In-law update

[mamadeb]

Thank you ALL for your kind thoughts and prayers and wishes.

My father-in-law is in ICU getting blood thickeners. He's quite awake, and he now has his glasses and hearing aid, so he's not isolated. (Apparently, when the police local to where the accident was heard the words "hearing aid", they searched the car themselves for it.) But he was on blood thinners for his congestive heart failure, and - not good right now.

My mother-in-law is dizzy - her inner ear may have been disturbed when the car ROLLED OVER THE EMBANKMENT. (People, please, please, PLEASE wear seatbelts. They did - they only needed stitches.) It's going away slowly.

My brother-in-law got their belongings, including Mom's computer and her copy of HP. So she has what to read. We're trying to figure out what happens if they're released this weekend. I may well rent a car tomorrow just in case it's needed on Sunday.

Meanwhile, my mother (yes, I called her. She should know what's doing with her machateinisteh, no?) promises up and down that Lenny's a good driver.

I know what she's afraid of, and I dread the day it will have to happen, but it's, God willing, a long way away.

Jonathan is doing fine - he's spoken to his mother and brother and he's reassured that all will be well.

(Now with comments enabled.)

Comments

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

Sympathy. Good thoughts for healing for your in-laws, and less stress for the rest of the family.

[gingicat]

Oy. Best wishes. I can pass on Hebrew names to my in-laws' shul if you think they would like.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

He's Simcha ben Rivka, she's Tova Batya bat Tzvia.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

>>Meanwhile, my mother (yes, I called her. She should know what's doing with her machateinisteh, no?) promises up and down that Lenny's a good driver.<<

With her what?! I thought I'd heard most of the common Yiddish terms by now. And just how do you pronounce that...without spraining a lip?

Jokes aside, all sympathies to you and your family and best wishes for the speedy and complete recovery of all injured.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

My mother-in-law and my mother are macheteinistehs to each other, meaning their children are married to each other. If fate had been otherwise, they might have shared grandchildren. The masculine version is mechutin - my father-in-law to my mother; the couple would be her machetainum.

I'm pretty sure that Yiddish is the only language in the world that has words for this very important relationship.

Thank you.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Machateinisteh: Mah-cha-TAIN-es-teh (where the "ch" is gutteral, like the ch in "loch").

The word refers to a female to whom one is related by marriage. It's traditionally most commonly used to describe the relationship between mothers-in-law. Mechutan (meh-CHU-t'n) is the masculine.

[jonbaker.livejournal.com]

Or, as I said when calling someone up for a sheva bracha (one of a set of 7 blessings) at a wedding, "Is to be mechabed, S.B., tbe bride's mechitten, with the Nth bracha."

For some reason, kibudim (honors) at weddings seem to be called up in Veasslish (an SCA dialect where every sentence begins with "is to be").

[(Anonymous)]

Nope - the phrase you're hearing is "iz men mechabed..." ("one honours...")

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

*sends good vibes liek woah*

[ataniell93.livejournal.com]

I'm glad they're doing better.

[bookworm1212.livejournal.com]

Refuah shleima to them both

And wishing you and DH (and your parents) a stress-free upcoming week.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

They're in my thoughts for a refuah shleima.

[boroparkpyro.livejournal.com]

רפואה שלמה

[otherdeb.livejournal.com]

My heartfelt thoughts for ALL your parents...I know far too well about the driving thing, since we went through that with my Dad.

Also heartfelt thoughts for you, DH, and all the sibs who will have to deal with this.

[jonbaker.livejournal.com]

DH? As the button says, "Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est."

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

I'm glad they survived and hope they pull through well. Scary stuff.

[saraid.livejournal.com]

i'm glad everyone's doing better, and i know what you're worried about, too. one of my rl writing buddies is in his late forties - his father, who was a well-known lawyer around here (my friend is actually an ada now) - anyhow, his father died just a few weeks ago, driving. he was 78. he'd already had several small accidents but they hadn't been able to get his liscense away from him because he had police friends. anyhow, he died instantly and fortunately ed's mother wasn't in the car with him andhe didn't hurt anyone else.

i'm just full of anectdotes lately. *sigh*. how's the knee?

[bercilakslady.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I just heard, and I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm glad your Mom-in-law is mostly okay, and I hope your Dad-in-law heals quickly and well.

Best of luck getting things sorted, and I hope you don't have to deal with anything similar for many years.

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

Wishing them a refuah sheleimah again and best wishes that all goes well with their living/driving arrangements.

I worry over this too as my father is in his late 70s. But he drives so well I have him drive me places and unless there's something he's not telling me he hasn't had an accident in years.

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear everyone's doing wel and hope that continues!

[hillarysherwood.livejournal.com]

I hope your in-laws recover quickly from this accident.

And, yes, seatbelts are a very good thing. I'm a believer from personal experience -- no injuries after being rearended by a SUV several years ago. My poor car looked like Godzilla had taken a bite out of it however.

[cellio]

I hope they both have a r'fuah sh'leimah. (I'm reading backwards, so I haven't seen the earlier post yet, but I can infer.)