Fall Follies

 

Other than being on strike for ten long weeks this fall, there were some other major highlights and memorable moments for our family.

Just before the summer officially ended, Havana had surgery to remove her tonsils. She had been having pain in her throat for a very, very long time. We saw the surgeon late last Spring and by that time, with all the summer plans made, we decided to wait until early September. We figured 2 weeks out of school would not be so terrible since Havana was not keen on return to Stewart. Who knew she'd be in a new school (and did not want to miss so much time from studies and friends) and that I'd be on strike for ten long weeks. That crazy thing was that I would be on the picket line before and during her surgery and that would be a day of bargaining. While Havana was upstairs in the OR at Oakland, I was downstairs on the line, with headphones in, trying to stay engaged to the half-baked negotiations that Kaiser was pretending to be doing.

Thankfully, the surgery went well. Two weeks of post-op rest was no walk in the park. But Havana is a warrior and she made it through. It was very hard however, to see my girl just pre-op. I said my prayers to the Great Creator, to keep her safe and, give thanks, all went well.

My spiritual teacher/mother, Bella once said to me, "If you knew what was going to happen, yo would not leave the house." That has proven true too many times to count.

While those two events  were quite a bit taxing, we had some wonderful moments as well. Last Spring, my bio dad told me about a half sister (from my grandfather's side) that I did not know about (well I did find out about 2 years ago but could not find her without his input and it was not until this year that he felt comfortable sharing it). Long story short, I found her and and we have been in touch since April. This Fall, when my Tia traveled to Las Vegas from Key West with some of her family, I joined them. It was a bittersweet reunion. My aunt Martha is a lovely, warm, kind, funny and adventurous person. I had picked up on these qualities before met and in person, she was even more solid and down to earth. I was left feel deeply, deeply thankful to have her in my life but equally as angry that no one told me about her until now. I am going to hold tight to this relationship and plan on bringing the family to Florida soon so they too can get to know Tia Martha.

Also, this Fall, the whole family went to see Elton John for his farewell tour. It was Amara's second concert but Havana's first. We were literally in the nose bleeds; the last row! But, we could see him on the screen and hear his unmistakable, powerhouse voice, clearly through the speakers. I really wanted the girls to experience a musical legend such as Elton John and I too, wanted to hear him live. It was a great night for all.

During the strike, I had volunteered to do attend some political events to help garner support for our cause. I got to meet some interesting political figures, from the Lt. Governor, to the SF city attorney and eventually the Mayor Sacramento, who meditated to help us finally settle the contact. I normally don't give a crap about public figures or celebrities. I care about who a person is. But; when I got to meet Speak Pelosi, that was something different. She is not only one of the most powerful people in the US government but when I heard her speak (and later than got to speak with her, to thank her for sending a letter to the Kaiser CEO on our behalf), I knew she was a woman with a kind, generous heart and a spine of steel. A warrior. It was an honor to meet her. I might not agree with all her policies but overall, she is one solid sister. What a special opportunity.   

The strike meant a lot of new experiences. The other stand out was participating in a die-in, in front of Kaiser headquarters. I had never heard of this form of civil action and I had no idea what would be it's impact. Well, Kaiser was not pleased, calling it a 'scorch the earth' tactic in a public statement to the media. I was left proud of our action.

at the die-in

This Fall also meant another year around the sun for me. The family made it a special day but perhaps the most touching thing was that my friend Mike and his wife Noelle (they are more like family), sent 3 dozen New York bagels from our favorite bagel shop, Murray's Bagels. OMG! There went my diet! But it was so worth it. We ate bagels for weeks. (nothing like taking a frozen NY bagel out, putting it the oven for few minutes.) On my actual birthday, well it got off to a rocky start (I'll just say, teenagers in the house) but then we headed up to Petaluma for thrifting and an impromptu dinner with friends (at a place called, what else, New York Pizza!) It was a warm, sunny day, which I was so appreciative of. With so much time and energy going into the strike, it was nice to take a break from it all. The girls love thrifting, I love the North Bay, Don likes to go to new places. It really was a sweet day.

at a gallery/gift shop in Petaluma.

This Fall, our niece and the girls cousin, Jenny, turned 50. We celebrated her milestone day down in Santa Cruz, cheering her on, as she completed her first triathlon. It was inspiring and an honor to share the day with Jenny, who is a remarkable person and someone that we love and respect deeply. The other highlight of the day was that the girls got to spend quality, fun time with their Aunt Judy, Uncle Tim and cousins Ben and Theo (Jenny's boys). We even had a sleep out at Tio/Tia's the night before. Havana made a lasagna that became legend by the time Thanksgiving rolled around.

On the topic of Thanksgiving, (or as I call it 'Save the Turkey Day'), we gathered at Edd/Janet's with much of the Coughlin clan. There were a few missing sadly,  but it was very nice to be with family in person again. The cousins, both young and old, had a great time hanging out, playing games, telling jokes and breaking bread together. Some special memories were made for sure.

And now, we are almost into the first official days of winter. It has been cold. Cold enough for there to be frost warnings. Cold enough to have to start the car in the morning before you get in. But as we approach yet another change in season, I am thankful all that we have gone through; the hard, the challenging, the good, the memorable. This life, it is both a school and a playground. I am thankful we have the chance to experience it all.