So, just a week after my dad returned home from celebrating his 70th birthday in Massachusetts, he was scheduled for a total knee replacement! I’d known about this surgery for quite a while, but didn’t think a thing of it until he started talking about driving himself to the hospital and hobbling out on crutches to water his newly landscaped yard when he got home! Yes, really! My dad is single and lives in a three bedroom house an hour away from the hospital where the surgery was to be done. I decided to book a ticket back to Texas – my 4th trip this year – in order to be with him, and it was really my pleasure and privilege to do this. Robert’s parents came in to town (San Antonio) to pray with him before the surgery and sit with me until the doctor came to tell us everything was OK. This was a blessing to both of us as well. We had a great week together, and I was amazed at his progress. We had several visitors throughout the week – above is cousin Dasa – and I even ran into a old high school friend in the hospital cafe! My dad is in great shape – he swims, works out at the gym, and walks pretty consistently – and I know this has helped him have a quicker recovery than some. He’s home now, walking with a walker and getting physical therapy at home for the next month.

I stayed at the hospital the first night, but the remainder of the week I slept at Miss Riggs’s apartment. Can’t believe she’s getting married next month! I got to have dinner with she and Jack one night and was privileged to see them perform their wedding dance once back at the apartment! (Our dinner was directly after their dance class!) It was beautiful, of course, and to the music from the movie Miss Potter – “When You Taught Me To Dance.” Can’t wait to be a part of this very special day. Gotta get busy on a flower girl dress – Kayla is one of seven!

And then back to real life at home. I was “on” this week for teaching the homeschool geography class. We are finishing up our study of South America, and I was to teach the older group some current events from the continent. First, we put a giant South America puzzle together after the boys colored and labeled the country, capitol, and natural resources in each piece and then we learned some recent sports and political news. I chose to study up on Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, which led me to study up on communism/socialism, which led me to study up on Karl Marx. I have to say that I went to bed pretty disheartened about the similarities I could see between that country/leader and ours – especially in the mindset of the upcoming U.S. Administration – of which Chavez is a big proponent, interestingly enough. Striving to be hopeful and prayerful, but I must admit that after all of that reading, I feel a bit nervous about the world in which my kids will be adults someday. Someday soon.

Glad to be home. Ready for routine. Wondering if that is even a valid expectation – Can’t remember the last time we actually had a consistent routine. Feeling weary, but pressing on.
Is Thanksgiving really 13 days away?