.

How did this week go so fast? We just got here. And yet tomorrow we have to leave. We packed the day with as much as we could. In the morning, Molly, Mom, and I sat on the porch and worked on God's eyes. Around 8:30, Greta and I went on a bike ride and walked on Cove Beach for a little while. Lucia went for a run.  Andrew and I set up on the beach around 10, and when everyone else joined us we took a family photo. A woman from another family took the picture--we've seen this same family all week and have even been next to them on the beach for most of the time. They reminded us of us--grandparents, adult children, and a bunch of teenagers boogie boarding and playing Spike Ball. I swam a few times and it was lovely. Right at the end of the afternoon there was a jellyfish--I'm glad this happened on our last day.  Later in the afternoon, Andrew, Lucia, Greta, and I drove to Sunset Beach. The girls and I sifted for pebbles and Cape May diamonds. It was blazing hot at that hour,...

Andrew initiated a new activity for this morning: getting up early and going out to breakfast at Uncle Bill's Pancake House. This is our seventh year here, and every year we say we want to go there, and finally we did. Molly and I biked there and back, and the rest drove. Jeremy chose to have his own vegan breakfast at home. Mid-morning, the kids said their cornhole movie was finally ready for viewing; Lucia had been madly editing since yesterday. We all gathered around so Lucia could play it for us on her phone. It exceeded expectations in every way--just a hilarious short movie about a group of people competing in a cornhole competition and also getting hit by cars and coming back as ghosts to train the remaining competitors. There was a laugh track, music, voiceover, slow-motion sequences. We were cry-laughing. The kids are just so funny. Andrew and I set up at the beach around 10:30, and everyone joined us soon after. It was an absolutely beautiful beach day, and before we knew...

The week is going too fast. I took yet another four-mile bike ride first thing this morning and even parked my bike at Cove Beach for a quick walk before heading back. We all spent the late morning and afternoon at the beach: swimming, boogie boarding, Spike Ball, reading. I once again got clobbered by a wave I tried unsuccessfully to outrun.  Post-beach and post-showering, we played a couple rounds of Code Names. Molly and I worked on our God's eyes with a new technique we'd picked up from studying some of the patterns in the books she brought. We went out for dinner tonight at The Rusty Nail and sat at a big picnic table outside. Afterward, we went to Cove Beach to watch the sunset. Luca tried some fishing (but didn't catch anything). It was a beautiful evening on the beach. Our final stop of the night was Kohr's. On the way there, I stopped into Madam's Port to buy an on-sale tote bag I'd seen earlier in the week.  Back at the house, we'd intended to play...

Another beautiful beach day. Greta and I rode four miles on our bikes this morning; Andrew went for a run; Lucia went for a run with Molly and Jeremy. Then Andrew and I set up on the beach and everyone joined us shortly. Greta and I spent a while looking for shells, feeling around with our feet to find them. The kids are all a little sunburned and tired but still swam and played Spike Ball. I swam for a while as well (and made sure to face the ocean this time). Greta spent a very very very long time just bobbing in the ocean with her boogie board, perfectly content. She said she was so relaxed she almost fell asleep. We relaxed for a while at the house post-beach, reading and crafting and working on the puzzle. While Jeremy and Andrew went out to pick up tacos for dinner from El Pueblo, the rest of us played corn hole with an ancient, dusty set Jeremy found in the basement. The beanbags were so old that they released clouds of dust when they landed on the boards. The kids became increa...

A great beach day.  Morning: I went for a 4-mile bike ride. Greta and Andrew went for a run. Andrew and I went to the beach to set up the canopies etc around 10.  Morning/Afternoon: It was a lovely time on the beach. The kids continued intense ocean engagement, mainly boogie boarding. There has been a lot of Spike Ball, which Molly brought this year as a new addition, and some paddle ball. I got into the ocean and made the mistake of turning my back as a large wave approached--it knocked me under. My sunglasses are now claimed by the ocean. Andrew was right next to me and pulled me up.  We saw an incredible number of dolphins today--more than ever before, and many very close to shore. Some were even leaping out of the water in the wake of a dolphin-cruise boat. There were so many dolphins that it became almost too many dolphins.  Afternoon: In an effort to maximize our time, after we all showered post-beach, we went into town for pre-dinner shopping and ice cream. Lu...

