It’s the 4th of July!
For obvious reasons, this holiday isn’t exactly top of mind for me as a Canadian, but I’m sending warm wishes to my friends and family south of the border.
It’s been a hard year (here and abroad) for the state of democracy, human rights, and this planet of ours, and I remain deeply grateful to call Canada my home.
On that note…
HOMECOMING: DEFINITELY NOT PLAN A. MAYBE PLAN Z?
John landed back on Canadian soil Tuesday evening, but we drove past our house and straight to the hospital.
We’re not entirely sure what he picked up (likely from tainted water), but he came home with more than just keychains and memories from Rwanda. Thankfully, malaria has been ruled out by a blood test. Still, he’s dealing with a grab bag of ambiguous symptoms that could point to any number of things. He’s stable and recovering, but this was not the homecoming any of us had imagined.
In terms of Happy Things.
- He is home. I can’t describe the relief of finally seeing him walk out of the airport doors. There were nearly six hours of radio silence during his final leg home, and he was quite ill before takeoff. (All told it was about 30 hours of travel time and he was sick for all of it!!)
- Universal health care. It’s far from perfect — especially with the strain of an aging population — but it’s still a privilege I don’t take for granted.
- Our hospital wait time. Blessedly, our local hospital has some of the shortest wait times in the province.
- For friends. Suzanne recently wrote about supporting friends in times of need. I’ve heard about “bury-a-body friends” — people you could call if you accidentally killed someone and needed to hide the body. I don’t expect I’ll ever need assistance with body disposal, but when my husband comes home from Africa sick…I have people to call.
- For the friend on the trip (a medical professional) who monitored John’s symptoms, gave him meds, and sent me detailed texts to help direct doctors once we were at the hospital.
- The friend who took Indy all day — even bringing him to a family gathering (this happened on Canada Day) — so I could prep for a potential hospital admission. It ended up being unnecessary (thankfully!) but I had packed snacks, clothes, phone chargers…all the things.
- The friend who came to spend the night. She played glow-in-the-dark frisbee with the kids so they wouldn’t worry. She took them to see fireworks. She emptied my dishwasher.
- Our incredible family doctor. She called the very next morning, ordered more tests, and is simply an extraordinary GP.
- That John didn’t get sick until the end of the trip. He got to participate in all the planned activities, the last of which involved harvesting crops at a Canadian-backed food stability farm in Rwanda.
OTHER HAPPY THINGS (NOT HEALTH RELATED)
- Good books. I read and loved Horse by Geraldine Brooks. The chapter on saving scraps of bubble wrap in Cathy Guisewite’s Fifty Things That Aren’t My Fault had me howling. Like the tears-streaming-down-my-face sort of laughter. It felt so good.
- For my beautiful earrings from Rwanda.
- No lunchboxes to help pack. It has been every bit as wonderful as I knew it would be.
- Having the kids help with more chores now that they’re done school.
- A spontaneous museum visit. Last week, Indy was having a moment. Belle had to get her bridesmaid dress altered, and Indy did NOT want to come along (it wasn’t optional). While we were waiting, I noticed the King’s County Museum next to the seamstress. Somehow I’d never been, and it was free! I’d just read Birchie’s post about visiting state capitol buildings, so I used that as motivation. Indy loved it. The museum is housed in an old courthouse, and he sat in the prisoner’s box, explored the judge’s chambers, and saw all sorts of old legal documents. We did puzzles and built peg-jointed wood systems like early settlers. He kept saying how great it was and “I can’t believe this is free!” Thank you, Birchie!
- We followed it up with an impromptu lunch outing. Great food, good price point, amazing service, and lawn games to play while we waited. Pretty much perfection — and no cooking or cleanup required.
- 10 a.m. church on Sunday. Our summer schedule = one service = an extra hour in the morning. Combine that with no soccer because it was a long weekend? Heavenly.
- The Empty Food Package of the Week. This time, it was Oreos. SIGH!
- Local strawberries and grilled cheese with sliced turkey. Easy, filling, and comforting. My food game has been pretty weak lately (lots of boxed mac and cheese), so this felt like a tiny win. Yesterday morning I made a veggie soup. Baby steps!
I hope everyone’s weekend is filled with tears-down-your-face laughter…and maybe some Oreos!
Your turn.
- What’s your favourite 4th of July tradition — or, if you’re not American, your favourite national holiday tradition?
