One way it could be worse

Slade often goes to Cali for the day to talk to the big wigs. But even that I hate and anything overnight is unacceptible. Again Anne Bradstreet, seventeenth century, has this to say about men traveling from home for work:


"A Letter to Her Husband, Absent Upon Public Employment"
Anne Bradstreet

My head, my heart, mine eyes, my life, nay, more,
My joy, my magazine of earthly store,
If two be one, as surely thou and I,
How stayest thou there, wilst I at Ipswich lie?
So many steps, head from the heart to sever,
If but a neck, soon should we be together,
I, like the Earth this season, mourn in black,
My Sun is gone so far in's zodiac,
Whom whilst I 'joyed, nor storms, nor frost I felt,
His warmth such frigid colds did cause to melt.
My chilled limbs now numbed lie forlorn;
Return, return, sweet Sol, from Capricorn,
In this dead time, alas, what can I more
Than view those fruits which through thy heat I bore?
Which sweet contentment yield me for a space,
True living pictures of their father's face.
O strange effect! now thou art southward gone,
I weary grow the tedious day so long;
But when thou northward to me shalt return,
I wish my Sun may never set, but burn
Within the Cancer of my glowing breast,
The welcome house of him my dearest guest.
Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence,
Till nature's sad decree shall call thee hence;
Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone,
I here, thou there, but both but one.

He is due for three months of vacation this year and even he who I would have switch companies if he traveled is such a workaholic that he is ambivalent about taking it. He won't admit it really but unless I pin him down he says a lot of stuff that sound like it. At least he likes his work because he does it very hard.

General updating

Well some good stuff and bad stuff. Those that follow me on FB hear about it but the rest of you might not know what is going on with us so thought we'd summarize.

Archer did awesome with his first paid singing gig. He will next month be singing in Carnegie Hall. I wasn't well enough to go but we taped it and will soon load it.

I broke my leg and ankle in three places. Probably because my diet has led to my bones being decalcified like an old woman. My osteopath said it has been known to happen. So I will have surgery on Monday. Bummer but at least then I will start to heal. So if anyone would like to send a shower gift I am not asking for baby stuff but mom is doing something that I could use about as much as I can get.

She is paing for house cleaning. So if people want to go in on a merry maid day that would be perfect. I have had nothing to do but online shop and I got some amazing handmedowns from Slade's sis so I think I am set I just can't cook and clean. And boy I need to. There is also a place called dream dinners where you go and make a month of meals. Stuff like that, just survival mode basically here.

Sometimes there are hidden blessings to bad problems though. Slade is again proving what an amazing husband he is. I heard an early seventeenth century poem by Anne Bradstreet that I can't believe knew me and Slade way back when. He does things for me that I hate to do for myself and unflinchingly. Lifted a seven month preg me down into the tub today, etc.

"To My Dear and Loving Husband"
by Anne Bradstreet

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

So there are kindnesses. Slade's sis's stuff, mom's offer to clean my house, Donna coming to help, my ward is feeding us, many silver linings.

Alexis, need anything?

Hi there, hope you are doing ok. I have the opposite problem, Low BP, which even makes me fall, I just broke my leg and that might have been why.

Anyway, I am gathering up stuff that we need to get rid of and I was wondering what your older daughter wears size wise and if there is anything in particular she needs. I am having a baby girl too so I will keep the little stuff but I am thinking like size four or fiveish I will be getting rid of so was wondering if you wanted any of it and if so what particularly.

Good luck to you and hope all is well with, is it Clara?

Thea. That has got to be spelled wrong so I hesitated but got to risk it. I can set her up with some new clothes as soon as I am well enough to go around in the attic which I probably shouldn't do but am very frustrated because I want to nest and can't.

Thanks AGAIN!

Wow I am agog at the stuff Rachel sent me, way better than the stuff I sent her so I am going to send her about the cutest thing I have and then go digging for more. I bought Sadie a plaid sundress in France when I was there that has a matching kerchief. FROM FRANCE! Sadie fit it for about five minutes. Hey that might work pretty well for us because Sadie is bigger than your oldest and my baby will be littler than your youngest at least for a while. So we could trade. I also have some really cute shoes.

I will dig around and find some really good stuff in the bigger sizes because I don't know if I want to store it all for nine years. I have a really cute red and black coat with a muff that hangs around the neck. Also from Europe. So I am going to get you back. I would like to think we have similar taste with kids clothes (good taste of coarse) so I will have some stuff in there that I hope you think is as cute as those baby outfits I got today (or opened today, I have been a bit laid up). Thanks again!

Thanks Rachel!

I got your package yesterday and the clothes were awesome! The hardest thing for me to do is to go shopping and I spend way too much on ebay so I appreciate it very much.

Archer did very well on his solo BTW. Drake accidentally sang in front of me and sounded great that little stinker.

I am still feeling horrible, but oh well, I can always tell this child what a pain literally what it was to get her here. And it was for Sadie so she should appreciate it, too.