First beach day in the books. First thing this morning I did my favorite thing: rode my rented beach bike the length of the boardwalk. There and back from this new location is about 4 miles. Greta rode with me while Andrew and Lucia went for a run. Glorious. After all the battering and bruising I went through in the first quarter of this year it felt extra amazing to be flying along the boardwalk on my bike, listening to the ocean.  Mom, Dad, and Molly spent part of the morning at urgent care, because Dad is having painful back spasms. All is well and he came away with some lidocaine patches and a muscle relaxant prescription. Meanwhile, Andrew, the kids, and I got set up on the beach for the day. Everyone joined us when they returned, and the kids spent hours in the water as always.  We left the beach around 3:30 so we could get showered and ready for the rest of the day. We ordered jumbo lobster rolls from Quincy's for dinner, worked on a puzzle while we waited out a brief r...

 We arrived in Cape May today. The drive was fine, though Dad was having back pain and I was carsick. I hate long drives. But we made it, and now Orlando Beach Week can begin. This is our 10th year of Beach Week and our 7th year in Cape May. This year we're staying at The Blue House, on the opposide end of the boardwalk from where we've been staying the past two years. It's a beautiful house--and you can see the ocean from the porch and the attic windows, just one block away. We were nervous about this house because the bathrooms haven't been updated maybe ever, but the rest of the house makes up for the awkward distribution of showers (one inside, one in the basement, one outside). We'll see how we like this part of the beach; we're all very attached to Cove Beach, where we've spent the past six summers. Once everyone arrived and unpacked, we checked out the beach and then had dinner. Molly had made pulled pork and coleslaw to bring. Then we played Code Nam...

The craziest of crazy weeks continued and finally ended. Mom and Dad came to assist on Thursday, when Andrew was still in CA and my schedule looked like this: 6:00 am - Greta crew 7:45 am - Margo physical therapy 8:15 am - Lucia work 11:00 am - Greta pickup from crew 4:00 pm - Greta math tutoring 4:15 pm - Lucia pickup from work 7:00 pm - Lucia XC practice I was also working in the office that day so all of the dropoffs and pickups were only possible with a clone. Lucia walked to work and then Mom and Dad assisted with the pickups and brought dinner. I'm glad the week is over. Farrah threw an extra wrench in the works this week by refusing to walk down the stairs. And on Thursday night she was frantically chewing her paws. So I squeezed in a vet appointment Friday afternoon. She's fine; her behavior is a mystery. I'd ordered some carpet stair treads when the stair thing started earlier in the week, and Greta and I put them on the stairs Friday evening. Of course this all ha...

It's been a pretty crazy few days. Andrew got home from Peru Saturday afternoon, and we left immediately to go to Connellsville for the St. Rita's fair. Although it was an inferno, we ate all our favorite foods, played games, and played bingo.  Sunday Lucia had a birthday party to go to, and Andrew, Greta, and I went to the pool for a swim and dinner with the Clarks.  Monday began a true Week of Chaos. Greta has to be at summer crew every morning at 6:00 a.m., Lucia has her summer camp counseling job this week beginning at 8:15 a.m., Greta has to be picked up at 11, Lucia has to be picked up at 4:30, there's XC in the evening on Tues and Thurs, I have physical therapy Thurs morning, tutoring is on Thursday evening as well, and somewhere in there I have to put in a full work day on campus and Andrew has to work too. At least with one extra parent, food can be procured and cooked. Until that extra parent leaves for California tomorrow! Backup in the form of my parents has bee...

A few weeks ago, after my essay about how Lost sustained me during chemo came out in the Post-Gazette, a man contacted me through Facebook to share his own cancer story, as well as his love of Lost, and to tell me how much my essay had affected him. We had brief and friendly exchange of good wishes. A few weeks after that, he checked in to see how I was doing, and shared a photo of a framed piece of Lost paraphernalia he'd won in the prop auction that took place in LA after the show ended in 2010. Then he suggested we meet in person, because he had something he wanted to give me.  Today, we met at Starbucks, and after a nice chat about our cancer journeys and Lost, he told me about the many things he'd acquired from the auction. He'd brought one in to show me, and then said the rest were out in his car, just outside. (Writing this, it sounds creepy, but it wasn't at all.) He showed me a few more of his Lost treasures, and then took out two walking sticks that the charac...

How can we be so busy when it's summer? Suddenly it feels like November. Wednesday I worked on campus all day, and the girls occupied themselves by walking to Ebisu for snacks, reading, and who knows what else. Lucia began cleaning out her closet, a summer goal, and her room is now unnavigable. She actually spent most of the day IN her closet, because as she emptied it she'd found all of her tiny Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi sets, and spent hours creating an elaborate setup on one of her closet shelves. By bedtime, nothing had returned to her closet, and I fear this is one of those projects that--like alphabetizing-by-author a large collection of books--seems doable and then instantly becomes impossible.  Today I started the day with physical therapy at 7am. Then I worked from home but managed to have a very very busy day. Greta read and played solitaire. Lucia continued her epic closet clean out by going through stacks of old papers and schoolwork. She put all her clothes bac...

