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Ulysse and Calliopé holding on tho her Pappino
A jealous Calliope pushing Ulysse from her usual place in Cornelius' lap
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2009
Diary Year of Unexpected Events, Good and Bad |
In
January we had a week of fabulous sunsets (seen from Barbara's
kitchen window). They reflected our mood : exhaustion after the
holidays and sadness that they had all left. Our
Turbulent Christmas 2008 was over. On January 1 Anne-Cecile, the
courageous woman, 6 months pregnant, flew to Rome alone with her two
children. Cornelius went to a conference in St. Croix on January 3.
Only dear Jenny stayed with us another few days, watched more movies with Barbara and spoiled me.
March 5 Anaïs born in Rome
A
proud Ulysse holding his new baby sister. Behind him AC's sister.
The
only predictable and much awaited event this year was Anaïs'
birth in March. Nobody knew what they would name her. She “was
appeared” by Cesarian section four hours after Anne-Cecile's
second attempt to pass the European patent-attorneys examination.
Anaïs was perfect in every way - her mother will have to try the
examination once more....
April
12 Easter Sunday at Pari's and Basia's
It
has become an institution that we spend Easter and Thanksgiving at
the Kasliwal's house.
The
Two Barbaras - Basia nad Barbara in the Kasliwal's garden
May 9 Rolf falls on his nose at night
The first unplanned happening was that Rolf tripped over his left foot in the darkness of the living room one night. He fell on his nose. Nothing broke, but there was a huge blood bath on the carpet.
A
photo of Nonno's blood (for Ulysse!)
Barbara
took me to Kaiser hospital, where the emergency doctors, suspecting a
stroke, or a blood clot in the lungs, or a heart attack, performed
every conceivable diagnostic test on me - and found no more than my
well-known high blood pressure, a thickened heart, and moderately
high cholesterol. Provided with an assortment of the latest
medication I was released home. - in the weeks thereafter I suffered
a period of dizziness, irregular blood pressure and heart beats.
On
January 1, 2010 I had an unpleasant heart episode. Kaiser established
that it was not a heart attack - but found a scar from a
previous infarct! An examination of my experiences since the bloody
nose points to a dinner party for Susanne, Jenny, Kris and Anna, and
Arlene on May 13. I felt sufficiently ill “disposed” that
I decided to stay in bed that evening - and possibly had a “silent”
heart attack.... It is disconcerting and consoling at the same time
to realize that dying could be that simple and quiet while the others
enjoy dinner. - Meanwhile (January 10, 2010) we have changed my
blood-pressure medication, and I am feeling on a much more level keel
since. -
May 10- 16 Susanne and Jenny visit us
Dear Susanne in great concern flew in at once for a few days and brought Jenny along. Jenny stayed with us until May 30 while her mother went on a jeep tour of Utah with John.
Barbara
Susanne with Jenny on her knees at breakfast
May 30 – 6 June Susanne and John Jeeping in Utah
Suschen
piloting John and the Red Jeep
Susanne and John have discovered a new, true excitement: jeeping in Colorado and Utah. In May they explored the backroads of the the Nationl Parks around Moab, Utah. Susanne acted as map reader and pilot while John got high making his jeep climb across the most abominable roads. Suschen an out-door enthusisast?? Susie who was so often scared in the tent at night? You see what love can do to a person! - Of course, they stay in comfortable motels not in a tent!....
John
wading up Zion River
They also went to Zion National Park, and Suschen made John follow her up Zion River Canyon - where I have never gone.... John dropped his Canon camera into the creek and had to buy a new one at Rubin's Inn next day....
June 23 – 30 Susanne in Rome
After Anaïs appearance Barbara would have loved to fly to Rome, alas the neural pain in her legs made such long flights impossible. My heart troubles prevented me from going. It seemed we had suddenly aged : No long trips this year! Susanne came to our rescue : She flew to Rome, brought back a flood of pictures - and started an entirely new and happy chapter in her relationship with her brother - and Anne-Cecile too:
Susanne
and Anne-Cecile in the Gardens of the Villa d'Este
Cornelius
and Anne-Cecile
A Walk through Old Rome
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Afternoon
walk along the Tevere
July 1 new Wall-to-Wall Carpets in the entire house
Already before my bloody nose spoiled our living room carpet, Barbara had planned on installing new carpets in the house. Susanne with her business acumen set up a deal via the internet with Home Depot and in July their excellent crew put in the carpets in a single day - raising a furious cloud of dust in the house. We had put the furniture into the garden and spent the day there.
