Monday is Labor Day, which is the unofficial end of summer. I can’t believe it’s over already. I know life is a highway with ups and downs, but this summer has been one crazy ride.

The problems actually started back in February when I had what I believed to be  a kidney stone or an exacerbation of my IBS. Turns out, I had a perforated diverticulitis that required surgery and I spent Easter Sunday drinking laxatives in preparation for abdominal surgery. I lost eight inches of sigmoid colon, part of my bladder, spent a week in the hospital and missed 7 weeks of work. I also now have a not so attractive scar bisecting my lower abdomen.

But it wasn’t all bad. Once I got home from the hospital that first week in May, my oldest daughter who lives in Germany flew home to be with me during my recovery process. Even better, she had come home to await the birth of the daughter she and her husband were adopting in the states.

During the next few weeks, my wound healed and I regained my strength. By Memorial weekend I felt well enough to go to the beach and my daughter was able to join us. Things seemed to be looking up and I eventually returned to work.

 

I know Jennifer was missing her husband, Michael, but we were having such a good time. My husband’s nephew got married on June 14 but on that same day, my cousin’s wife lost her battle with leukemia. So, it was with a heavy heart that we attended the wedding. The next day was Father’s Day and my daughters planned a fun-filled family day. We went to the batting cages and rode go-carts, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. But as we were sitting down for a late lunch, I received a devastating phone call. My husband’s grand nephew had been killed in a motorcycle accident. We had just seen Christian the day before at his uncle’s wedding. So the next week, we attended two funerals. We managed to make the best of a bad situation and my girls and I were able to spend good, quality time with my mom in sort of a girls night out after one of the funeral home visitations.

The next weekend, my oldest daughter’s husband joined her in the states and my youngest daughter and her boyfriend went with us to the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on June 29th, my beautiful granddaughter, Caroline was born out of state. Two weeks later, my husband and I spent half a week at the beach for vacation but we came home early to meet our granddaughter.

We had a baby shower for Caroline and she was able to meet relatives who would not have gotten to see her had she been born in Germany. My daughter remains in the states waiting on Caroline’s birth certificate and now, her passport. But sadly, my son-in-law had to return to Germany where he works as a civilian air traffic controller for the army. But oh, what a blessing it has been,  having a baby in the house again. I do have to “share” her and Jennifer with Jennifer’s in-laws, but nothing brightens my day more than Caroline’s smile.

I returned to work on June 9th, but I kept wishing I had more time to spend with Caroline and Jennifer.  I got it in the form of a torn medial meniscus that required surgery. This operation was minor and did not require an overnight (or week -long hospital stay) but I have been out of work AGAIN for more than a week.. Which means I may not have enough paid leave to go to Germany for Christmas as planned. But I do get two more weeks with my daughter and granddaughter, another plus.

On the minus side, I don’t get to go to the beach this weekend.

My husband and I have gone to the beach for Labor Day  every year since 2004. But my knee isn’t fully recovered and the doctor advised against riding in a car for 3 hours. So, we’re staying home. Since Caroline and my daughter will be spending the weekend with us, I’m not that bummed about it. What does have me stressed though, is my youngest daughter’s crazy-ass cat Cha Cha.  While she and her boyfriend are camping at the lake, I get to cat-sit the neuritic feline. Yes, that same beast of a cat that was recently put on Prozac for an anxiety disorder. Now, he’s on antibiotics and some medicine that is supposed to stop urethral spasms, just in case there is a physical component to his anxiety. So, I tried to give the bastard his meds this morning and he almost took off my arm!

After a half hour battle that I finally won, although not without a clawed thumb and a sore knee, I got the drugs inside the cat. But when I tried to pet him later and apologize, he growled at me like the panther he resembles. And when I took out my cell phone to get the evidence to prove to Lauren that her cat is a beast, he almost ripped the phone out of my hands.

I guess having that beast in the house this weekend is another negative on the scale of “How was your summer?” But having my daughter and Caroline just a little bit longer tips the scales into the fantastic range. And, I now have a new fan for my paranormal romances. So, it’s all good.