I went into the office all day then came home and went to Trader Joe's with the kids. Coming home from NH and then immediately going back to work as well as being a solo parent has left me exhausted. At least now we actually have groceries, if not the time to cook anything. We had a quick "dinner" of frozen Trader Joe's dumplings as soon as we got home from the store, and then went to Frick Park for Lucia's cross-country run. Her team summer runs have begun, and she is beyond excited. She says XC is her favorite time of the year.  Greta didn't want to run tonight so she walked two miles with me. I am very tired and stiff, so she had to make an active effort to keep pace with me, which she kindly did. It's a lesson for me: in NH, I moved around all the time, walking down the road, walking down the hill to the pond, and I felt great. It's the best I've felt all summer. Now, after a ten-hour car ride and back to sitting for most of the day, I can feel...

The drive home yesterday was long, but we made it, and now the next part of our summer will begin. We were all very sad to leave. We needed a few more days there to lie in our hammocks and play Rummikub; we had some busy days the second week we were there, and we needed a few more days of our regular NH routines, with the kids screaming nonsense on the floating dock, Andrew puttering around the barn, me moving from place to place with my book. But two and a half weeks--not bad at all. Not bad at all. Today Andrew left for Peru, and I worked from home, and the kids slept very (very) late and are once again ensconced in their rooms. The rhythms are so different here.  A bright spot was when Lucia and I were talking about her required summer reading for her tenth-grade English class (three books by American authors; it's an American lit class), and she seemed flummoxed about what books to select. (The guidelines gave categories--book by a Black American author, book with sci-fi elemen...

Our final day in NH. We started off the day with a second river rafting trip, taking two rafts this time with Andrew's sister's family plus aunt and uncle. The water was very shallow and slow, but it was a beautiful day, and Andrew and the girls and I stopped twice to hunt for river glass. It wasn't a very nice swimming day, since the slow water meant there were lots of tiny flies that adhered to skin and swimsuits; the volume of them was actually very alarming. Lucia did swim for a while while we were rafting, in an area where there weren't many flies. We saw a bald eagle and a cute family of brown-headed ducks. Then it was time to unwind our NH stay: deflating all the inflatables, taking down the pond rope, taking down the swing and hammocks, packing up, cleaning out the fridge. It was all very very sad. Andrew, the kids, and I squeezed in a hike through the woods. Andrew's aunt and uncle brought over Pizza Chef pizzas for dinner, and then we loaded up the car and...

There's nothing like the Fourth of July in NH. This is our 16th NH Fourth--we've been coming here every year for the Fourth of July since 2008, with the exception of 2012, which was when we moved from Brooklyn to Maplewood. Sixteen years of Fourth of July parades, rummage sales, bbqs, fireworks, fire pits.  Today was exactly the same as every other year. We went early to the parade so we could visit the rummage sale, which, this year, was very sparse; but across the street was a giant sale, and the girls and I found lots to bring home, including a mug that says "Vermont All-State Cow Tipping Team." Then we watched the parade. The girls have officially aged out the candy portion--everyone throwing candy passed them right by. But we did get our chocolate milks from the dairy. After the parade, we had hot dogs and hamburgers at the firemen's bbq, browsed the cakes in the cake auction area, and then headed home.  While Andrew and his sister etc went to hike up Mount A...

Wednesday was the memorial service and lunch reception for Andrew's parents. They were laid to rest in the family cemetery with a group of cousins and other relatives in attendance. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I think everyone was happy to have this chance to formally gather and reflect. Today was extremely rainy, so our planned rafting trip was postponed until Saturday. The girls and I spent much of the day reading. Andrew, the kids, and I played two games of Rummikub. After lunch, the girls and I took our final trip to Books-A-Million and Newbury Comics, and Katherine and Thomas came with us. Greta turned in two punchcards and got four books; Lucia turned in one and got two books. I bought myself a book too. We just browsed at Newbury Comics. I felt very sad when we left, saying goodbye for another year. Once we get home, we don't even think about these stores until we're getting ready for our next summer visit. We went out to dinner at Harpoon Brewery, the seven of...

