Things have settled down and are fairly normal ("the new normal," as we in Wellspouse wryly say). Pat slept a lot, as usual, and I got a mountain of wash done. Tokyo called on the web cam and it was so good to see and talk to P. and N. They'll be coming on February 11, Pat's birthday. That works out fine, as we'll have the family down on the 14th.
Called a woman named Mary Jo H., near Allentown, Pa., to discuss whether I could drive with her to the Dionne "Quinvention" in May. She seemed receptive, although I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to go. It's a heckuva long way to North Bay, Ontario and I'm not anxious to be in a car that long, either. Interestingly, Mary Jo was born on the same day as the quints.
Another possibility opened when I heard back from Dorothy G., a woman I had met in Woburn, Mass. at the last Quinvention five years ago. She's considering flying from Baltimore, which may be the best solution for me, too.
Of course, I'm going on the assumption Pat's condition four months from now will allow me to leave for several days, even with A. here full-time. We'll see how it works out.
Wider: Don't give me all your cool, reasoned justifications for war. Just read this from the NYTimes, then shut your bloody trap:
"...a team of four Palestine Red Crescent ambulances accompanied by Red Cross representatives made its way to Zeitoun Wednesday where it 'found four small children next to their dead mothers in one of the houses. They were too weak to stand up on their own.'”