weekend cheer camp

648C01DA-B7E2-4B12-846D-9E51FDA589E2 This morning, 6 a.m., I dropped her off at school and she climbed onto a yellow bus filled with enthusiastic, yet somewhat drowsy cheerleaders each with identical shorts and tee shirts. Cheer camp weekend! The team will arrive at a high school a few towns over before 8, register and begin their very scheduled day at 9. Warm ups, chant class, dance class, stunt class, jump class, private coaching, cheer class and evaluation until 9:30 p.m., to be repeated tomorrow until they board the bus again at 9:00 p.m. In between, they will sleep on the gym floor.

Probably while she was still on the bus, Julia texted me to say “hi” and after I responded and said, “love you,” she wrote “love you too mom.”

But that was hours ago . . . . Continue reading →

Posted on 11 August 201811 August 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 0

homecoming

2DFCC1F8-2043-4F4C-BC90-7972F03E9CD0 Home three days and although I repeat that I am emerging from the fog, I underestimate the strength of the body to hold on to the time zone it woke up in. Our sleep is topsy turvy and I am knackered (British for exhausted with an onomatopoeic flare describing me rather perfectly right now.).

The practice must be patience.

Wednesday, our travel day, was smooth but when I first woke up on Thursday, I could not make sense of the entirety of what was Wednesday. Indeed, we boarded a plane at noon in Sydney, flew for 18 hours to arrive in Madison at 5 in the afternoon. We slept some, watched too many movies and ate too often. About six hours before we were to land, we were served a major “snack.” I thought it was breakfast when the crew member woke me up. I woke Julia up and then realized our remaining time. Had I some presence of mind I would have refused the snack and slept. Continue reading →

Posted on 5 August 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 1

snorkeling

0D8463A2-3EF3-46C0-A6CF-A4F55A57F332

Best magical vacation day! Maybe ever! One of those experiences where pictures are not easily taken. I would have sprung for an underwater camera if I had known the day and had I known where to get one.

Julia and I went snorkeling. Continue reading →

Posted on 24 July 201826 July 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 1

port douglas 2

22 July 2018. Sunday

“Wherever you go, there you are.” ~Jon Kabasa-Zinn

And so are the mosquitoes. ~Me

I’ve carried the bug spray and Sarna on trips where we never took them out of the bag. In Sydney and Uluru, I thought it would be the same this time. In the tropical north of Australia, we are thankful to have carried both. I swear if there is one mosquito on a continent, it finds us. We have been found by more than one. Continue reading →

Posted on 21 July 201824 July 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 1

week in a million pictures

The week has completely run away from me and now we are traveling in three ( yes, 3! Eek!) days. So, before traveling I am posting pictures from our NYC visit and from the Penguin Project production. And then I’ll get back to travel prep.

Favs from MOMA:

Continue reading →

Posted on 25 June 201825 June 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 1

heaven in brooklyn

4BAEE37B-6778-4F4D-B3B2-4EF1284F857B — Julia with our dear friends from Italy.

“And live like this is heaven on earth.”

Second morning waking up in Carolina’s apartment in brooklyn. And for many reasons and no reason at all, I am very happy. My dear friend whose living body is no longer on this plane, whose mind slowly faded for longer than Julia has been home, taken care of always by a dear husband, D. We are staying with D and I take in the home as Carolina’s. We talk of partner death, our experiences as different as they could possibly be. And we are left the same. Continue reading →

Posted on 15 June 201815 June 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 1

soloing

West High School Choir concert last night. Julia had a solo in the Freshman Choir’s rendition of Sia’s Rainbow.

There is backstory.

Julia has choir class every day. We, the indomitable Anthony Cao and I, worked very intentionally helping Julia with appropriate choir behavior, that is, standing still, watching him and singing, not talking. Julia and I have done a standing meditation since November to find out what her body does when it is still and lots of reminders (and lots of praise) for the other points. Continue reading →

Posted on 17 May 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 7

coming of age

AE0CBD2F-5AED-4BE1-BC55-3651153B147E It is spring! Tulip are on parade. I’ve changed to capris and flip-flops. Around town the Redbud trees are in bloom. They are my favorite spring trees. I “saw” them for the first time as I drove from Bloomington to Indianapolis for my first post-law school job which (as a classmates reminds me on Facebook today) was 26 years ago. I planted a Redbud in my Indianapolis garden and though there is no room to plant one now, I eagerly await their blooming every year. Continue reading →

Posted on 9 May 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 2

present moment

355B6050-7478-471F-8B9B-EEC9ED3632C2 This is a picture of Julia walking to class. Her case manager sent it to me yesterdy. He wrote: “Hey, I was following Julia and a peer in the hall, talking like best buds. Not sure who her friend is, but I’m happy she has made strong connections with reg ed peers.”

It is a great picture.

When I looked at it, my first impulse, after a good hearted motherly smile, is to race to the story of Julia making a friend, going over someone’s house, talking too long on the phone, telling secrets to someone (not me), going to a sleepover, having a party. And then, I stop. Continue reading →

Posted on 27 April 201827 April 2018 by Suzanne Buchko 1

birthday girl

A few of the many lovely, earnest, silly, wondrous, beautiful and outrageous adult faces of my beloved first born on the day she celebrates 33 journeys around the sun. Happy Birthday, my dearest girl! I am looking forward to snapping a few pics during the next 33.