I had a very busy workday but took a quick break at lunchtime to play Rummikub with the girls. After I was done for the day, I floated on the pond while the girls did their usual horseplay on the dock. There was no sign of the snapping turtle. Andrew and his sister shopped for nearly the entire eight hours I was working, getting things ready for the funeral and reception tomorrow, which they are cooking for themselves rather than catering. This is a complex undertaking when home base is a house without any platters, serving bowls, counter space, fridge space, or other amenities. It's almost like trying to host a party from an extended-stay hotel, where, if you're lucky, you have access to one fork, one teaspoon, and a couple of thin plates. The highlight of the day: It's Farrah's 6th birthday! Six years ago today, our little baby was born at Creampuff Farm. To celebrate tonight, we gave her a doggie ice cream cup topped with a strip of bacon, plus two new toys, and sang...

A work day. But afterward I got in some hammock time. The kids played in the pond for a while.  In the afternoon, Andrew's sister and family arrived, so we're onto the next part of our NH stay now. We got Pizza Chef pizzas for dinner. I had a very late work webinar, but everyone else sat outside by the fire. I am still waiting to hear the sounds of an organ coming from the barn.   What We're Reading Margo: Expensive People by Joyce Carol Oates Andrew: Proust Lucia: Fable by Adrienne Young Greta: finished Murder on Mustang Beach by Alicia Bessette; started Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer

This morning, Andrew and the girls went on Andrew's long run, a hilly 6.5 mile trek that Andrew does every year. Andrew was excited to share the run with them, and they held their own. Lucia, of course, complained that she had to keep stopping to wait for everyone else.  While they were on their run, I made a batch of jam with the strawberries we picked. This is the only place I ever make jam, and it's just the worst place for a messy project like this, yet I continue to do this project every couple of years. I made nine jars. It's delicious. I should really get a canner to keep at home, too, and do some canning with farmer's market finds. But as with all things we do here, there seems to be no time to do them at home. Time stretches here. After lunch, we went to Books-A-Million and Newbury Comics so the kids could redeem a couple of punchcards. They each picked out a Funko and a Unicorno at Newbury Comics, and books at Books-A-Million.  Then we picked up a couple of th...

We did our annual Mount Ascutney hike this morning. It was so cool and cloudy it was like hiking into a cloud. When we climbed to the top of the fire tower at the peak, we couldn't see anything at all--a first. It was still great to be in the woods, despite the lack of view.  After our hike, we drove into Windsor and stopped at a pond we've been wanting to check out. We'd heard it's full of snapping turtles. Unfortunately, we didn't see any while we were there. Then we went to Frazer's for lunch. We all got burgers, and then maple creamees. This restaurant closes down for the entire week of July 4, so this was most likely our last visit. We stopped at the grocery store for a few things on the way home, and I got my canning supplies. Tomorrow I'll make some strawberry jam. The rest of the day was spent mostly reading in hammocks, the best kind of day. Andrew grilled steak for dinner and we ate outside behind the house. Then the girls and I played two rounds o...

A workday for me and Andrew. It was cloudy and cool, and the girls spent almost the entire day reading in their room. Glorious. Lucia also worked on making a Snapfish photo book of her trip to Spain. When I was done working, I, too, read for a long time. I also took a walk. The girls and Andrew all went for a run. Andrew grilled chicken and made a Greek salad for dinner, and then we played two rounds of Rummikub. This was a very quiet, restful day. The best kind of NH day when the real world just seems very far away. What We're Reading Margo: Sunrise on the Reaping Andrew: now it's Proust time Lucia: Star Bringer Greta: finished Don't Tell a Soul by Kirsten Miller; started and finished The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe; started Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette

It was a cool, rainy day today, a nice relief after all the hot days. I had today off work but had to have one meeting this morning. After that, we went strawberry picking, which we hadn't been able to do last year. As usual, we picked far too many berries, and I'm going to make some jam this weekend, which I haven't done in a while.  After lunch, it rained, and the kids went out on the dock for a little while. Then the three of us played a few rounds of Rummikub before settling in with our books. At some point I took Farrah for a walk and spotted two red efts. Once Andrew finished working, he made steak mock frites for dinner, one of our top favorite NH meals. We didn't let our lack of an actual oven stop us from making the delicious mock frites; we just had to make several batches in our toaster oven. After dinner, we all played Rummikub and then a bunch of rounds of the "personality" version of Guess Who (Is your person really into community theater? Does y...

I started off the day reading in my hammock while the kids slept in. Is there anything more relaxing? There is not. Greta joined me when she woke up. Unfortnately, as she began making her way down the slight rise that leads to our hammock area, she saw a snake. It slithered out of her path, but did not slither away entirely. Greta said it was small. To my surprise, neither of us freaked out and ran inside. Instead, we coexisted with the snake while we read. Lucia eventually joined us as well. We did not tell her about the snake. Later in the afternoon, the girls and I went to Books-A-Million since they each had a punchcard to turn in. I bought Greta two bargain books and Lucia one non-bargain book, and a bargain book for myself.  The temperature seemed to double by the time we got home, so the girls went into the pond and I sat in a chair BY the pond. They played on the dock, their usual splashy game, and there was no sign of the snapping turtle. Once Andrew was done working, we sa...

