It would have been a hard weekend if all had gone well. But all did not go well and I am on the other side of it. My head aches, my stomach is both tight and churning. And although I slept the night hard with a loving dream of an old professor’s praise for a new child, I awoke exhausted. I could have dropped Julia off at school and ducked beneath the covers. I didn’t. I know my blue moods. This one did not creep up. It was a definite possibility from the start. Though I prepared and hoped it would not to come to fruition, the aftermath could not be unexpected. Continue reading
Author: Suzanne Buchko
Art Institute photos
Chicago spring weekend
Chicago. W Hotel. Chicago Art Institute.
This is way less exotic than writing about hotels and sites in Italy, but I need to begin somewhere. Almost in my own backyard. Julia and I are in Chicago for a short weekend to see her vision therapist and her naturopath, and to see the Van Gogh’s Bedroom exhibit at the Art Institute.
Caveat: I am looking at travel from the perspective of traveling with Julia who is on the autism spectrum. Of course, no one has precisely Julia’s needs but perhaps as others find these posts, they will comment about how I can make my ‘reviews’ more to the disability community. Helpful to a wider range of families. Continue reading
hunting airfare – part 2
Travel News: (1) I bought summer plane tickets. (2) I pricelined a Chicago hotel room for the weekend to visit Julia’s vision therapy doctor and her naturopath.
Travel News Fallout: Julia, on hearing of the travel plans, is ready to spend our entire week in England exploring Harry Potter related sites.
I have been hunting and gathering for a few weeks. I waited a week too long and saw airfare prices creep up, not by much, but, related to that, flights filled up. There was slim pickings for our seats to Milan. After I chose ours, there were another 8 seats left in the economy section and the only two seats together did not recline. I bought ten weeks before travel. There were no incredible deals that I could find after the twelve week point. And definitely less choice. To be sure, there are last minute deals to be found if one could wait it out but I begin talking to Julia about a weekend in Chicago a few weeks before we go. A month in Italy is not something to spring on her. Continue reading
hitting
I just finished writing about buy airline tickets. I have no idea if it will be of any use to anyone else. Still, I write. I wrote while sitting in my favorite “French” cafe breakfasting on pain aux raises and cafe au lait while Edith Piaf wailed on overhead speakers. And smiling broadly from time to time. Me, not Edith.
Julia has had a hard few days. Behaviors seem to be escalating. I have no idea of why and the behavior is not echoed home. Ach! I mean I have some idea—stress, noise—I’ve said all the before, but wanting to report and keep track. Perhaps one day, someday, I will see some pattern that can be affected somehow by something we do at home before or after school without just imposing grave consequences. I still take the iPad away for days or weeks from time to time but that is mostly for at home behavior, especially becoming too engrossed in the iPad. Julia does not suffer the loss of her electronics. She quickly finds “real” activities and I suspect her behavior improves merely because that screen is not swallowing her whole. Continue reading
hunting airfare – part 1
Yipee! It is time to go a’hunting for summer!
I’ve been talking about my nascent travel plans for this summer among friends and a few folks asked how I find somewhat economical airline tickets for summer travel. When I began planning last month, I dug out last year’s notes but what I had saved was slap dash not not useful. I had to do some reinvention of the wheel and, in order not to repeat that exercise, I’m writing it down now. Also, I’ve been reading travel blogs and websites and frankly, I don’t agree with some of what I’ve read. I am always trying to squeeze an extra mile out of my travel dollars and this is what has worked for me. (If any reader has suggestions to do better, please comment.) Continue reading
chasing joy to Italy & beyond
New venture day.
When I began blogging, there were not many people writing about the challenges of adopting an older child and I felt that as much as I gained from writing about our family experiences, it also was information and support for others. When our family moved on and I was blogging about grieving and putting life back together again, I lost the concept of providing information and support to anyone. I needed to blog for myself and gather a community of loving souls around me, reading my words and offering support. In the past year, I’ve become aware that my writing had changed again. I like journaling about my life, Julia’s doings and our lives together. I like sharing reflections about spirit moving and refrigerators. And I’ve wanted more.
And I have a terrific case of wanderlust.
When we traveled in Italy last summer, I did not see many single moms and kids, I didn’t notice many kids with disabilities traveling with parents. I’ve been poking around travel websites recently and have been listening to many podcasts. Only a few talk about single parent travel and I haven’t found any about traveling with kids with disabilities. And so, I’m going to give myself the challenge of some niche travel writing. I have no idea if I can do it, if I can be any good at it or if it will serve any purpose, but none of that is a reason not to start.
As a friend of mine says each time we begin the Japanese Crane style Qigong, ‘And so, we begin.’
new machines
Dreary early spring in Wisconsin. Yes, a few brilliant days come our way but lots of cold, damp days. Is this our British weather? Julia wants to wear spring clothes, especially light jackets, but relents after opening the morning door and standing on the front porch. I am no better, putting away hats and gloves and then retrieving them when I find myself shaking outside. Still, my neighbor’s daffodils, the ones that are in her protected side yard and bloom weeks before mine out front, bloom. They bud and stall. They are beaten down by wind and hail. I pick a few and put them on my kitchen window. These three will have the benefit of light and warmth. These three bloom for days. Almost without end.
Last week, my new appliances were delivered. They are not perfect—the fridge door is dented and the only fix is a new door to be ordered. The top of the stove is cracked and there is a question whether there is some part to be changed or a new stove to order. There is more to this in a paragraph or two but I have given myself over to the glory of fully working machines.
dreamin’
Cue background music: Mamas and Papas “California Dreaming.”
Cue soap box speaker: I am chewing over two big travel dreams/plans that I need to share.
First, Summer 2016: A week in NYC to visit family and see Hamilton (Yay!) and then 5 weeks in Italy. Or 4 weeks in Italy and a week in and around London. Just the tiniest bit anxious about this because I want to buy the airline tickets, not cheap but decent. Which will change soon. The week in and around London would be to spend time with Cheshire who will be in Cambridge for a wedding.
Second, Summer 2017-2018: A year abroad. Julia will be finished with middle school. I have been pondering taking her out of school for a year to travel. Using it like a gap year (yes, early, I know) and returning to put her into ninth grade. Lots of logistics to work out education wise. Continue reading
recherchez
I have not been writing. After a while, the lack of writing catches up with me and I feel a constipation of the spirit. After a while, I have nothing to say. Find it incredibly hard to begin. After a while, I am hollow and all I can reflect on is that I am empty of reflection. It is then, now, that I want to dive into an impossibly big, BIG project. A novel! A three act play! A fantasy trilogy. Something that I can get so lost in that I can forget the huge hole in my heart. Continue reading
Chasing Joy 