It has been threatening to be spring here. Bergensers declared spring yesterday with what was called "byLørdag" or City Saturday. It didn't matter one whit that it was cloudy, windy and spitting rain. There was "shaving with a straight razor" on Gågaten,
and "dancing to Ethiopian drums" at the Ethiopian shop on Markeveien,
and, a sure sign of spring, the Buekorps Boys marching and rat-tat-tatting their drums. (The link is to my 2009 post about them.)
I was out shopping in preparation for our trip to the US, which starts next Wednesday. We are very excited about the chance to visit Seattle and Phoenix to see family and friends. The logistics are daunting. This is our first experience with traveling as a handicapped person, since Ed will be in a wheelchair. The airlines are required to provide assistance, so I have requested it. We will use a wheelchair-accessible taxi to get to and from airports. Our friend Leon in Tacoma is going above and beyond to accommodate Ed, even installing handicap ramps! Ed's sister in Phoenix had a head start because their mom needed those health aids while living with her, and even bought an electric bed. The challenge yesterday for me was getting enough pain killers for 3 weeks. Each pharmacy has only 1 or 2 boxes of it, so I was sent from hither to yon, and by the time I reached the last one, ready to get the last box, it was closed. Can you believe that this pharmacy's Saturday closing time is 2 pm? I should be used to it after nearly 3 years here. I'll try again Monday.
There's another way that we're getting ready for seeing everyone. Ed is trying out husbanding his energy as if running a marathon, by taking rests between every activity. Today that worked well, as we had a very nice day. We had a great visit from Vadim and his family last evening. Ed tutored Vadim in English when he first came to Norway from Russia, you may remember. Vadim has a brand new baby sister, Maria, who is really precious. Maria brought along her mom Natasha, grandmom, and stepfather Roger. Today Ed and I worked on US taxes, then rewarded ourselves with kebabs from Facil's. Our next door neighbors rang our bell and came in briefly, and friend Ingrid dropped by for a visit. We are beginning to get the hang of our "new normal". Easy, it's not, but we will work through it, with a little help from our friends.
and "dancing to Ethiopian drums" at the Ethiopian shop on Markeveien,
and, a sure sign of spring, the Buekorps Boys marching and rat-tat-tatting their drums. (The link is to my 2009 post about them.)
I was out shopping in preparation for our trip to the US, which starts next Wednesday. We are very excited about the chance to visit Seattle and Phoenix to see family and friends. The logistics are daunting. This is our first experience with traveling as a handicapped person, since Ed will be in a wheelchair. The airlines are required to provide assistance, so I have requested it. We will use a wheelchair-accessible taxi to get to and from airports. Our friend Leon in Tacoma is going above and beyond to accommodate Ed, even installing handicap ramps! Ed's sister in Phoenix had a head start because their mom needed those health aids while living with her, and even bought an electric bed. The challenge yesterday for me was getting enough pain killers for 3 weeks. Each pharmacy has only 1 or 2 boxes of it, so I was sent from hither to yon, and by the time I reached the last one, ready to get the last box, it was closed. Can you believe that this pharmacy's Saturday closing time is 2 pm? I should be used to it after nearly 3 years here. I'll try again Monday.
There's another way that we're getting ready for seeing everyone. Ed is trying out husbanding his energy as if running a marathon, by taking rests between every activity. Today that worked well, as we had a very nice day. We had a great visit from Vadim and his family last evening. Ed tutored Vadim in English when he first came to Norway from Russia, you may remember. Vadim has a brand new baby sister, Maria, who is really precious. Maria brought along her mom Natasha, grandmom, and stepfather Roger. Today Ed and I worked on US taxes, then rewarded ourselves with kebabs from Facil's. Our next door neighbors rang our bell and came in briefly, and friend Ingrid dropped by for a visit. We are beginning to get the hang of our "new normal". Easy, it's not, but we will work through it, with a little help from our friends.
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