It was a brutally hot day. I had a busy day of work, and trying to focus while literally melting in the upstairs bedroom was miserable. We (I) were very worried about Nutmeg, since the girls' bedroom is the hottest during the day. Rabbits should never be in an environment hotter than 75 degrees, and it was easily a hundred degrees in the bedroom. So we relocated her to a much cooler downstairs bedroom for the day. While Andrew and I worked all day, the kids read and played in the pond. Things got a little out of hand in a way that remains unclear, but it appears Greta pushed Lucia off the dock (a standard part of this activity) and Lucia scraped her shin somehow. It's all fun and games etc etc. I was so swelteringly hot after I finished working that I decided it was time for my once-a-decade dip in the pond. Greta and Andrew came with me for moral support, and also for physical support, since my abs are still so weak/nonexistent that I was concerned I wouldn't be able to ho...

We're having a heat wave here in NH, and it was sweltering. I'd taken today off work, so I had the whole day free. While the kids slept in, I read in my hammock for a long time.  After lunch, we went to the pond. I floated around on an inflatable boat, and the kids played as they always do on the floating dock, with the whole crowd of inflatables. Their game (?) this time, from what I could make out as I drifted around, involved pushing each other off the dock or encouraging each other to jump off, thrashing in the water and scrambling to get onto an inflatable, then screaming "BIG BACK!" at each other in a highest-volume call-and-response. Indeed, the phrase "big back" seemed to be the only thing they said to each other, and it was used as noun, verb, name, exclamation, expletive, and adjective. They were wildly hysterical. Even though I was only marginally paying attention to them, now and then their insanity would reach me and I would snicker as I floated...

River rafting day. It was a perfect day for it--very hot and sunny. We booked the 12:00 slot and a 3:30 table at Harpoon, with the idea that we'd take the full three-hour allotment to do our float. It was a lovely day. We rowed to our favorite rocky outcropping and pulled the raft ashore for a long spell of swimming, floating, rock skipping, and relaxing. I floated in the river in my life jacket for a long time, tnen lay down on the rocks at the water's edge with my life jacket as a pillow, the water flowing around me. It was the most relaxed I've felt in ages. We had some snacks and then set off again. Swimming at this particular area is my favorite part of our rafting experience each year. The current moved us at a good clip, but there was still a lot of rowing, with Greta shouting insturctions to us in the language of her crew team and getting mad when we didn't understand, and Lucia adamently insisting she didn't have to row because that would push us in the wro...

This morning we headed to Books-A-Million for our first visit of the summer. Shopping here is as much a tradition here as reading in hammocks and hanging out in the pond. I bought the kids two books each from the bargain books area. Then we went to the comic book store, where they always pick out a Funko Pop. Lucia was ecstatic to find a character from Yellowjackets, which apparently is sold out everywhere. Greta was torn between a couple of characters from Supernatural and Shadow and Bone, so she decided to wait and figure out which one she wanted most. We'll go back soon. Then we picked up some groceries and a few things from Wal-Mart, including window fans to help us get through the next few days of ninety-plus temperatures. We had lunch back at home and then headed to the pond. Andrew hung the rope across the pond, the final piece of our summer preparation. Then we all engaged with the pond according to our own comfort level. The kids jumped off the floating dock onto inflatabl...

Andrew and I both had to work today. The kids slept late. At lunchtime, we put up the hammocks in the woods. Lucia worked on diamond art; Greta finished a book. She loved the book so much that she said, "If I could carve open my heart and put the pages inside, I would." After work, I read in a hammock for a while and went for a walk. Andrew and Lucia went for a run. Andrew grilled burgers for dinner, I threw Farrah some toys to chase in the yard, and then we sat around the fire pit. A quiet, nice New Hampshire day. It was very windy and cool, so no pond swimming took place. Andrew mentioned to Greta today his plan to excavate an old ping-pong table from the barn, a plan that none of us approve of. This isn't a place for ping-pong. As Greta put it: "This is a place to reconnect with yourself and with nature. It's not a place for modern games ." It's hard to convey the withering disdain Greta managed to convey in those words.  Final note: On Thursday, some...