- What’s the funniest book you’ve read recently?
- Best meal you ate this week?
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Happy Friday! Happy belated Canada Day and happy fourth! I also will not be doing anything special today, although really I don’t care too much about the fourth and often use the long weekend to go hiking (naturally!) so I am kind of missing that, but not really missing cake or balloons or water features. I am so glad that John is getting the care he needs and that you have such a great network of people to help you in these times of need! I think it is because of what you put in that you get such wonderful things out of your friendships! I know you would bury a body in a heartbeat for certain people without even asking questions!
I don’t like Oreos, but I found these cookies in Türkiye that are like jam cookies with orange colored jam. Anyway, I normally don’t eat cookies, but when I am hiking, I eat whatever I can find that has calories and won’t spoil, so I tried several different brands of this same kind of cookie and then I found one that also was covered with chocolate…and they are good!
So I wonder, just out of curiosity, how do you get Indy to put the trash or near-trash where it belongs? Maybe you have his chore every evening could be going through the cupboard/fridge/pantry every day and finding things that are empty or near empty and throwing them away or consolidating them (or making a grocery list)? And then he will start doing it right the first time so he doesn’t have to do it later? Maybe? I am a solutions oriented person and I want this habit to be nipped in the bud! Hahaha. (Dear Belle….do you remember that? I feel like this is a question for that platform!)
I love many people dearly, but I will admit I very much hope I am never called upon to dig a grave – eeks! Proverbially speaking, though, YES I would do it in a heartbeat.
Actually, it was BELLE this time. She was the empty Oreo culprit. In her defense, she was making cupcakes and topped them with Oreo crumbs. So, so said her hands were covered in icing BUT THE PACKAGE WAS GOING IN THE TRASH, so it’s not like she had to keep it clean. It was a flimsy excuse, at best.
sorry to hear about John getting sick and still don’t know what’s going on, it must be so stressful. Good that malaria is out, what about dengue? I heard it’s quite debilitating too.
glad that you didn’t have to wait long at the hospital, especially after his 30 hours flight.
Not having to pack lunch is nice but also needing to figure out what to feed the family during summer break is another task. Once my mom leave next week, I’ll have to think about it.
Favorite meal this week: my beloved oatmeal breakfast, after two weeks of being out of home, that’s what I crave the most.
Dengue is the next top culprit and he has some blood work that points toward that being a possibility. More tests are being run. With dengue, there is no treatment, just time. He was very sick for 48 hours and that’s the time frame for dengue before it usually starts to clear up on its own. But it could also be a parasite (Amebiasis? E coli?). His symptoms are much better so that’s good news and we’re just waiting for further results to narrow down what it is/was.
Wow, Elisabeth, what a homecoming rollercoaster! So relieved John is finally back and on the mend, even if it wasn’t the welcome anyone hoped for. Major kudos to you for juggling all the chaos with such calm. Rallying friends, managing the kids – you’re seriously a rockstar. And yes, universal healthcare really hits home in moments like these. It’s easy to forget just how precious it is until you need it.
Out of curiosity, what route did John take on his way home? Did he fly via France?
Also, seeing that photo of Indy immediately brought Birchie’s Capitol Quest to mind. I love how our blogging community keeps inspiring each other!
He flew Kigali to Addis Ababa to Frankfurt to Halifax (Nova Scotia). On the way there, they few Halifax to Montreal to Brussels to Kigali.
I would never have stopped into the museum without Birchie’s (unknowing) encouragement to do so. And it completely changed the mood of the day! Plus, it was free.
Happy belated Canada Day!
It’s too bad that John had to get sick, but everything else is a win. He got to do the trip, and he didn’t get sick until the end. Here’s to a fast recovery. And also, here’s to the friends who help us out when we need it.
The number of free or at least very cheap museums/things to see out there is STAGGERING.
July 4th is special for two reasons. It’s the anniversary of the day that I met the boys, and it’s Doggo’s birthday.
Wow, July 4th is such a special day! I hope you have some wonderful celebrations. Maybe cake will be involved? Some sanctioned counter surfing for Doggo?
I will admit to not seeking out a lot of the free museums locally. Since we’re a small province with relatively rural places, the museums aren’t necessarily the most…thrilling. But now that the kids are a bit older, it’s easier to just pop into places like this. Even if they’re bored, they aren’t a hazard to knocking things over anymore, etc.
