Waking this morning left me thinking about being pulled through the birth canal.  After copious ouzo and wine on Pascha, and switching beds a couple times to avoid noise, we awoke almost 12 hours after dropping off and my first blinking thought was, “Wow, here I am.”  It was a beautiful, clear morning, with an east wind and the temperature in the 60s.  Since virtually every shop is closed on Easter Monday, we had little to do but reacquaint ourselves with the sensation of being here. 

Somehow, it’s all new again.  The washing machine wouldn’t start but the panic was alleviated when we discovered the plug hadn’t been pushed in all the way.  At the gas station, the rig for adding air to the tires (free!) appeared absolutely inscrutable until I realized I’d seen and used this very device before.  Arriving at the mini-mart 7 minutes after closing, the lady leaving for lunch offered to re-open it so we could buy a stick of butter — I’d remembered they close at 2:00 but forgotten how thoughtful they are.  Endeavoring to hang a couple of pictures, I searched the house cabinet-by-cabinet and cubby-by-cubby trying to assemble the drill, extension cord, picture hangers, tape measure, spirit level, hammer, screwdriver, etc. that I’d so carefully stored last year.  All familiar, yet all just out of range of consciousness. 

After 4 days, my awareness is catching up with my body.  Here we are.