We are back and the first week has been melancholy for me. Outside our window, the Three Ladies billboard has been replaced by a defiant woman in black superimposed over ghostly tree branches and what look like spiderwebs to me. I can't help but feel that this gives our return an ominous cast. We call her Spiderwoman.
Jet lag has been alternatively not too bad and then suffering through moments of utter exhaustion where just moving is like wading through a thick soup - or even hummus, for that matter. I have indulgently napped with Max in the afternoons and both of us struggle to wake up. Rich has been sick since before we left the States and after several homeopathic remedies appeared to kick the cold, his sore throat is back. In order of effectiveness and intrigue, he recommends:
1) Lemon, honey and cayenne pepper "tea" for a sore throat
2) Apple cider vinegar diluted with water for a sinus infection
3) Boiled ginger root "tea" for a sore throat
I was not warned about the cicadas. They are deafening and Max is obsessed with "tree bugs". His first words of the day are now "bug", "tree branch", "high", "bum up down", (it looks like the cicadas are shaking their behinds) and "flew away".
Today we went grocery shopping. Butter $14, Paper Napkins $10, Pint of Ciao Bella Ice Cream $10, Can of Chick Peas $3.50, Coffee for $20/lb. Spending $275 on half a cart of groceries - Priceless.
Welcome back to Tokyo.
4 comments:
I can't believe the prices!! We should start sending you care packages from Cairo -- even with the postage it would be far cheaper!
Now I see why you wanted to go to Target Saturday - I had no idea!!!!!
Thanks for the article Heather. Wishing Rich a speedy recovery. I like to add lemongrass to that ginger tea but I am not sure if it helps, just makes it taste better. Sharing naps is a trick all of us parents have used from time to time. Groceries do sound expensive. If food and water were more expensive in the States then we might appreciate both more. Hope you get back into your routine soon. I have been having fun chatting with Dante lately. Amy is going shopping with Mansura in New Jersey today. Beth retired from her Night Kitchen career last Tuesday and today we are taking her to a surprise dinner so I will work on a toast today as well as do some pc work on software installations and a craigslist post for selling some of our excess stuff that we have little use for. I will work on getting an article and photos about Beth's wonderful contributions to the Night Kitchen over the years on the blog. I finally figured out how to insert the script for my Google Reader Shared page on the blog which I like. Andrew is settling into his life at Lehigh University. Dan is happy with taking over the larger bedroom on the third floor. Isabella is still in Guatemala but the Birth Mother interview went well so we are hoping for a 3 month time line for picking her up and bringing her home. Her room is all ready except for some aesthetic touches. Say hello to Max and Rich for Amy and I. We miss you and look forward to your return but for now we love your blog.
Yup. Returns are hard. I think they are moments I've chosen to block out from my returns to the DR after home visits. My journal entries do tell all though.
On another note - make me a list of items to pick up for you. I will send you Max's green animal shirt that I picked up from Kittery and will send you some other things. Love you! Miss you!
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