Nyel’s Current World View #1

I was amused in a not-very-funny-way this morning when Nyel said he was missing the sunshine. “Me too,” I said and we smiled knowing that he meant one thing and I, another.

Tomorrow it will have been seven weeks since Nyel’s two feet have touched the ground either inside or outside. He’s been outdoors only when being transferred from hospital bed to car or wheelchair and back again and, even so, the last time it was pouring rain. No sunshine. But I think even fresh air in the form of wind and wet will be welcome when his twelve weeks are completed. (Even though the doctor said his cast might come off at the end of ten weeks, we think it best not to count those chickens just yet.)

Nyel’s Current World View #2

Beyond the sun and fresh air issues, we are both feeling out of all our usual loops. Not that we see a lot of people on a day-to-day basis here in Oysterville even under ‘normal’ circumstances, but one of us usually goes to the post office every day and we are bound to see some of the neighbors on those forays. We also take time to look around the village – was there wind damage during the previous night’s storm? Are there visitors at the Red House? How are the Mack Brothers coming along with the reconstruction of the Captain Stream House? How many of Bradley’s pumpkins are left?

Nyel’s Current World View #3

It’s the day-to-day village condition that both of us are missing, to say nothing of ‘the world beyond.’ It’s not that I don’t go to Jack’s now and then for fresh produce or to the library to pick up or return a book. But they are ‘hurry-up-in-and-out’ trips – no time for visiting or catching up; no time for looking around. Even my treks to the post office are few and far between these days.

When I do get out (like for my book signing the other day) I try to remember who I saw, what they said, and all the nice greetings that people have sent home to Nyel. And, we treasure every visitor and every phone call, to say nothing of the ‘care packages’ – DVDs and entire meals and newspapers from afar…

But, as Nyel said this morning (with a good deal of wryness in his tone), “I think the novelty is wearing off.”

“Only five weeks to go,” said I. “Maybe only three. Let’s watch a movie…”