 | Diary Navigation:
|
February 26, 2003
It was the summer of '76.We had decided to leave S. FL,where I had lived all of my life and Charles had lived for several periods of time and head to New England.My mother and all of her family are from that area and both of Charles parents were from there.It was a pretty neat place to be for the 4th of July in 1976.We actually had an invite through one of Charles cousins,to a condo that over-looked Boston Harbor and where the tall ships could be seen as well as the fireworks etc.we decided not to drive into Boston and I kick myself now.It was still a very special 4th.Charles has another cousin who is a selectman in NH and through this connection we were all able to go into a church and ring a bell at midnight that hadnt been rung for about 50 yrs or something.we also participated in filling a time capsule in this town.Lots of neat stuff.The new idea was that we would take most of the summer off and have fun and establish residency so that we could go to college up there.I knew this was making my family very nervous as I come from a long line of college educated women and one branch of the family were big Dartmouth people.My mother didnt get married until she was 28! The way I was going about things was very different for them,that is certain!We spent much of the summer going to the beach (we were living right near Newburyport Mass.)and making road trips in our little van all over the place,visiting relatives,seeing the New England countryside.We went to Vermont & Maine & the White Mountains in NH,foolishly living off of our wedding present money.Charles began working with his cousins husband in his house painting business.I think they did a lot of playing still,neither gentleman were know for their responsible ways! Charles grandmother,upon hearing that I had an interest in nursing,got me a nursing assistants job in a nursing home where she worked part time on the weekend.It was a totally terrifying experience for me! I had not been around adults before who were incontinent and had problems with their mental processes! There was the blind woman who sat in her wheel chair each day kicking the wooden door and crying;Dont you hear the little heifer kicking to be let out of her stall? There was the poor woman who wailed pitifully each time she was led into the bathroom to be washed and had "Auschwitz" tattooed on one arm and a sequence of numbers on the other.... Now,I think how much love I could have shown those people,at the time it was like a nightmare.By winter,we were both living & working in a charming little village called Peterborough.I loved it there and was working in yet another nursing home but was better able to handle it after all of my experiences in the other.This one was also much nicer and the people got top notch care.There was even a little lady there who had lived in the same fort where General Custer was stationed when she was a wee girl.I loved to care for this frail little woman and hear her amazing stories (validated by family members).before moving to Peterborough,we had stayed for a time in an apt that was part of an Uncles country home.This family had cows and horses and 4 children that attended school in the local 1 room schoolhouse.Once we moved to Peterborough at some point something else unexpected happened - I found myself late for my period.This was in the pre- HPT days let me tell you! One early morning I arose before light and collected a urine sample and drove the 30 minutes,one way,into the hospital to drop off my sample for a pregnancy test.I guess it was too early because the test was negative.I was told to wait aweek and retest if I hadnt started.In the meantime,it was discovered that the cousins we had been living with had a parasite infestation.I had been nausous for several days and went into the local clinic and was given a dose of anti-parasitic medicine.Several days later I had another preg test and it was positive.I was working that afternoon and evening and had been told to call in for my results.When I did and was told the test was indeed positive this time,I could hardly catch my breath for the wonder of it.I can remember heading into the supply closet and just standing there with my hand over my chest.The charge nurse came flying in to ask if I was ok and I blurted out:Im pregnant!!! She sent me home early so I could share the special news with Charles.I was so delighted! Our excitement was short-lived however,the anti-parasitic medicine had taken its toll on my little one and on Easter Sunday of 1977,I began miscarrying and was taken to the OR for a D&C. It had never occurred to me that things might not be ok and I was devastated.My family suggested that maybe it was for the best since we needed to finish college,everyone else said all of the usual,you are young,you have plenty of time etc. My heart was broken and because of the reactions of those around me I was made to feel that I was overreacting.I mourned my loss privately,almost secretly.Ive always believed that baby was a boy and we would have named him Seth Evan. Well,Im going to have to stop once again and pick up my tale later.I will try to consolidate the rest of my story to bring us up to now - the very best place to be! Peace & blessings,Catherine
 |  |
|
want to keep a diary on iParenting?
Authoring a diary on the iParenting network allows you to chronicle your family's story, preserving it for years to come. It's also a great way to get the most out of the iParenting community. Click here to start...
|
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families. 