Thanks for the inspiration!
I just put that Fifty Things book on hold at the library! I shall report back! The funniest book I’ve read lately was Sky Daddy. I really don’t think this is a book for you but so many times I laughed so much that my husband asked if I was reading David Sedaris. (Calypso also consistently makes me hee-haw like an actual donkey with tears running down my face).
Oh I am SO glad John is back in Canada. If he’s going to be ill, I’m glad it’s here, at home, with our health care system. May he heal quickly! What an ordeal, Elisabeth!! At least they’ve ruled out malaria, that’s one big happy thing!
It is funny. I had never read the Cathy comic strip. The book is very cynical and I found some of the writing on body image to be extremely depressing, but I get the sense that’s the tone of the original comic as well. But some stuff was SO relatable in terms of my parents or my own experiences with parenting that I couldn’t help but laugh my head off.
Yes! Very relieved it is not malaria!
So sorry about John’s illness, and glad that he’s on the mend. What a blessing to have those good friends to help you in such a challenging situation!
It’s summer- sandwiches and fruit are the perfect meal! Heck, in my house it’s just the grilled cheese sometimes, and the kids have to scavenge to fill themselves up.
For the 4th of July, we try to go see the city fireworks at might- trying to find a place to park is a challenge. I think this year we’ll try the high school parking lot again- it’s a mile from the lake where they do the show, but the sight line is good.
Enjoy the fireworks. That sounds like the perfect way to end a holiday and having a good place to see them without having to battle with traffic is the biggest hurdle overcome.
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that John got sick. But as you said, at least it wasn’t during his time there. Sending you prayers for his speedy recovery. Happy belated Canada Day! My husband’s sister is making us homemade ice cream this afternoon, so that’s our celebration. Yummy!
Your earrings are gorgeous!
Homemade ice cream. Michelle, that sounds positively delightful! I genuinely wish I was there to enjoy some (she’d be okay with an extra mouth at the table, right?)
ELISABETH. You must have been so worried!!! I mean I’m sure you still are, but at least John is home and being cared for. To know that he was so sick and had such a long travel day, and you didn’t know what it was! I’m so, so glad he’s home safe. I’m reading through some of the comments and it sounds like he’s going to be fine. I hope his recovery continues to go smoothly.
I LOVED the Cathy cartoons growing up. I’ll bet this book is hilarious- I can still remember some of my favorite cartoons- they were so funny.
I’m wondering if there’s something wrong with me, because I’d be totally up for burying a body. I’d probably be better at that then bringing over soup! Just putting that out there, in case anyone needs me.
It was scary! At first he just said he wasn’t feeling well, and then his fever just went crazy, his resting heart rate skyrocketed and he was stuck halfway across the world. The scariest part was when I couldn’t contact him for the 6 hours of his final leg home not knowing if he was getting better or worse. Gah. But, the worst seems to be behind us!!!
If you loved the Cathy comics, I suspect you’ll love this book, then!
“I’m wondering if there’s something wrong with me, because I’d be totally up for burying a body. I’d probably be better at that then bringing over soup! Just putting that out there, in case anyone needs me.” Hmmm. I thinking we might need to talk about this comment a bit more offline, Jenny. You feeling okay today? Haha.
Don’t call her if you want lasagne, but if you need help with body disposal, Jenny’s your girl!
Oh my goodness, Elisabeth! How scary and upsetting to have John become ill right when he was coming home. I am so glad he was well enough to travel and that you have such a strong support system to call on. I’ll be thinking about you all and I hope fervently that the doctors pinpoint what’s going on and John gets better quickly.
I love the earrings he brought you — and I find it so sweet that in the midst of his illness he was still able to give you a gift!
Today is full of challenges: my husband is at the hospital (not IN the hospital) and our garage door is broken, perhaps beyond repair, and it’s hot and bound for hotter. AND ALSO I am going to make a plum cake and some guacamole and hopefully we’ll have some time in the pool. There will definitely be time with the cat.
Thanks, friend. He’s still not 100%, but now it’s just a waiting game on tests and/or time to heal all things!
Yes, I love the earrings and some other people brought back similar ones so it’s fun there will be a whole gaggle of people at our church with similar earrings! They’re so pretty.
Oof. You have had a lot of hard things happening lately (that ATM experience is like a horror story in and of itself). Wishing you a much “luckier” week ahead!