We're here! We loaded up the car this morning with the jetlagged kids and the pets and drove ten hours to NH. It wasn't a bad drive. The kids watched shows and slept. Andrew and I traded driving shifts and listened to Scam Inc, a podcast from The Economist. We stopped at Sheetz. Nutmeg glowered at us from her cage. We arrived around five, and after we unpacked the car we went into town to pick up groceries and pizza from Pizza Chef. Back at the house, the kids decided to go into the pond before eating dinner; they're wasting no time. Andrew and I inflated a bunch of the inflatables, and Andrew hung up the swing in the back yard. Tomorrow we'll hang the hammocks and put up the pond rope, and we'll be ready for our stay. We are all excited to dive into our carefully chosen book stacks and will, of course, add to them at Books-A-Million. When we left last year, we never could have predicted what the year ahead would bring. I'm so glad to be back, even more than oth...

We ended up staying at the airport until 2:30am last night. The kids were delayed out of JFK, and when they finally arrived in Pittsburgh, there was a problem with the jet bridge, and they were stuck on the plane for almost an hour. We didn't get home until 3:00am. Needless to say, we are all varying degrees of zombie today. But the kids had an amazing trip. I'm very glad they're home. They even brought gifts: magnets for Andrew (which he'd requested) and a flamenco dancer figurine; a hat (my request) and a beautiful pair of pomegranate earrings from the Alhambra gift shop. Delightful. After working today, we got packed up for New Hampshire. The kids unpacked their suitcases, did their laundry, and then repacked. Andrew loaded the car at 10pm. The pets are on edge, certain we're leaving them; Farrah hid in the attic, under the guest bed, all day. They'll be happy when we load them into the car along with us tomorrow. (Well, Nutmeg won't be very happy since s...

My scan was clear!! The results came in this afternoon, and I went into a quiet hallway at work to read them. I actually thought I might black out from anxiety (scanxiety). But the words were right there: "no evidence of metastatic disease" and "no tumors." Let the summer of recovery begin. Or, as Vinyard Vines called it in a promotional email to Andrew a few weeks ago, "the summer of Margo." They were referring to the name of a dress style (which now hangs in my closet), but I've adopted the theme.  It was another very busy day of work, which was fine while I needed distraction from test-results dread, but now I'm ready for a break. We leave for New Hampshire on Thursday, and I have never been so excited for the quiet and distance and isolation. I need a reset. I need a gravel road to walk on and a hammock in the woods to read in. I'll work four days while I'm there, two each week, but the rest of the time is mine.  The kids get back tonig...

Started off the day with a CT scan. Unlike last time, when it took several people four tries to get my IV in, this time I told the young nurse tech to please find the very best IV person they had because, as she termed it, I'm "a hard stick." She said she could try to get it in, and if she had a problem she could get the good-at-IVs nurse, and I said it was probably just a better idea to skip all the trying and get the other nurse from the get-go. (I was tactful. But there was no way I was going to let myself be a pincushion again.) It took the nurse that came over just one try, thank goodness, but it hurt like crazy and I nearly blacked out and had to be led to a gurney to lie down. Good times. Good times.  Now I have to wait for the results. Fortunately, today was an insane day of work, and I didn't stop between the time I got home from the scan until 8:30pm. I went into the office at 6:45pm to do a webinar from my office. I'm exhausted, but at least I didn'...

Thursday, June 12 Andrew's birthday! He had the day off from work, and I worked from home, so at lunchtime we went up to the pool for lunch and a swim. I rejoined him after I was done working for more swimming and reading. Later, we went downtown for dinner at Barcelona with some friends. It was a nice day of birthday activities. Friday, June 13 A very busy day of working. Andrew's uncle and brother-in-law flew in for the weekend since there's a big golf tournament happening in a nearby town, so I took myself up to the pool for the early evening. Sadly, I had to leave sooner than I wished because of rain. Saturday, June 14 With Andrew immersed in golf all weekend, Farrah and I drove to Connellsville. Mom and Dad and I went out to lunch at the River's Edge and sat at a table overlooking the river. Then we went to Gabe's, Ollies, and Target. In the evening, we watched Echo Valley. It was a very full and fun Connellsville day. Sunday, June 15 We celebrated Father's...

It is still so weird and quiet here, but the kids appear to be having a fantastic trip. The chaperones send pictures throughout the day, and Lucia and Greta occasionally text us (today it was to ask for more money). They're still in Madrid; today they were at the Prado. The photos show happy, smiling travelers. It seems like a nice group of kids.  Andrew and I worked all day and then went up to the pool for a bit. Then we went out to a delicious dinner at Fish Nor Fowl. My favorite kind of dinner--lots of snacky things, plus mussels. It was a great meal.  (I would have liked a cocktail. Instead, I had a mocktail. These things are not the same. But alcohol just seems like poisoning my already poisoned body, and I still can't bring myself to drink anything at all. Maybe in a few weeks/months I'll feel differently, but maybe not.)  Nutmeg is reacting negatively to Greta's absence and won't let me pet her, even though she's been following me around. Tonight she foll...

