A Silver Lining

Saturday - March 2, 2013

Life is easing back into a (tentative) state of order and calm.  Daily phone calls from Jonathan anchor my day, Joe and the dogs ground the homefront, and I am recarving some contribution in the community.  My half-day work schedule is just enough as I steadily rebuild my stamina.  While I am of course planning like the perfectionist / compulsive / "triple A" (to co-opt a pejorative) that I admit to being, I welcome this immersion back into education and recognize that a reduced schedule is an appropriate avenue to get back on my feet and into full-time mode.  The staff at my school are terrific -- sharing ideas and resources and welcoming me into their classrooms.  My nineteen students are of course a delight!  They have all been open to our small group work and are uniformly eager (so far) for all of our hands-on math work and reinforcement.  Even my fifth graders have been engaged with our rolling back a bit and reinforcing number sense through ten frames and manipulatives.  The days fly by when you are enjoying math learning centers! 

Visiting Jonathan last week in Blaxksburg!

Megan and I enjoy some morning time before I head off to work and then have some afternoon time before dinner to walk the hounds and hang out.  Having Megan home for 3 months is an absolute treat.  I confess to feeling a certain degree of guilt ... about being well!  Completely crazy but absolutely true!  After all, Megan came east to care for me during my now-cancelled (or postponed if I relapse) Bone Marrow Transplant.  She gave up her work, studies, friends, and independent living to return to her parental home to take care of me.  All of us are relieved that she isn't holing up in my hospital room and her rented hospitality suite in Baltimore (or Richmond).  Instead, she is working on her research, prepping for an upcoming run, and just hanging out with hounds and family.  One year ago, I never could have anticipated so much time with our adult Megan and yet here she is, cozily ensconced on the denim couches, studying her texts, and cuddling with two needy Italian Greyhounds (and us!).  Megan's three months with us are a silver lining to my lymphoma. I am so so happy to have her home!