Some better news

Just got off the phone with my parents.

My dad got home successfully from the physical-rehab center today. He's not 100% yet, but with the PT guy coming in regularly, maybe he'll keep improving. (They also told him to keep up with the nebulizer to keep his lungs clear).

My mom sounded a lot happier and more relaxed than she has for a while. My dad sounded tired but it was good to be able to talk to him again - the last time I did was back around August 15. (My parents don't really do cell phones, and I don't even know if there was a landline in my dad's room).

Anyway, he's home.

And I have to thank all of you who offered prayers and good thoughts and mojo - I remember back in mid-August, there was a day or so when this first started where I didn't even know if he'd COME home, or if I'd get to speak to him again. So yes, I'm incredibly grateful. And I hope for his continued improvement.

Also, my brother and sister-in-law and niece are in Williamsburg. This is sort of a tradition -they take a few day's vacation around her birthday and go there. When they were checking in at the hotel, she mentioned to the desk clerk that she was turning six, and they upgraded their room to a suite for no charge. (I am guessing that the suite was open, and maybe they figured, "If we make this family extra happy, they will come back again" or maybe they even stayed there before....)

So my family is doing well.

I am a little tired after today - wrote the three forms of the next take-home exam in my stats class, which always takes a lot of braining - so I'm going to turn in early and read. A book I ordered a little while back finally came ("How to be a Good Creature," which I saw recommended somewhere. It's about animals, but apparently it's also about, well, being a "good creature" and while I think I've had better-than-average training in that, and probably better-than-average motivation to be that, still: I think it helps to read things like that from time to time to be reminded. That's also why, despite the trend I've heard of people choosing to "worship God alone in their own way" rather than going to church, I try to have my butt in the pew every Sunday, because that reminder - and that being around people who are different from me in numerous ways but have one big important similarity - is valuable to me).

I also have the Durant philosophy book on its way to me. I really need to work on resisting buying ALL THE BOOKS but I see so many I want to read....

Bell choir was tonight. At the end, after we put stuff up, the director hugged me (she's a hugger, and I THINK she particularly seeks out people who don't have partners to hug them, provided they are welcoming of hugs). And she told me I played well, and that I had a "good ear," which is nice to hear - all those years of probably-better-than-average music instruction in grade school, plus learning the piano probably pay off.

And as I said before, it's just fun. And it's something I don't have to be in charge of, and it's working alongside people I like....so it's kind of a relief to go down there on Monday nights and do that. It's not quite the (singing) civic choir I had in mind when I said "I wish there were some kind of music group I could be a part of" but darn it, it's close enough for me.