A Voice from the Past

Today is the first day the movers are here, helping us prepare for our move back to the US next week. Cleaning out my desk, I came across a note from my mom to my nephew Josh. He had let me borrow it before we moved to The Netherlands. Mom wrote it back in August 2005, just 3 months before she died of thyroid cancer.

In the note, she reflects on her life. Back to her childhood and choices she made around schooling and career. And finally thoughts on her cancer and treatment: http://www.thalassa-stjohn.com/char%20letter%20to%20josh%20aug%202005.pdf

Rather moving (so to speak) to make this rediscovery just as we're about to relocate to the Northwest. I'm only sorry we won't be able to see her there when we arrive. But it's comforting at least to hear her voice through the words she penned...just the other day.

Seeds of Change - 20 Years Later

This past weekend was a reunion and a memorable one at that. Our good friends from Prague, Tomas and Helena and their boys Matej and Adam, joined our old friend Mike and his girlfriend Michelle in visiting our Dutch abode.

As I wrote on this blog last spring, Tomas, Mike and I had co-founded an English teaching program in what was then Czechoslovakia not long after the Velvet Revolution. We were collectively amazed to realize that our joint effort took place nearly 20 years ago. Holy cow.

What a treat for the three of us and families/significant others to get together here in The Netherlands before Josy, the kids and I move back to Seattle in July. Truly one of the most meaningful, memorable times of my life for us all to catch up over a long weekend.

Of course, no gathering of us would be complete without drama. En route to Amstelveen on Friday, Matej (7) came down with a fever that lasted until Monday. Poor guy, he basically had to spend nearly the entire visit laid out in bed. And Helena was a trooper, foregoing several outings to look after him and stick close to our house.

In a similar vein, Sophie came down with a fever, vomiting and breathing trouble starting Saturday night. This took her out of commission for Sunday and ended up in the 3-day hospital stay from Monday through Wednesday for severe pneumonia (see post below).

As if that weren't enough drama, when Tomas and family departed on Sunday for Prague, their car's alternator ("dynamo" in Czech) gave out about 20 minutes into their drive. Mike and I went to meet them and we all came back to Amstelveen. This being Holland, no car repair shops are open in the entire country on Sundays, so they weren't able to get the alternator replaced until Tuesday afternoon.

All in all, though, the extended weekend proved a great opportunity for late night catching up and reminiscing - well, as late as some of us fogeys can stay up, that is. A tasty treat of freshly brewed Czech beer from Tomas and fine wine from Mike and Michelle didn't hurt either.

"Kramsky 2010" was the rallying cry when we all said goodbyes, referring to the town where Tomas and Helena live outside of Prague. Then again, who knows - perhaps a visit to San Francisco will be in the offing. Given the drama of this weekend's reunion, next time we'll be sure to bring extra Tylenol, a AAA membership and perhaps an extra stock of Czech beer.

The Princess, Back in the Joint

Sophie apparently can't get enough of the local hospital.  Today, she was admitted for her 2nd time in a month.  Seems to be a recurrence of the lung infection she had about 4 weeks ago.

Somehow, the diagnosis "severe pneumonia" is not exactly comforting.  But at least she looks better than she did last time, isn't having breathing problems to the same extent as before and generally seems on the mend already.  

Within a few hours of being admitted and put on an antibiotic IV drip, her breath rate had improved, her O2 level had jumped from 95 to 98, and her heart rate had evened out. 

Above is a photo of her and our part-time nanny, Priscilla, who stopped by for a visit at the hospital this afternoon.  Even feeling under the weather, The Princess knows a photo-op when she sees one.