What’s your favourite 4th of July tradition? We’re not much for traditions here, so maybe my answer is “to go with the flow.”
What’s the funniest book you’ve read recently? Everyone In My Family Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson It’s a mystery novel written in a unique way that made me laugh out loud.
Best meal you ate this week? Husband made brown rice noodles with bok choy + other veggies in peanut sauce Still thinking yummy thoughts about it.
I’ve put the Stevenson book on hold! Look interesting.
And that meal had me at peanut sauce. Yum!
Ok, now I want to read that book if something was that funny! The book that made me laugh the hardest was David Sedaris’ ‘Naked’ but it’s not for everyone. I had some really good coconut crusted mahi mahi on vacation. We usually grill outside on July 4th. Today, we’re grilling steak and shrimp. We are also going to a cemetery to visit the grave of my husband’s childhood friend who was hit by a car while they were bike riding at age 12. It’s the 50 year anniversary this year, so we decided to go. It will be emotional for my hubby but something he’s always wanted to do.
I’m so sorry about your husband’s illness. That sounds scary and I hope they are able to figure out what’s causing it.
Coconut crusted things are so good! And I would be up for surf and turf. Yum. Sounds like a great tradition!
What a sad experience for your husband and one that I’m sure has impacted him his whole life (I actually know someone to whom this also happened, at about the same age, and I know it was a formative experience in their childhood, obviously). I’m glad he is able to mark this sad but important milestone in a way that feels fitting and I’m sure it is emotional healing and cathartic in a way.
Dang, what an awful way to arrive home, sick and more, not knowing what’s wrong. I seriously hope it runs it’s course and he’s back on his feet soon. And sounds like you have a fab family doctor and hospital.
Hope you have a lovely fourth and weekend despite everything.
We are so, so fortunate to have a great family doctor. In a time when it’s getting harder and harder to find medical care, to have someone that is such a great resource and I feel like she’s very much “in our corner” is worth so, so much!
Oh how terrifying, to have John so ill on his trip home! But thank goodness he has taken a turn for the better, and that you have such a great support system to help out. WHEW!
It will be a quiet 4th for us. We’re going out to my in-laws to grill, but it will just be the 2 of them and the 3 of us. I requested hot dogs, which I rarely eat but do enjoy. I don’t care what else happens.
We live very close to a public transit with a tall parking garage (maybe 6 or 8 stories, I’m not sure) and we can walk over there and see fireworks from 2 or 3 towns from the top. It’s kind of perfect.
Grilled cheese (with or without the turkey) and fresh local strawberries is a true pleasure of summer, and not to be denigrated in any way.
Hot dogs are yummy a few times each summer. That’s all I “need” them, but it does feel like a necessary summer flavour!
The nearby Country Bakery has the best croissants I’ve had outside of France – and they’re $2! And we had a delicious salad from leftovers after the kids were here for the long weekend. When Shannon was in Kenya for 6 weeks while at Queen’s, she contracted some kind of bug that caused her problems for a long time afterward – hope John’s is short-lived! And happy for you all that he’s home again.
My mouth is watering. How our family loves croissants. And $2!!!
Yes, I suspect he has a stomach bug of some sort and I know these things can be a nuisance for a looonng time. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of what it is quickly. Unfortunately, a few other people from the team aren’t feeling 100% either, so it may be more than just John suffering. Hopefully if he gets a diagnosis it will speed things up for the others?
Oh sorry to hear that John finished his trip sick, how worrying. And I feel so bad for him doing that 30 hour trip so unwell. Glad it’s not malaria, and that he can recover from home.
Glad summer has started officially now that the kids are done with school, and hopefully some relaxation and fun ahead now they are older (I know when they were younger it was a more challenging season).
In Australia, a fun holiday when I was growing up in Melbourne was AFL (Australian Football League) grand final day. No matter if you were a big footy fan or not, the day would involve some kind of BBQ/party, either with friends, family, etc, with the game on the TV. Just a really fun tradition.
Summer was sooo exhausting when the kids were younger. I suppose it still is in a way, but it’s so different. Belle headed off to camp today and she will be gone half the summer, almost. It’s crazy! She loves it, and it’s a fun change of pace for those of us left at home. She’ll come home with so many fun stories, and it’s good to know she’s loving life!
