Cleveland- A Trip Down Memory Lane

This year our Cleveland trip was a little less stressful- the parking lot was sold and now just a part of family history. But, we were “hosting” a visit from John’s sisters, Alice and Mary. They wanted to come in to their hometown to look at it from a different perspective- a walk back through time and family history. With all of the research on all of the family lines, John had been able to identify family property in Cleveland dating back to the 1800’s. So, we took the girls on a 3 day walk through history.




Alice (or, ‘the worm’- known for her ability to talk her way into anyone’s house) was in great form on this trip- on our first morning, we were able to get into 3 of the old family homes.


Imagine 4 strangers (and a dog) knocking on your door and worming their way into your house for a tour down memory lane. It was really interesting--lots of old stories and I think that the current homeowners enjoyed the visit as much as we did. One of the homeowners even gave the girls 4 hand-painted doors from their parent's bedroom closet (sounds strange- but they were quite lovely- and I think they plan to convert them into serving trays).

John did an amazing job of pulling together old family photos- then taking the girls to the sites and using the photos to bring the sites to life. They were thrilled- seeing places where their parents, grandparents and great-great grandparents lived - and seeing the old photos and taking pictures of themselves in the same sites. We even stopped by a popcorn factory that had family connections back to the 1880's.

The Humphrey Popcorn Company had ties back to John's Harlow relatives and there were stories passed down in the family about a popcorn stand. So, we were given the grand tour- and walked out with bags of popcorn balls and taffy. All in all, a very successful - but exhausting trip

.

East Haddam

More research on the Harlows—so it was time for a trip to East Haddam. We stayed in Lyme, CT and got to not only get some family research done, but also meet up with E.J. and Sharon (and Jolie)

The Dog Days of Salem

CHLOE.....


BAILEY....



AND STELLA..................

Summer in Salem

After a month of what seemed like non-stop rain and cold, the sunshine has come out and we are enjoying our waterfront view. Waking up every morning to this view just starts your day out right.

We've had a great time so far--catching up with old friends. John even caught up with an old army buddy, Charlie. A few bottles of wine and the army stories kept us in stitches.

And, best of all, we got to have an afternoon with Steph and Jim - before they took off for their holiday in Japan. They flew in from NYC for the afternoon and the weather cooperated- giving us a gorgeous sunny day for lunch on the Salem harbor.

No swimming, no hot tubs, no MASCARA --Eye Surgery

When I was in high school, we’d always ask the question, “What two things would you take with you on a deserted island?” My response was always books (or, if the island had electricity- my stereo and collection of albums and 45’s) and mascara! While my response to that question today would probably be more of “a Kindle and my PC” – mascara wouldn’t be one of my first choices. But, it is still one of those things that I count on every day. The Summer of ’09 however, was going to be my “Summer of no mascara”.

About 3 years ago during a routine eye exam, the doctor found some scarring on the cornea and sent me to a specialist in Boston. He diagnosed something called “Saltzmann’s nodular degeneration”. It’s basically the growth of nodules on the surface of the eye – a bit like a callous on skin. The condition isn’t usually treated unless the nodules start to get close to the center of the eye. Last year, I had another visit with Dr Talamo, the specialist, and he gave me the news that it was time to remove the nodules via superficial keratectomy (a Super K).
The procedure: “A superficial keratectomy is usually done under topical anesthesia (drops or ointments that numb the eye) and usually no shots or injections are needed nor is it done under general anesthesia. A special knife is inserted partially through the cornea and a dissection carried out to remove the growth. This leaves a raw spot on the cornea and a bandage contact lens is generally worn for 7-10 days while the tissue heals. Pain varies but usually is not severe and relived with medication.” (http://www.medhelp.org/)

