This year’s trip to America has hit me like a brick, and in more ways than one. Landing in Newark brought me back to a world of fast: hurry through the airport, hurry to the car rental, hurry to get out of New York. But then, traffic was at a standstill. Now, everyone knows that Italians drive crazy, and fast. But in Newark, it came to me that in America, everything is fast. People walk fast. Fast Food. Fast drive lane. Then, COVID and RSV shots, and I’m hit me again. Hard. Hit Mike, too. But this time it was physical. We were sick for almost a week. And my arm was so sore from the shots that I could hardly move it.
So the trip didn’t start out so great. And it had other ups and downs.
First stop was Ledyard, Connecticut to visit daughter Kate, her hubby Lane, and our grandson Frank. We were all disappointed that the vaccines caused such a bad reaction, which limited our activity.
We drove to Batavia, New York, to visit my sister’s oldest, Anne, and her family. She and her hubby Dave own a 200-acre farm and farmhouse with a huge kitchen. Every year they host a Thanksgiving dinner on Veterans’ Day weekend. That way, the kids can celebrate the real T-Day with their spouses’ families. It works out well for us all. Kate, Lane, and Frank came, as did my sister Carol, her daughter Sandra and son Michael and his wife Hope. When you look at the photos, you’ll see one of my sister with her great-granchildren. It was truly an epic event. (see the link below)
A short drive to Richfield, Ohio, near Cleveland, took us to visit my cousin Nancy and her husband Barry. It was Nancy’s birthday, so we got to celebrate with a dinner at Nancy’s daughter’s lovely home. Cousins Gloria Solarz, and Jim and Joan Gaino came for dinner, and we video-called cousin Ginny Kirk in Los Angeles.
Next stop was Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago. We were still recovering from the shots, but had lots on our “to-do” list. They included trips to the safety deposit box, Costco, LensCrafters; to Oak Park for lunch with friends Joan, Mary, and Jim; to the barn with daughter Caroline to see her horse; to Caroline’s house to see granddaughter Liz; to dinner with daughter Maureen and her hubby Todd; to AAA so Mike could get a new International Driver’s License, and shopping at Kohl's, Alamo Shoes, and LL Bean. Mike bought shirts because they have front pockets, as opposed to Italian shirts that don't.
A first-class flight (thanks, Mike!) took us to Oklahoma City to visit Mike’s mother. We knew she was not doing well, but did not expect to find her in such a frail state. It was very hard for Mike. Reality set in and the decision was made to move her to a skilled care home. We left her in the hospital, awaiting a social worker to assist in finding appropriate accommodations. We have since had voice and video calls with her in new surroundings. She is doing much better, getting her meds regularly, proper hygiene, and descent food (although she didn’t care much for the tacos they served one day). We are grateful for the help of her wife Colleen, and all the research and financial arranging that Collen’s daughter Nicole has done.
Our next family stop was Houston, Texas. Now this was a biggy. Mike’s sons Matthew and Mikey have young children. Matthew and Ashley have Connall (age 9) and Isla (age 5) and live in Cincinnati. Mikey and Lynn have Nghi (age 13) and Brandon (age 5) and live in Houston. Every year they get together at one or the other’s house for Thanksgiving Dinner. This year it was Houston. We were hoping that daughter Rebecca and granddaughters Devlin and Moira, who live in Austin, TX would be able join us, but, alas, not this year. Regardless, it was definitely a fun-filled week. We went to the NASA space center, to a great children’s museum, played and played with the kids, ate and ate a variety of foods. Lynn is an excellent Asian chef, so of course we were willing consumers. We are impressed with how well behaved the kids are and how nicely they got along. Not to mention how smart they are. Well, maybe we are a little biased…..
Twelve years ago we met Julie and Bill Chase at a Business Analysis conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Julie and I had met each other while attending the same sessions at the conference. She and Bill went for dinner the first evening there at the same restaurant that Mike and I were, so we asked them to join us. Julie and I, of course, had a lot to talk about. It was a nice surprise to find out that Bill and Mike also had a common interest: Civil War history. And so it began. Together, we have toured Civil War battlefields, rode bikes in Chicago’s Bike the Drive, taken a cooking class in New Orleans, and visited sites around their home near Washington, DC.
This year, we added some time at the end of our trip to spend a few days in New York City. Mike had never seen a Broadway play, so we figured it was time. Bill and Julie took the train up from Baltimore, and we had a great time together for three days. We saw a Tribute to Louis Armstrong on Broadway, and a fabulous performance of the Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Jazz club. We took the hop-on/hop-off bus around town, stopping at Chinatown for lunch and walking around Battery Park in search of a memorial to an ancestor of Julie, watching Olympic ice skaters preparing for an evening performance, shopping at the Christmas Market in Bryant Park.
After a month of traveling around, we headed home to our cozy apartment in Citta’ Sant’Angelo.
Here's a link to our photos: Click HERE
It seems that our bodies are telling us to slow down. It’s been over a week now, and we are still adjusting to the time change and pace in our community. It’s good to savor the fresh air, the great food, and the lovely people.
This week we eagerly await the arrival of the Milde family (Kate’s from Connecticut) to spend Christmas with us. Watch for a blog on this.
Happy Holidays to you all,
Margaret
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