We’re back in Wilmette – it’s been summery and lovely and so nice seeing friends and family. But I’m also feeling strange. Like I don’t know where home is. When I see my house I love it so and I think of all the projects that I would tackle if we lived here. But I miss Switzerland (and my husband) too.
This is my home – that is my home – this is not my home – that is not my home. I know… first world problems. I guess we’ll just head to the pool again and then I will feel better.
After Brian got home from work we had a mini celebration down at the lake. We had a picnic, did some swimming and roasted marshmallows for s’mores. I missed fireworks, lightning bugs and graham crackers.
We’ve come to like the swimming place that is in the town right next to us called Richterswil. It’s not so different in it’s features it just feels really nice in it’s setting. I love to see the big boats that cruise all around Lake Zurich – they come close to the badi and look so beautiful. And the badi is oriented so there is a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance. Today the girls got into playing with one of the cool features, a water play place. You turn a water lifting mechanism and then you can build damns or let the water flow through a series of mini rivers and lakes. Take a look at the pictures. I manned the water lifting thingy and it was very satisfying.
I even made a short video:
The only bad thing is the sand. I feel like a sand snob. It’s so chunky and gritty here, not at all like the beautiful Lake Michigan sand that we are used to.
I feel like we haven’t had a good long summer vacation with Brian. All our time will be spent apart while the girls and I visit the US. I guess that’s how it has to be. We did get away for the weekend to the Italian part of Switzerland and it was very nice. We spent Saturday at the Locarno Lido – it’s a swimming extravaganza for the girls. Brian couldn’t swim because his bike accident wounds are still healing so we rented lounge chairs and chatted.
We’ve also been watching the World Cup. Lots of the restaurants had the games on in Locarno. Go Switzerland!
On Sunday we made Brian get on a Gondola and we had a little hike and some lunch at the top of the mountain.
This pretty little chapel had a rustic feel like it could be in a US national park.
It was hot and we had to have gelato every time we turned around.
Now it’s time to do laundry and start packing for our trip to the US.
Today we had a nice hike not too far from home – a place called Niederurnen. We took a small cable car up and then we hiked on a special sculpture trail. All along the trail were wooden sculptures and the girls had to find certain numbered ones and collect a stamp. At the end of our hike back at the cable car station the girls turned in their completed stamped cards and got a free little plastic animal. It was really sweet.
We’ve had our moments. While I’m trying to get stuff done the girls come to me with long faces complaining that they are SO BORED! And I snap back – “it’s not my job to entertain you! Grrr!” But we’ve also had lovely weather. I’ve had some uninterrupted time to read in the hammock. We’ve been hanging out at the lake with friends and coming home sun kissed and tired. It’s all typical stuff for our summers and I feel quite lucky.
I learned a new phrase – I think I have it right. Velo sturtz means cycling accident.
Brian called Saturday morning and said “come get me, I had an accident and I’m bleeding”. His pedal broke off as he was coming down a hill and he hit the road hard. Luckily he was at the end of his ride and so I could get to him in about fifteen minutes. He was scraped and bruised and bleeding so off to the emergency room we went. He ended up needing stitches in his elbow and he had to have surgery the next morning to fix a broken thumb.
All the doctors and nurses were very nice and they all seemed to say velo sturtz and shake their heads. He had to stay in the hospital overnight. For a while he couldn’t do much for himself since his left elbow was too painful to bend and his right hand had the broken thumb and the tips of his fingers were badly scraped. I kept thinking of professional bikers. They deal with these types of injuries all the time and they probably get right back on their bikes some of those times. Brian was just ouchy all over and still is. Bruised chin and thighs, scraped elbow, cut knees, scraped hip, fingertips with the skin removed, tender feet – uhg.
The doctor said no biking for six weeks – that is the worst part for Brian.
So for Father’s Day this year Brian got a screw in his thumb.
We love you dearly – please no more falling off your bike!!!
I started this quilt on January 20th and now it’s all done! Yay! I want to ask Brian to hold it up outside and get some full photos but in the meantime here it is! Thanks to Film in the Fridge for the inspiration and pattern instructions. I love that it is almost obnoxiously bright and exuberant.
calls for cinnamon rolls.
Laowai 