Terrorist Virus

Written October 29, 2009

Ah ha! Well now I know who you are (each of you little devils)….One of the reasons that I didn’t write back yesterday to chide you all further was that 2 of the 3 kids were sick with some terrorist virus that they brought back from school and gave it to me, Luke and perhaps most importantly, Rose. Alas, I have decided that the common cold is by far worse than cancer. In fact chemo I am finding is better than botox – my skin is as soft as a baby’s butt and I really hadn’t been feeling the ill effects (Chia seeds, I know, Lila) – but this cold – it’s nearly killed me.

One thing I forgot to mention in my last note to you guys – and really I am more than touched by this crazy e-mail list - but I failed to mention “Souper Girl”. She arrives each Tuesday evening just when the chemical taste in my mouth starts to nudge me to start looking through the freezer for some mint chocolate chip ice cream. She rings the doorbell twice (like only a superhero would) and without saying a word passes off two large steamy quarts of homemade soup – each better than the next (we won’t mention the vegan brownies). Inside is a little note. This week, for instance, it read: Soup 1: “Souperneice’s White Bean and Pumpkin Soup” and then begins a little story: “My three year old Souperneice and I were walking the other day when she paused, looked up at me, and said, “Aunt Soupergirl, I have a soup idea!...I took out my notebook to humor her and pretend to write down my concoction. “OK, so everybody likes pumpkin these days…” Souperneice continues… Then there is Soup #2 “The Carrot Squash Vaccine Soup”… “Dare I say, it would be unpatriotic NOT to make this soup, Souper Girl concludes in the typed note.

Anyway, just to say I am relishing the soups and sending you all big hugs and a huge thanks for the love that went into all of this. I promise to get well.

Love, Jennifer

PS The only people not choked up by our new regime are Annalise and Amelia. They declared today at breakfast: “Mom, no more organic pancakes or waffles!” They are sick of picking out the flax seeds. Annalise said, “There are certain things that just shouldn’t be organic!” I relented on that one item (not that I touch that stuff anymore :)