And now something completely different

They say that all bad things come in groups of three. Well, obviously that is not true for my family. Yesterday I talked to my mother on the phone, for the first time after their trip to Turkey.

Her husband caught food poisoning in Turkey.

His mother (my step-grandmother - who is 99, by the way) had a stroke. Her left side is paralyzed and she has got severe memory and behavioral trouble, and no one knows whether she'll come out the other side.

My nephew, who does already have trouble using his right hand - he fell into a tablet full of glasses while working and cut nerves and tendons - was sawed into the left arm at work, they do not know how much damage has been done. (In case you were wondering, he's a waiter. Don't ask.)

And my mother has been vomiting blood for days and has been scheduled for surgery in January. (She says the surgeon wanted to keep her at the hospital right away, but she did not want to. Yes, we're all stubborn, bordering on stupid.) She had stomach reduction surgery about 15 or something years ago, which did not go well, and by now her esophagus is less than 1cm in diameter, and this plus the stress caused severe irritation and damage to the mucous membranes. All she can eat is liquid food, but she says she'll be okay.

At least they are still optimistic enough to plan the husband's mother's 100th birthday celebration, which will hopefully take place on December 23rd. And I am lighting candle upon candle and sending all of them good energy.