The swine flu is not at our house (I don't think)

I'm thinking we took our trip to Mexico at *just* the right moment...the weather was great, and no one was wearing masks. We're now five days back, so the incubation period is just closing out, and while I have a cold, I know it's not the flu! (We had the plain-old flu three weeks ago....not something you can mistake for something else.)

Still, I'm half expecting the State Department to call us and tell us that we are quarantined. Having experienced a quarantine many years ago (when I had measles in graduate school), I know that public officials do-not-fool-around when it's time to isolate the agents of infection in their communities.

Back in Chicago

A tiny bit hungover from our trip---yes. I feel really, really tired....a bit grouchy....overwhelmed by how much work there is to do....but every time I look at one of our pictures or goodies from Guanajuato, I feel a tiny spring in my step again.

Here are the two collages I worked on in Guanajuato. The one of Elliot in the Jardin Union is 8 1/2 x 11, while the view of Guanajuato is 6 x 8 (I think). I have more work to do on the Jardin collage

Tonight I got to see Astrid's second t-ball game of the season--Elliot and I missed the first because we were in Mexico. Astrid bounces around on the field, trying to be in "ready position," and succeeding about 80% of the time. (The other 20% is spent twirling around or trying to catch the words of the other team's cheers so that she can repeat them for us.) She stopped the ball a couple of times and made a run, and the Astros won their second game. (I make it sound like there's a direct cause-and-effect relationship between Astrid's performance and the outcome....there's probably *some* relationship, but when the score is 25-23, it's hard to find a single heroine to praise....)

Seis Dias en Guanajuato

Elliot and I are getting ready to return to Chicago from an absolutely wonderful trip to Guanajuato, a colonial-era city in central Mexico. We did a lot of touristy things (though we did *not* go to the Museo de Momias--the Mummy Museum). Most of the time, though, we just hung out--either in public gardens, or on the patio of the amazing bed and breakfast where we stayed (Casa Zuniga--check it out). Together we played many games of Scrabble (Elliot won all but one) and read; on our own we played computer games (Elliot) or embroidered and made art (me). We had only one day where our tummies were treasonous; the rest of the time, we felt fine (though our feet have been tired from the get-go, as Guanajuato is a city of hills and many, many stairs!)

I'll try later to post pictures of the collages I did this week....can't get anymore pics to load tonight.

A spring "break" for the record books

Today's the last day of the kids' spring break. We had great plans: a nature walk, a trip to the Loop, bowling, a nice lunch out. Astrid, though, came down with a fever on Saturday night; the nurse told us to bring her in, because she had scarlet fever symptoms. Happily, the strep culture came back negative, and the dr. said she had the flu (a.k.a. "La Grippe"). Unhappily, Elliot and I have it now, and the spring break is officially a bad memory. Wow, I'm sick.

Since I last posted, I've gotten a lot of writing done (none this week, of course): 26 pp. and counting. It looks like this article is turning into two. I'm eager to feel better, have a quiet house, and get a lot more writing done.