One of My Grand Daughters

Tapando en Philadelphia

Yum! Spanish tapas today! We had tortilla, jamon, Manchego, olives, gazpacho amarillo, patatas bravas and sangria. Que rico! The rest of the day we visited the Independence Hall area. Really nice but we are so tired!

Yes, I Went to Princeton

We had a wonderful day in Princeton exploring the town and the campus. I was thrilled with the cool weather and mild rain; Susan, who is from Seattle, was hoping for a little sunshine. Maybe tomorrow. We had a pleasant lunch at Panera, listened to an organist practicing in the university chapel, and perused the books at the seminary bookstore. Tomorrow we go to Philadelphia!

One Week In

I've been in Manhattan for one week, today. I've been staying at Brandon and Beth's and they have been so patient with Ivy, who is having post-surgical trouble with her bladder. She is getting better every day, though, and I hope will soon be able to let us know when she needs to go outside.

The day was made more fun due to the hour I got to spend with Zeke and Jason. We ran some errands and Zeke kept me entertained while Jason drove. Zeke is a sweetheart! Starting today I have an exciting few days planned with Susan Mochizuki, who is coming to visit from Washington state. Well, the fact that her son is going to Princeton and is here for the summer helped convince her to fly out here. We are going to visit the Princeton campus and on Thursday do some sightseeing in Philadelphia with her old college roommate. On Friday, I will return to NYC to do some housesitting until the end of June, but she will join me on Sunday and we'll take in some of the many sights here in New York City. I'm really looking forward to seeing her as it has been almost three years.

Finishing laundry before I leave for the Newark airport to pick up Susan! B & B got cable today, just in time for the World Cup! So fun! In other news, Levi turns 6 on Saturday and we are planning a family party at the house where I will be staying. (The owner made the suggestion) It just so happens a swimming pool is in their backyard, so I'm sure we will have lots of fun!

Manhattan, Here I Am!

June 1, 2010 was the day that marked the beginning of my life as a true urbanite. I even rode in a taxi TWICE in one evening. ($25) I said goodbye to Nancy, my best friend in Warwick (also my neighbor and landlady), closed the barn doors and drove to NYC with a car packed almost to the roof and two Shelties on top of all the stuff. Poor Mia even ended up sitting on the dishpan filled with a carton of milk and a bag of ice. Ivy was her usual sedate self and just stayed where I put her, even though she looked to be in a pretty uncomfortable position. That ended up being the first sign that she was in trouble. Next paragraph.

A couple of hours after we arrived in the City, Ivy was unable to pass urine and was in obvious distress. She had been diagnosed and was undergoing treatment for bladder stones so I immediately knew that she had a stone blocking her urethra. We went went straight to the neighborhood vet but since it was 8:30 at night, they sent us to an emergency hospital. (Hence the first taxi ride.) To make a long story short, she had surgery to remove the stone and is currently in ICU. She will be moved to recovery tomorrow and will probably be able to come home on Friday or Saturday. You're probably wondering how much this all costs. I won't say, but think 'trip to Europe' including hotels. I took the second taxi ride home from the hospital and was in bed by 2 am. I still haven't finished unloading the car. Maybe someone will steal it!

Today I am napping, thinking about Ivy, the coming grand babies, the past few months in Warwick and the next few years to come. I have even been reliving those two years in Spain. That's a lot to do in one day, so maybe I'll take another nap!

P.S. The picture is an artist's rendition of the view from the roof of my future building. Hopefully, near future!

P.P.S. Ivy is totally worth it!