Saturday morning, 42 degrees. Kept the wood stove going all night long. It will be a weekend of Tupperware meals, two grandkids playing hockey in two different places, my son-in-law off to be with his battalion in the N.J. National Guard. They were assigned Long Beach Island where we vacation. They were trained for water purification. As if that's what he was supposed to go to Iraq for, which didn't happen quite as planned. I asked him to try to check the house and he said he would. Many of us hit by the hurricane are still dealing with the aftermath. My heart breaks at some of the photographs and interviews, stories of people so traumatized by loss. Talk about a cosmic reminder to be grateful for the small things and family or friends. Seems like each year Thanksgiving takes on an added significance, or perhaps I'm just getting old and maudlin.
The homeowner's rep arrived Monday, looking haggard and unshaven. I had waited to let others with worse damage call first. Our main problem was from a large tree down and a wooden fence broken beyond recognition, some roof and possible chimney damage, food spoilage. Nothing earth-shattering, but we've been paying for homeowner's insurance and my husband can no longer fix everything, although he likes to try.
He came home from his daughter's in Colorado, having lost another 9 lbs. and will probably need more iron infusions since she's a vegetarian and he's accustomed to meat three or four times a day. She bought him tofu sausages and I'm trying so hard not to be angry about it. Two real BEEF hamburgers in two weeks, he had to be driven somewhere to buy them himself. Hugging him at the airport arrivals was like hugging a skeleton. This may seem trivial, but to me it's not.
And then there was yesterday, taking him to register for a clinical trial for lung cancer. I've learned over the years, when in a hospital or doctor's office setting, it's better for all involved to be polite, courteous, and make a few people laugh. Makes for a softer landing if there is bad news and you never know what other people are dealing with in their lives. Unless you ask, even if all you ask them is if they would like a drink of water.