Monday, June 9 We drove the kids to the airport this morning for their flight to Spain. When it was time for them to go through security, we said goodbye. Andrew cried when they walked away. We all cope in our own ways! For example, I forced Greta to move items from a pouch she chose to a much better, more organized pouch this morning. Now they're gone, first a long layover in Chicago and then on to Madrid.  The house is extremely weird and quiet. Andrew and I made dinner at home and watched Mountainhead. The girls didn't text us to tell us if they were sitting together on the plane. I'll feel better when they've arrived in Spain.  Tuesday, June 10 Lucia, forgetting the time difference, called me at 3:00 a.m. to tell me that they were in Spain, but that a bunch of kids, including her, had had to gate-check their bags and the bags were now missing. An hour later, she texted that the bags were all found--they'd been routed to the wrong baggage carousel. She also sent ...

A very rainy day didn't stop us from going to some yard sales this morning in Highland Park. Mom and Dad came with us too. We found a few things: some Christmas dishware (Mom and I), a huge candle (Greta), some books, some jewelry (Lucia), etc. But the best (?) find of the day was for the kids: more haunted dolls.  We were driving around Highland Park and turned onto a street we recognized as having been the spot where they got their haunted dolls last year. The same house was having a sale, and when we went onto the porch, there were three dolls--probably the ones that were left in the box last year after the girls selected theirs. They each selected one doll, for $1 each. When Lucia went to pay the owner, she told Lucia she could just take all three dolls. Then she said she remembered L&G from last year and rwas hoping they would come back and that her husband's grandmother would be very happy. I told the woman we were going to let her know if we "had any trouble...

Lucia had her training this morning for her camp counselor job, then went to a friend's house for the afternoon. Andrew and I took Greta shopping for a new travel bag and sports bag, which we found at Marshall's. Once we all got home, the girls began their packing--they leave on Monday for their trip to Spain. They're packing light, with one small suitcase and backpack each, but ten days is a long time to organize for. They're almost done. Tonight we all went to the club for dinner and music bingo. The girls swam.  Tomorrow we'll finish packing and preparing and then the kids will be on their way!

The kids are transitioning to summer mode. On Thursday they slept in then spent the day in a variety of activities: Lucia went for a run, made s'mores bars, and did some diamond painting; Greta read, did her laundry, and sat beside Lucia while she did her diamond painting (I think they were watching a show on Lucia's laptop). Later, we watched some This Is Us. Today, Lucia went for a run and ended at Dunkin' Donuts, where she met up with a friend and then hung out at Riverstone Books. They found a Taylor Swift lyric-analysis book, and called Greta to join them at the bookstore; Greta walked down and they all hung out there for a while. Meanwhile, during a break between meetings, I called all over the house for Greta; I had no idea she'd left. I'd actually had no idea Lucia had tacked a run onto her plan to meet her friend, until she told me later. Once they got home, they both did some diamond painting. They're planning to bring diamond painting supplies to NH t...

Monday and Tuesday have blurred together. The kids were still completing assignments so it felt like a regular couple of days. Today, Wednesday, was finally the last day of school--last day of ninth and seventh grade. I almost forgot to take a porch picture this morning--Greta reminded me as we were pulling out of the driveway, so I made Andrew park the car so we could get out and take the pics.  Andrew and I had been invited by the school to the middle school Moving Up Day ceremony, even though only eighth-grade parents attend, because Greta was receiving an award. We were so excited when her name was announced for the seventh-grade award, honoring the seventh grader who best embodies the school's motto: "Gentle in spirit, strong in deed." The faculty selects a student each year for this award. Well deserved, I think. After the ceremony, Greta went to Kennywood for the rest of the day with some friends. After the Upper School half-day concluded, Lucia walked to Walnut St...

My obsession with Lost over the past few months inspired an essay, which was published today in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Excited to share it with you.  (Subscribers can find it here : https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/insight/2025/06/01/cancer-lost-tv-diagnosis-treatment/stories/202506010035)

Maycember is putting my daily blogging to the test. Just a few more days till the end of the school year. On Wednesday I went out to dinner with a bunch of college friends, all of whom were miraculously available to meet up. Andrew couldn't come since he had to take Lucia to tutoring, but it was a great reunion. Thursday was WT's commencement, and Andrew and I went to see the Clark twins graduate. It was fun getting a sneak peek of where we'll be in three years.  And today we got the estimate for our kitchen project, and all I'll say about that is there is no longer a kitchen project. At least, not in the way we'd thought. We're now moving ahead on our own to figure out a less insane way to do this reno. Time to bring this project back down to earth.

