Author: Suzanne Buchko

first day of school

 

Kindergarden
Kindergarden
Kindergarden
First Grade
First Grade
Second Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Fifth Grade
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Sixth Grade
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Seventh Grade
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade
Eighth Grade

2:00 p.m. on the first day of school.  I have yearly dreams on the first days of school of doing something wonderful after I drop Julia off.  I thought I would be out in the garden moving plants and maybe get to the gym today.  Instead, the day up to this point has been sitting at my desk sorting though mail put aside, non-urgent financial matters, social security renewals, insurance questions, and calls to, or more precisely messages left for, therapy, therapy. therapy.  I have about an hour before pick up and instead of trying to cram something delightful into the time, I am just going to sit and tap. Continue reading →

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fossils

Star fish fossil at the Museo di Storia Naturale in Milan

It rained in the very early morning and now again at dusk.  The day was by turn, cool, sunny, cloudy, hot and muggy.  What of my mood can I blame on the weather?

Julia and I continue to work on our gardens.  We are weeding and cleaning the back beds.  I am making space for some of what must be moved.  I’ve not heard back from the inspector who told me he would call back in regards to an extension of time before imposing a fine to give me time to transplant.  I hesitate calling in case the answer is not what I want to hear.  In the meantime, my across the street neighbor received a complaint similar to mine.  Their terrace garden is considerably smaller and their plants, although over 24” are all perennials whose final height is only in place for a few weeks.  Someone on the neighborhood yahoo group has taken to calling he who is complaining the garden gestapo.  I am almost more angry about this second complaint.  No, not quite true.  I am angry over my complaint as well.  I am still muttering as I garden and doing a fair bit of blaming. Continue reading →

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silver linings & rainbows

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We are sinking into home.  Beds.  Couch.  Kitchen sink.  Julia’s cello.  Machines.  My first batch of tomatoes from the Farmers’ Market being sauced as well as a small pot of tomatillo sauce.  To be ultimately frozen for winter dishes.  I have missed the wonderfully large bunches of basil at the market.  I have none growing.  Me thinks no pesto this year. Continue reading →

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all that no longer fits

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Some of what is more than 24″ 

Yesterday was a day of issues and challenges.  Two to be precise.  Two challenges that I had no idea I was going to come home to.  Both require lots of energy and some decisionmaking. After 24 hours of fretting and feeling sorry for myself, for us, it was time for action.  Action, in some cases, is a number of phone calls, messages left and then patient waiting.  So a measure of frustration gets added to the mix, but I posted on Facebook and also on my neighborhood listserv about the appropriate issues and the response from neighbors and friends has been so supportive.  And I really needed that.  A hazard of living alone, no one to vent to or commiserate with.  Online friends are not the answer to all the hard situations of the world but it felt good to keep one eye on Facebook responses as I started cutting down my beloved garden.

Continue reading →

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travel hangover

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Plant fossils at the Museo di Storia Naturale in Milan 

Almost mid-day on day 3 at home.  Julia is still asleep.  I thought she had no jet lag/long day travel effects at all.  She seemed to go to bed at relatively normal times, wake up pretty early and go-go all day.  Not sure what switched but she has finally crashed.

I’ve been crashing for three days!  I wake much too early and want desperately to nap midday and then crave bed by 9.  During the last two days, I’ve gotten out of bed hoping that I could climb back in as soon as possible which is something I haven’t felt for a long time.

And I am grateful that I recognize that the last time I felt that way was for emotional, not physical reasons.  Those physical reasons fade quickly.  Blessedly quickly. Continue reading →

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Home!

July 2010
July 2015
August 2016

We are home.  Julia was positively jubilant when I woke her up in London and again, when we finally got into our own house.  It was not a hard travel day, we made every connection.  We almost missed our connection in Chicago-an hour and 10 minutes is not enough time for immigration, getting baggage, customs, rechecking bags, going through security and all the walking from terminal to terminal.  The 8 hours from London was long and Julia did not want to sleep in the middle of our day.  I couldn’t blame her.  It was a blessing beyond belief to be met by friends at our little Madison airport, to get welcome home hugs and be driven home, to have milk and eggs and a tomato in the frig and then to get into bed.  It was only after 9 when we climbed into bed but it was somewhere around 3 London time.  I was out much quicker than Julia but she didn’t fight me on sleep.

Today, we move slowly.  We managed unpacking, a wash and food shopping.  I have a meeting tonight.

Much more to say but another day.

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London – friends, dinosaurs and more Harry Potter

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Our last day and on the train to Warner Brothers Studio to see where they filmed HP.  Again, the weather is gorgeous.  We could have used a few more warmer pieces of clothing, one long pair of pants for both of us and slightly warmer tops.  Italy was hot and if anything, we wore our lightest clothing over constantly and I hand washed some between washings.  Here is the opposite.  We both have was very light jackets and light sweat shirts; however, not everything matches and although I am by no means a clothes junky, and perhaps because we have such limited choices, I want us to look put together.  All clothes matching would be easy and a goal. Traveling in jeans and tee shirts with random sweatshirts thrown on used to be my style and fine but we’ve been in cities and we needed a more formal look.  Ummm, this may just be me getting old and desiring some respectability. Continue reading →

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London – friends, Harry Potter & some history

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Where else would we go first?

The line to pretend to push the trolley at the pretend Platform 9 3/4 which is conveniently located next to a HP shop in Kings Cross Station is Potter worthy long. Waiting is long and boring and there is no chance that any person, young or old, who is waiting will give up their place. Julia, who has been challenged with the hub-bub of London stations, is focused and committed. There are two young women taking pictures for the store to sell and they really seem to be making a memorable experience for each person wanting a photo. And to be clear, not every adult waiting is accompanying a child. The noise of the station, regular announcement and travelers, makes for an excellently appropriate background.

Continue reading →

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Milan – Leave taking

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The Duomo and piazza from the Museo del Novecento

On the train to Malpensa Airport in Milan, all packed up. I count to 5 over and over before we leave the apartment–two roller bags, two backpacks and my small bag. Leaving our airb&b apartment, which has served us pretty well this week, we need to leave the keys on the table and leave the building. If I forget anything, we cannot go back.

Continue reading →

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Milan – the churches

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On Mondays, much of Milan closes– museums and stores and restaurants and gelato bars  (not all of course or we would all starve to death)– but the churches (all but one on my list) are gloriously open.  I thought I’d sprinkle churches thought our days but it didn’t work out that way and so, Monday became the tour of churches. Continue reading →

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