Dear Readers,
I sent my last newsletter on the eve of departing for Germany in October, and now I am beginning this one on the eve of Thanksgiving. At least that's what it feels like as the first of my three kids is coming home tonight and cooking and baking will commence tomorrow.
I do want to report on my transatlantic trip since so many of you wrote back to wish me safe travels and to share information on my mom's polymyalgia diagnosis. Thank you again for your support and advice!
I had a surprisingly pleasant trip. Particularly the flights from Chicago to Munich (and back) were pleasant. Once you got used to wearing a mask all the time, but I found I did get used to that. A plain surgical mask did the trick.
It was, however, an otherworldly flight! When I arrived at O'Hare Airport at 7:30 p.m., it was eerily empty. No lines anywhere. I zipped through check in and security. All the personnel seemed happy to have someone to tend to. Inside Terminal 1, which is usually buzzing with people, all the shops were closed, as were the restaurants. You couldn't even buy a bottle of water or a
magazine. Thankfully, I did have all my essentials with me. The only thing open was the small McDonald's pick-up counter.
Terminal 1 at O'Hare Airport, October 7, 2020, 7:50 p.m.
Anyone who's ever flown out of Terminal 1 at O'Hare can appreciate
the disconcerting site of these blank monitors. I took this photo
at 8:20 p.m. on October 7, 2020.
The plane was also empty. My section had 36 seats and 6 passengers! Flight attendants were happy to tend to us few, and despite the mask it was a comfortable flight. Munich Airport was just as eerily empty as O'Hare had been even though we arrived at noon. All its swanky shops were shuttered. Not even the Starbucks after customs was open. But before I reached that, I had to get a Covid test, which was set up as a walk-through clinic
before you got to baggage claim. The negative test result I had brought with me was deemed "too old."
Abensberg, Lower Bavaria, Germany, where we managed to have dinner
out with the whole family. Restaurants were still open then!
My visit with my family was also pleasant. Unlike any other trip back to Germany, this time I did not travel around and see other people. Never before did I stay in one place there, and I have to say I rather enjoyed the simplicity of a visit like that.
I spent a lot of time with my mom, relieving my sister in the day-to-day care so she could deal with some bureaucratic stuff and catch a break. Mom's physical condition slowly improved over the days I was there and has continued to do so. The Prednisone she's getting is doing the trick, even though she's on a fairly low dose by now. She can walk up the hill again to have lunch at my sister's house, something she couldn't do a
month ago.
That's me (left) with my mom and my sister at that nice evening out we had in Abensberg.
Given that now restaurants are closed again, I am doubly glad
that we were able to do this.
One of my mom's old LPs
The greater challenge with Mom is her dementia. Her capacity to remember anything oscillates. The past is pretty much gone, and she will have breakfast twice because she forgot that she already had it. Thankfully, I managed to settle into being asked the same thing over and over. She has a few things she associates with each family member, and that's what she brings up. I figure
it is an honor to still be in her brain, even though she doesn't see me much, and to have certain captions associated with me, mainly that I live in Chicago.
I also came to appreciate that it can be relaxing to be with someone without really having to hold a conversation. Instead, I played her old records, while we sat by the window. (My needlepoint project also made that a little easier--I made great progress on that orchard!).
Amazingly, Mom still knows the lyrics to many of those Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, and will begin singing along as soon as a tune begins. She also still played the piano for me as she sang some of her favorite songs.
Writing Family History Prompt:
What music brings up memories of a loved one? What song was a favorite of your childhood?
Once I got home and back to Indiana and over the jet lag, it's been wonderful to actually be out in the country and witness fall every day. I have also taken up my habit again of enjoying the afternoon sun on my balcony. I can really only do that in the spring and fall, when it's not too hot and not too cold out there. I am happy to report that my article on that habit is coming out in the Winter 2021 issue (No. 26) of Bella Grace, which will be on sale at Barnes & Noble by December 1. But for you, dear readers, I can offer this sneak peek:
While I have been focused on family and my day job, my books have kept living their own lives, selling steadily. I did do a podcast interview with the Genealogy Happy Hour this month and am happy to share that episode with you:
I've got another podcast interview coming up with Family Tree next month. In anticipation, interviews are slightly nerve-wracking. In the end, however, I always find them affirming in that I know what I am talking about, and in that it is always a pleasure to share that knowledge and have a good discussion about writing stories from family history.
For this month's recipe, I again have a soup for you. It is the season for soup, and this is my favorite for fall. Even though butternut squash might last until spring, its flavor and scent are decidedly fall. I will be making this soup for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Made in advance it tastes even better on the day of serving. This soup is easy to make but you need to have a potato masher, and you need to allow a few
hours lead time to allow for roasting the squash.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cubed
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups Granny Smith apple (about 3/4 pound), peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 small stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
4-5 cups of chicken-flavor broth
salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange squash in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, coated with cooking spray or oil. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes or until tender. Let cool.
In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add apple, onion, celery and bay leaf. Sauté for 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and garlic. Cook for another two minutes, stirring frequently. Add squash, 4 cups of the broth and stir well.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, with lid tilted, for 30 minutes.
Discard bay leaf. Partially mash the soup with a potato masher until thick and chunky. If you find it is too thick, add more broth. Add salt to taste.
Serves 4-6 people. If you don't need it to be parve like I do, you can sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese over the soup before serving.
This is based on a recipe originally published in the now defunct Cooking Light magazine.
I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving if you're in the U.S. (I hope you can celebrate with at least some of your family), and I wish everyone the very best as we move into winter and sadly, it seems, more lockdowns. But by now, let's console ourselves, we know how
to do this!
Be well,
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