Image courtesy of visionassociates.net
So, after putting off the inevitable as long as possible, we were in Salem/Boston for the summer and it was time for the procedure. No surgical gowns necessary- only little blue shoe covers and a blue cloth “shower cap”, some numbing drops in my eye and it was time. Laying down on the surgical table with my head firmly held in place, they rolled me under a machine with an orange blinking light. The doctor put a patch over my left eye and two pieces of what felt like scotch tape to hold my eyelashes/eyelids open. A few more numbing drops and he said, “You may feel a slight pressure on your eye”. It was almost an out-of-body experience—you knew that there was some hazy silver implement approaching your eye-then a feeling of a light touch. Within minutes, the cut was made and the “callous” was being peeled off and a “bandage contact lens” put on to cover the scraped surface. John was amazed when I walked over to him as he waited in the cafeteria and said, “It’s all done”. The next few days were tough- my eye was constantly tearing and it looked pretty awful, but my vision was relatively clear and there was no pain at all.
One eye down, one to go…

Chloe's Meeting with the Orthopedic Surgeon

It was time for Chloe's visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon... It had been so long since we'd been at Angell Memorial in Boston.. It's always been one of the most highly respected pet hospitals in the country. We were referred to Angell years ago when Sushi was at death's door and our local vet couldn't diagnose the problem. We took her in- literally almost dead- and with no time to do the proper testing, they suggested that it was probably Addison's Disease - and if we were willing, they'd try treating her for it. The next day, she was standing up and eating! It was a miracle! After that experience, it was the only place we'd take our dogs.
Back then, it was an old brick monstrosity--with a small waiting room, tiny examining rooms. We drove up today to see the old brick building still in place- but a new entrance and a huge new attached building.

It was like walking into a state of the art hospital. An impressive check-in desk, a huge Pharmacy, separate waiting rooms for dogs and cats.

We met a young couple in the lobby with their Maltese in a baby carriage- the dog has cancer- and they've spent $20,000 on chemo for her! This place is not for the faint-hearted...or the poverty stricken!

We met Dr Trout (born in Chester, England just outside Liverpool- and wasn't too happy when John called him a Scouser). He checked out Chloe- walking and did an exam. He confirmed that she has MPL (Median Patellar Luxation) in both rear legs and explained the surgical options. At this point, he suggested watching her- making note of any changes in severity or frequency of the skip in her walk or any discomfort. If it gets worse- he'd suggest surgery--with a 6 week recovery period (confined area, no jumping, no running, minimal walking...)

Dinner with the Amish

With my eye surgery delayed, we decided to make our trip north a bit less hectic. We stopped in Lancaster, PA for a visit with the Amish and a bit of family research. We spent a day in Columbia – visiting family gravesites. John spent the day at the Lancaster County Historical Society and unearthed some interesting family tidbits.
On Wednesday evening, we joined a group of Cajun motorhomers for an Amish dinner. We drove for what seemed like ages- passing large Amish farms, driving through towns like Blue Bell and Intercourse – and finally turned into the “Smucker” driveway.

The hostess of our evening was the widowed mother of 10 children- 6 of them still at home. We were ushered into her kitchen/dining room/living room- converted into a dining hall with tables seating 30 people. We got separated from our Cajun group and joined a table of New Jersey-ites – all from the same community in NJ and staying at a nearby B&B. They raved about the food, served family style. The dishes were passed- homemade applesauce and broccoli salad, roast beef and carrots, chicken tenders, sugar snap peas, green beans, mashed potatoes (no gravy- the men weren’t happy), and, of course, bread. It was a bit like a 1950’s suburban Sunday dinner- lots of well cooked food with absolutely no flavor.
The hostess did some table-touching- talking about leasing out their farm land and doing these family style group dinners to get by. Her unmarried daughters work at the local B&B doing house-cleaning and were busy most of the evening- serving food and cleaning plates. Her eldest son, however, sat at the head of the table and ate with the rest of the guests. Guess the feminist movement hasn’t reached the Amish community. After plates and plates of food, we were stuffed and ready to leave—but wait- there was dessert—strawberry and peanut butter pies – with huge bowls of ice cream. We did our patented early exit and headed home. Our first- and last- Amish dinner.