That’s the wonderful thing about most holidays – even if you don’t “care” about the event, it’s still a good excuse to celebrate, enjoy good food, and spend time with friends and family <3
Sorry to hear John got so sick! Praying for a quick recovery!
The museum looks really fun and I’m glad it turned things around for Indy. It’s always a relief as a parent when the bad cases of the crankies get reversed!
Growing up we always went to my aunt and uncle’s for the 4th as their little town had a fun celebration. It was enjoyable in some ways but it was also always a bit of an overly hot day with my oldest cousin being stressy and a bit of a cruise director, so I don’t really miss it. Now I don’t really do much for it at all since I am in a different country. We also didn’t do anything for Canada Day as we were camping at Keji. The kids were disappointed that we were going to miss the fireworks back home but they got rained out and rescheduled for New Brunswick Day, so we can still see them!
A case of the crankies indeed. I think the transition to summer takes some getting used to, especially the later nights. I think part of the mood issues are down to getting adjusted to later nights and then sleeping in each morning.
I’m sorry it rained…but that’s great you didn’t end up missing the fireworks. Hope Keji was fun!
Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry to hear that your husband took ill in Rwanda. That sounds really scary. I hope he is back to normal soon. The photos are amazing.
Ed’s girlfriend’s mom has a huge July 4th party. I went this year with a few of the older kids, because Coach was away with the three younger girls visiting his brother’s family. The party was great – amazing food, nice people, and a beautiful pool. This is where I had my best meal of the week. She had pulled pork that had no gluten and a great salad with strawberries and walnuts that I loved. I also indulged in many appetizers. She ordered grilled vegetables from a local caterer, and dang – if Coach could grill me veggies like that each week. I’d be in heaven. I ate so many veggies.
For years and years, I traveled to National Championships for Irish dancing. It was always July 4th week. This was a stressful competition and we managed to go cool places like Vancouver and Nashville and Orlando, but I do not miss that ‘tradition’. At all.
I listened to a David Sedaris book earlier in the summer. I think it was called Talk Pretty to Me. I was howling.
That meal sounds delicious and, quite frankly, any food I don’t have to cook automatically tastes 10x more delicious!
It seems odd to always have a competition over July 4th since it’s such a huge holiday in such a dominant/main country? I don’t envy you travelling over those windows of time. Must make you enjoy the NOT travelling even more now.
Poor John! Traveling already isn’t fun, but doing it while ill? Terrible. Praying that he is feeling much better.
I too am happy that his illness held off until the trip was complete, but still. BUMMER.
Happy belated Canada day!
We did a lot of fun July Fourth things this year, and I’m happy about that.
Laughing at your empty bag of Oreos! You’re gonna have to add a camera to your pantry. 🤣
Yes, I need one of those wildlife cameras in the cupboards that’s triggered each time a child goes “foraging” and leaves a mess behind. I think I would catch a lot of footage…
This 100% call for Oreos (says someone who reads all the time but never comments). Much love from Yellowknife NWT (we come to NS infrequently- so basically neighbours).
Hi Amanda! *waves excitedly from NS*
When my parents were in Africa years ago, they met someone who had a friend in Calgary. They were shocked my parents didn’t know them 🙂 Canada is a very large country, though it does have a very community feel to it.
I did have a few of those Oreos. They don’t usually tempt me, but when there were still some in the package, I did imbibe.
Oh man, that is so scary and difficult for John to come home so sick! And the radio silence on the 6-hour flight when you knew he was feeling so poorly must have been really hard for you. <3 I'm glad he's on the mend, though. And I'm glad you have such a strong network at home to help when things like this happen!
Hmm… I'm not sure I have a favorite 4th of July tradition. We used to do a big family get-together when my grandparents were still alive and that was always fun. But now I usually stay home because loud fireworks + crowds are not my favorite things. I'm so fun!!
Oh dear, I hope John is feeling better now. The best meal I ate last week would have to be the fish tasting menu at St Peter. It was worth planning the extra night in Sydney and braving the bomb cyclone.
I am just catching up and I hope John is feeling much better these days. I can only imagine the worry and anxiety.
I once had to get from Durham (border to Scotland) to London in a bus and then a flight to Berlin while I was down with some dort of sickness. It was horrible and I remember the bus stopping multiple times.
Glad you also had lots of other fun things happening.
The friend thing makes me wonder. Who would I call if I accidentally kill someone….
Hopefully you never have to answer that question!