Voting in PA

These images are from a 1944 Democratic Digest magazine that I found recently. The woman in the first photo is my grandmother who was the assistant chair of the Democratic National Committee. My grandmother was lots of things: an active feminist, an unconscious bigot, an active, dedicated Democrat, as well as smart, charming, pragmatic, and a pain in the ass . I've thought a lot about her during this primary race wondered who she would have supported. She was born in 1900(ish), and fought for women to get the vote. I think she would have loved to see a woman become president, and might have been a Hilary supporter. But she also liked winners. She supported JFK early in the primaries, when most people assumed he could never win. So she might have seen a winner in Obama's charm, ease, and obvious intelligence. There's no way of knowing. But I know she'd be excited by the contest and the fervor it's stirring up.

Here, in Pittsburgh, Obama supporters are out in force, going door-to-door, lobbying for him. Last week, I was in a thrift shop I haunt and a young black man approached me. Now, I'm a lovely person and all, but I'm long past the age when cute young men of any race chat me up. As if just casually conversing, he asked me, "So, you registered to vote?" I said, "Oh yeah. I've been registered forever." He went on, "Well, who you gonna vote for?" I told him, "Obama," and he visibly relaxed and we had a nice long chat about our guy. After it was over, I realized that this middle-aged white woman must have looked, to him, like the bullseye of Hilary's target demographic, and he thought he'd check things out and see which way I was leaning. A sort of casual poll. I hope I made his day. Anyway, as most of you know, I've been an Obama mama since the beginning, even though I liked Hilary well enough. But right off the bat, Obama seemed like a leader to me, someone who could talk and coax the country into a better future. And it's possible my grandmother might have responded to that too. She liked a smart persuasive people, being one herself. So, tomorrow I'll vote and cross my fingers that Pennsylvania leads the country out of the past of Clintons and Bushes and ugly divisive politics.

Update

It's been a bit of a bumpy ride here, but things are finally settling down. The Knuckle Head wasn't able to eat for several days. Worries were worried. Tests were run. Turns out his stomach, which had a great deal of work done on and around it, was traumatized and on strike; it wouldn't contract (which is part of how it digests). So now he's on a med for that, and the hope is that the stomach, after a bit more rest, will decide it's safe to get back to work.

I'm weary and, after hustling around all day to get the kids to and from their lives and the husband to and from his doctor, have very little brain left at the end of the day. But things are gradually easing up. I was able to spend a couple of hours in my garden yesterday, and after mucking around in dirt, planting and weeding, I began to feel that it might actually really be Spring.

Home

The Knuckle Head is home at last. Once his fever broke, he rebounded amazingly quickly. He can't eat much (the surgeon tied of many varices around his stomach and esophagus) and is, of course tired, but up and around, if not yet mowing the lawn. Now it's just a matter of waiting to see if his body can regrow the veins it needs to establish adequate blood flow to the organs. But that's another worry for another day. For now, I'm trying to rest in the happiness of having made it over this very large hump.

As for me, I'm busy, tired, and emotionally drained. No surprise, and this too shall pass. Thanks for all the notes, good wishes, and cyber hugs. xoxo

Update

My husband's fever is receding at last and, as I had hoped, he is feeling much, much better. All the breathing apparatuses have been removed, and he is allowed the great luxury of drinking clear liquids. We are over the worst and I am very relieved and absolutely exhausted. Thank you all for the kind messages and wishes. It's meant a lot. I hope things will be drifting back toward normal soon.

(More) Hospital days

THE PATIENT

THE MAN WHO SAT IN FRONT OF ME FOR TEN HOURS IN THE SURGERY WAITING ROOM (HAD EYES IN THE BACK OF HIS HEAD)

HOSPITAL COLORS

HOSPITAL SIGNS (OR THE USES OF PUNCTUATION) - "IMPORTANT VALVE HANDLE." THE OTHERS ARE ALL UNIMPORTANT.

HOSPITAL SIGNS - "LET US HELP YOU STOP"

HOSPITAL SIGNS - "ENDURE 420" IN A PLACE LIKE THIS YOU HAVE TO ENDURE MORE THAN 365....

URBAN WASTELAND - THREE HUMANS, NO HUMAN INTERACTION

SPRING GREEN PARKING CONE

Hospital days

The Knuckle Head is out of intensive care, which is good and bad. Good that they don't think he needs to be there, bad because the standard hospital ward has a low nurse-to-patient ratio. He's feverish, which is worrisome, is unable to eat or drink, is on IV, is being dosed heavily with antibiotics, and is suffering a lot. If the fever fades, I think he'll improve significantly. I spend as much time with him as possible, tending to him, getting nurses. When he sleeps I try to find things in the bleak institutional world that are interesting to look at, and photograph them. It takes my mind off things.

HOSPITAL RED AND WHITE
INSTITUTIONAL LINOLEUM
ALARMED 1
RED AND TURQUOISE


VIEW OUT THE WINDOW
LEAVING THE HOSPITAL LATE, THE SHINING PATH HOME
GOOD NIGHT, SECOND WINDOW ON THE LEFT, TOP FLOOR

surgery

The K H was in surgery for about ten hours today. He had a lot of new varices (swollen veins) around the organs in his abdomen. The surgeon removed those, which is a good thing, as is greatly lessens the chance that KH will burst a vein and hemorrhage. But unfortunately, in that process, the surgeon also had to remove the shunt he constructed six years ago. He was not able to make a new one. He also removed part of KH's colon. KH is in intensive care, intubated, and under heavy sedation.

I'm relieved the surgery is over, worried that it was so long and difficult, and absolutely exhausted.
Thanks, everyone, for your kind messages.