Post-op care: Are there any taboos left?

I recently went to be with my sister, A, after she had surgery on her spine. She lives alone, and even though her daughters were with her during most of her hospital stay, she had to be on her own once she was discharged. Her doctor had assured her that she would be up on her feet within days of her surgery, but she would still be hampered in her movements, and couldn’t drive for a month. She was considering a stay at a convalescent home, but I told her I could stay for about a week just to help her out.

Vietnamese Beef Noodles

One of my favorite things to do when I’m in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, is to seek out a neighborhood stall selling the ubiquitous noodle soup featuring rice noodles in a broth with lots of fresh herbs and vegetables. The meat element can be beef, chicken or duck, but the flavorsome broth. boiled for hours over a charcoal fire and imbued with complex spices, is what makes this such a divine comfort food.

Catching up, staying in touch

Yesterday, I just re-connected with a friend from high school whom I hadn’t seen in more than 40 years. I found out that she had moved from Colorado to California, and catches up in San Jose with another friend from high school practically every weekend. I also found out that she has a PhD in forest management!  Another friend at the lunch is also from our class, and is in the midst of restoring an old factory at the port into a home and workshop for her woodworking. She and her husband also have seven boats and yachts! It was a real eye opener to find out what my friends have been up to in the intervening years since school. What was even better was that we could instantly connect and bond over silly stories from school!