Monday was a nice Memorial Day, if a bit chilly. I got up early and went outside to weed for a couple of hours, listening to an audio book. Andrew and I went to Home Depot to get some mulch and flowers. The kids did a little homework. Andrew played tennis with the Clarks. Then we all met at the club for the Memorial Day picnic. Greta jumped in the pool. I wore a new wide-brimmed hat from Anthropologie to the picnic. I'm going to need a new storage solution for my growing hat collection. Tuesday was back to work, though I was able to work from home. I took Lucia to get a TB test (a required paperwork thing for her upcoming summer employment by the school). There was homework and piano practicing. School ends one week from tomorrow.

Molly and Luca's brief visit continued with a fun day in Connellsville. The girls and I (and Farrah) drove down around lunchtime, and we helped Mom make fresh pasta for our lunch. The kids made a movie trailer, we played a new version of Guess Who? (Does your person like going to Medieval Times? Does your person have a complicated Starbucks order? Does your person drive a Range Rover?), and Molly and I took all three dogs for a walk. A perfect pre-Memorial-Day afternoon. When the girls and I got home, Lucia decided to make some frozen chocolate-dipped fruit and got out the double boiler to melt some chocolate. Then we watched three episodes of This Is Us. There was some hilarity when Lucia attempted to help me clean up the kitchen and instead made the mess worse as she tried to wash the double boiler. 

We've settled back into regular life post-Houston. Our Volvo has been repaired and has returned home. Greta had her seventh-grade overnight trip to Gettysburg. Andrew left yesterday for a family event in Florida. The girls and I watched the documentary Getting Lost , about the making of Lost . After a montage showcasing all the Lost -related tattoos fans have gotten over the years, the kids debated where they would get their own Lost tattoos one day, and whether it would be the Dharma Initiative logo or the series of numbers needed to save the world. I personally would lean toward the numbers.  Today (Saturday) Molly and Luca drove to PA for a visit, and they plus Mom and Dad all came over in the afternoon to hang out and have dinner. Farrah was less than pleased that Molly's dogs had invaded her home and yard and is now passed out on my bed, exhausted from the trauma of being forced to bark at them relentlessly.  After everyone left, the kids and I watched two episodes of Th...

We've had an affirming and very positive experience here at MD Anderson this week. Yesterday, we met with Dr. Gershenson's nurse, Kimberly, who reviewed my medical history, as well as Dr. Gershenson, who came in to do a pelvic exam. We scheduled a follow-up visit for Tuesday, where he said we could bring all our questions. We chatted with Kimberly afterward, who said she's been working with Dr. Gershenson for twenty-one years and told us how much things had changed in the world of LGSOC; she said this is a cancer that can be cured--the first time we'd ever heard this word connected to LGSOC.  Today, we met with Dr. Gershenson for a video visit. He gave his summary of where he felt I was based on the results of my surgery, chemo, and now maintenance treatment, and he, too, was very positive about prognosis for many reasons, including the success of my surgery and my age at diagnosis (weirdly, women diagnosed younger than 35 fare worse with LGSOC). When we asked him to ta...

It's been a nice weekend after what felt like a very long week. Friday night we had the Clarks over for dinner. It was a beautiful night, and we sat outside on the deck. The kids, forced into togetherness as usual, played Uno No Mercy and of course ping pong. Lucia was at a friend's house for part of the evening but eventually returned home. Late Friday night, I woke up and went into the bathroom, where in my half-asleep state I spotted a dark object by the bathtub. Closer inspection revealed the object to be Nutmeg, who had somehow slipped out of Greta's room and was asleep in our bathroom in a cute little loaf. It was an extremely windy night, so the pets were ill at ease; Farrah was huddled in our closet, behind my hanging dresses. I eventually got Nutmeg to follow me back to Greta's room. Saturday, I woke the kids up early so we could go to the first neighborhood yard sale of the year, in Regent Square. We didn't find much, but the kids each found some clothes; ...

My CA-125 has decreased again, down about 9 points to 53.7! That's a relief. Twenty more points and I'll be in "normal" range, though the goal is single digits. Some people never get there and stabilize at a higher number. But my fingers are crossed that I will keep decreasing. Tonight was the kids' chorus concert. Mom and Dad drove in as well. One more thing to check off the calendar as we swiftly approach the end of the school year.  We had no water for most of today--there was a water main break and we lost water at 7am. It didn't come back until 5pm. Good thing we were at school and work all day. No water is much more disruptive than no electricity.