“Aftermath” — “definition: a second crop sown and reaped after the first mowing (math=mowing in Anglo-Saxon.) Following Hurricane Milton’s onslaught in Florida this week, the word has been used a lot, as in, “the aftermath of the hurricane…” I was surprised to learn from the dictionary that “aftermath” suggests a renewed and restorative second chapter and not simply a bleak devastation following a crisis.

This post will bring you up to date on the “aftermath” of our European sojourn for the last month, full of unplanned and unexpected experiences.

AFTERMATH: Irish Family Ties Strengthened. We spent a week in chilly and damp Ireland,  our second visit there after the death in 2022 of Ed’s dear brother, Dr. Bill Muldoon of St Paul and St John’s Abbey, Minnesota.

We feel closer than ever to these wonderful, hospitable and generous people and we are grateful to Bill for bringing them so fully into our lives.

AFTERMATH: Update on Anne’s Knee. Preliminary diagnosis is a wrench to tissues, no break or tear. Three weeks post event walking is already less painful. Physical therapy evaluation in one week with therapy to follow.

AFTERMATH: Hurricane Milton strikes Florida. While it appeared at some point that Milton might head for the southwest Gulf Coast near our Naples, FL condo — and 7 million Floridians were under evacuation orders on October 9-10 — the storm’s path was not as dire as it could have been. Flood waters came up,  but not as close as during Hurricane Ian last year. Our condo suffered neither wind nor flood surge damage although power was off for 12 hours or so. Our downstairs neighbor remained in residence and on guard while his wife and daughter sheltered in a nearby hotel. We think to relocate ourselves there for the winter toward the second half of November.

AFTERMATH: Ceiling collapse at Broadmoor Apartment. We are very grateful to our roommate and cousin, Dru, to Ed’s daughter, Lara, and to the Broadmoor crew, led by Alvaro, who responded to the messy and stinky collapse of our DC bedroom ceiling that occurred during our first week in Spain! We are grateful to be able to sleep in our own room since our return late on October 8, although wall repairs will be ongoing for a while.

AFTERMATH: How have we changed? With so many memories and experiences shared between us and with friends and families, there is much to absorb and ponder. Beauty, creativity, love. Impatience and patience. Pain, tolerance, care.

Sharing a few more memories,  below…

We have long wanted to visit Ravenna, capital of the western Roman Empire after it began to break up, in order to admire its wonderful mosaics. Ravenna is not an easy place to reach, whether for ancient tribal invaders,  or even today. We tried to figure a way to visit on Anne’s bad leg, but finally gave up the notion.