From one variant to the next: Part One (written on November 22nd)

This is a long one!

Paul has been out of quarantine for nearly nine days now, so Covid seems to be behind us (for now). He mentioned that ASW has a pretty impressive testing protocol, so the girls and I tested negative for nine days in a row. And, since the numbers in Poland continue to climb, the entire school population tests twice per week. Paul is naturally boostered, and I”ll get my booster next week. In all, we feel pretty lucky.

As Paul came off of the third floor and I moved off of the couch, a former rock-star-student came to visit: Andrina. She’s studying in Copenhagen, and wanted to see Warsaw and join a family for a few days. It was delightful. Together, we toured the Uprising Museum and learned more about both the Ghetto uprising in Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising. I am learning about the deliberate constructions of the Ghettos in both Warsaw and Krakow, and then the systemic cutting off of supplies, the shutting off of water, the murders and public executions, and then the rounding up of any Jews who had survived. The Uprising museum tells the story mostly of the Uprising that took place not within those Ghetto walls, but within the city of Warsaw, when the Polish people took up arms against the Germans and were told that if they could hold the Germans at bay, the Russians would help. But, the Russians sat on a hill and watched on the opposite side of the Wisla River. And, in the end, as punishment for rising up, the Germans leveled the entire city before giving it over to the Russians. So, the Russians were certain that Warsaw had been successfully and fully depleted of those who would build communities to strike back.

We also headed to the Pinball museum, took another tour, and ate all of Reed's Macarons. (Yes, I know that there was no segue).

Part Two (written on December 31st)

Gosh, somehow a month passed and I’ve not gotten my act together to synthesize much of anything. I’m currently sitting at an Air B and B in Buffalo, NY and it is perfectly quiet. Reed and Paul are at the movies (wearing N95 masks) and Phoebe is playing and laughing with one of her favorite people, Mary Doyle.

As the COVID numbers continued to climb (back in November), we decided to drive to Wroclaw (pronounced vrahts swav). At the recommendation of most of our ASW friends, we found a dog-friendly Air B and B and piled in the car after having a wonderful American Thanksgiving meal with the Pav-Rose family. The meal was really our kick off of the holiday season as we swapped gifts and prepared ourselves for the Christmas markets.

The town square was full of anachronisms for the Christmas Markets: Bavarian-style structures serving mulled wine and hot chocolate in ceramic boots were surrounded by kiosks and fair rides– think of a flying carpet ride from Kennywood, the Yarmouth Clam Festival, or Erie County Fair and then dress it up in a Santa Sleigh. It was wonderful. Yet, it was also crowded. So, after wine and cocoa, Paul and I found a wonderful spot to have wine down an alleyway, and the girls returned to our Air B and B. We spent the rest of the weekend walking, shopping, learning, and gnome-hunting. In all, the town has over 700 gnomes. Each time that I passed one, I felt like a dog at the edge of the table when a piece of turkey had fallen. It was honestly that delightful and invigorating to say “Oh! There’s one polishing a shoe” or “look! That one is repairing glasses.” If you ever visit us, this city is on your must see list. Also, you’ll be happy to know that chase did not pee on a single gnome. They demanded his respect.

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By the time that December started, it was nearly over. With flights on the 19th, two choral concerts, swim practices all around, choir club for Reed and soccer for Phoebe, time moved quickly. The school was decorated with lights (which was awesome since it got dark at 3:40), and I started my role as the assistant coach of the high school swim team. Sports are quite civilized with practices only three times a week so that students can also participate in clubs on the other two days. It’s a healthy model for kids– and makes coaching a bit more enticing. Since so many of you are teachers, I know that you know what I mean. Being out of a classroom with students in any way is awesome, but it’s tiring. So, go to an international school.

ASW hosted a faculty and staff party outside with heaters and mulled wine. It was calm and safe and appreciated. And, one weekend, Reed and I went into the old town and went ice skating. Phoebe and Reed had present exchanges with their friends, and Paul and I wandered our area and found a cafe/clock shop that we’ll frequent when we return. We put up a fake tree and filled the house with lights in an attempt to feel the holidays. We missed Buffalo dearly in those days of December, but Advent calendars were opened each morning and we were visited by a few gnomes who moved about the house. We managed to build some new and wonderful traditions, and we’ve started our collection of Polish Pottery.

And, then we tested and packed and boarded the plane to Toronto (along with a ton of other folks from ASW). I’ll post pictures of our holiday thus far. Needless to say, we had a ball with my family. One positive case sent a kid running from us all on Christmas night. From then, we were masked and opening windows and awaiting PCR tests. We've really missed Paul’s family. So, as we navigate living overseas, we’ve got some work to do. It’s hard to know when to crash with other people and when we need our own time and space to decompress. And, it’s hard to be in a city you love and not be “home.” It's hard to be in our home country but still be far away from folks. We certainly don't have this thing figured out, but we are learning a lot about each other and ourselves.

I’m going to post a bunch of pictures for you, and then I’m going to close with some thoughts about brick houses. You’ll have to decide if it works. If you’ve no interest, just look at the photos:).

Our home in Buffalo is red brick, and you can see the patches where someone has had to break through the brick to fix the chimney, or where the mortar has been patched with a different shade of grey. When we first moved into the home, bubbles of plaster had detached from the lathe throughout the stairway and the living room. Honestly,I thought that the house was falling down. Instead– as many of you know who live in old homes– it was just “settling.” So, I guess that my wish for this year is that we all (you included) are able to find ways to “settle.” Like writing on a blank sheet of paper, I know that your sentences will not be straight, your words not in line. Heck, you might even write in fragments, or tear the paper by accident. Or, perhaps someone dumps wine on it, or coffee, or seltzer. I hope that the ways in which you’ve created patches (whether or not they match) and the syntax of your sentences feels like YOU. For me, perhaps that is what middle-age is. Maybe middle age is just like hitting the 100 year mark for a house or maybe it is like an un lined page full of drafted and imperfect sentences (written by hand). Perhaps the page has been worked on by a poet so that it’s full of markings and erasures. And, I hope that the mud-pawed dog walked on it. I just hope that– like bubbled walls and mismatched bricks– that you, wherever you are, are “settling.” It’s certainly what I wish for my family.