Barbara
telephoning from the garden where
July 10–21 Marcus and July 16–August 2 Jutta visit us
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August 9 Pari, Basia, Traudel and Thomas for Lunch
Barbara,
Pari, Basia and Thomas on a hike to the Temescal Canyon bridge.
Thomas the son of French friends of the Friedmanns stayed at the Kasliwal's house for a month. Barbara had negotiated the connection between the Kasliwals, Thomas and Traudel. And everybody was much pleased by the outcome.
November 21 – 27 Jenny visits us for the third time
Attention.
Jenny is looking at you!
Wide
awake, Jenny has become a true delight. She has decided that after
finishing Boulder, she wants to find a job in fim management in LA.
Beginning in May 2010 she'll stay with us. It will be a hard start,
but we'll get to see her lot.
November 21 Lunch with the Kasliwals at Kris and Anna's
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Kris
had a bad year. He was diagnosed with leukemia and put on
chemotherapy. Weak and up and down, he couldn't travel. Anna, who has
no work in her architects's job, prepared an exquisite lunch with
real mushrooms for the Kasliwals and us.
Susanne and the Girls Hiking in Colorado
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September, Jenny with her new Sheltie Nola in Boulder, Colorado |
Misty, the Wood's beloved dog died, a traumatic experience for John - who decided to go on a diet and give up smoking – so shaken was he. He bought a new dog, Nola for Jenny. Susanne seemed to be indifferent – but when Jenny needed a dogsitter, she fell in love with Nola.... The lastest is (Jan 15, 2010) that an embarrassed John came up with a another 3-year Sheltie whom he found through the internet in - Nebraska...!!! |
August Cornelius, AC and the Children in Southern Corsica
August, this romantic photo shows Cornelius and AC with children and friends in Corsica, Anaïs is on AC's back |
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Nov/December Barbara's rheuma test “normal” !
Every second week all through this year Barbara had had acupuncture with Julie Festa, a young Western woman who takes her profession seriosly. Julie's approach had often been radical (e.g., “peach blossom” treatment), but Barbara felt she helped her however slow the Chinese approach was. Her rheumatologist had been able to reduce her daily Prednison dose to 5 mg - and her hands had not swollen by November like in all previous years. In early December the rheumatologist called her with the news that her latest test was normal. A great joy and happiness for Barbara. She is running about with new energy - only her legs are still too often on fire and her eyes dry. Much encouraged Julie is now addressing these problems. She also taught Barbara two chi-gong exercises, which she finds helpful.
November Nonna Barbara hard at work...
November, Barbara sewed new dresses for Calliopé and Anaïs |
While a “Wild Thing” waited to fly to Rome for Ulysse |
...for Ulysse's two formidable sisters
June, Calliopé in Barbara's Lemon Dress |
December,
The New Anaïs. |
Christmas in Pacific Palisades
Our Tree on Christmas Eve,
the most beautiful tree in many years
Photos by and of Long-Lost Friends
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August 8, A happy Carolyn in Durango, Colorado among her brothers and their family (l. to r. Christopher, Mark, Carolyn, Jennifer and their 3 girls, and Kelly). Susanne took this photo. Susanne and Kelly had driven down from Denver to meet Carolyn, who had flown in from Berlin/München.
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Malte Gross and his wife Hassna in the central Atlas region of Morocco, where Hassna comes from. I had last seen Malte, my brother Dieter's and Evelyn's son, on a visit to Berlin in 1996. I had written to him after Dieter's death and that established a completely new e-mail connection. |
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This photo is for Cornelius, the only one who remembers this person. Much aged, it is Peter G. with his present muse dressed up on vacation in Egypt.... Cornelius and I last saw Peter under precarious restrictions in Mocow in 1989. Peter had spent a year in LA in 1979, and we had become close friends. After the collapse of the USSR he resurfaced, and we had sporadic e-mail exchanges. This Christmas I received three endearing letters from him with many photos. A miracle of a friendship across time and space like one can only have with an Eastern European.
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But the ultimate surprise was this photo. It shows Manuel G. deep in the Mato Grosso (Amazon) in Brazil with a little feral pig on his lap! Manuel, Anik's oldest son (born 1958?), married the daughter of a Brazilian diplomat, and has lived in Brazil for the last 40 years. We lost all contact with him. Now Anik sent a score of fantastic photos of his (which for copyright reasons I cannot show) taken on a 3-week research trip to an Amazonian Indian tribe. I am eargerly waiting to see more. |
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