I'm taking an enforced rest, recuperating from clavicle/hip surgery. I feel lots less discomfort compared to last time (no cracked ribs and now I have a hospital bed, so I sleep better with the sling on), but I still need a nap once or twice a day. And holding a book still poses a challenge one-handed, so it may be another week or so before I have the energy to start tackling my reading stash.

On Thanksgiving my sister's family, Gary's mom, and our friends, Octavio and Angelica from Mexico joined our family. I made a few side dishes with Gary's help, and everybody else covered the pies, turkey, and sweet potato souffle. After the meal we watched "Nacho Libre." Talk about your quirky flick. Our friends helped us catch some of the especial lame humor we'd have otherwise missed. Normally on Thanksgiving we watch something holidayesque like "White Christmas." This year we went for mindless entertainment. Just my espeed right now. (The photo here came from the "Thank-you PowerPoint card" that Octavio and Angelica emailed yesterday.)

So in the espirit of Nacho, I want to share some highlights from my two-and-a-half-week "rest."

Knowing Mike and Lance were sitting with Gary while I was "under" and that our girl was in good hands with the Kirsteins
Appreciating hospital visits from some dear friends and family
Enjoying flowers from my parents, my office, and Mary in France
Watching the rainy, windy, Macy's parade
Eating dinners delivered by sis Mary (three times!), Virginia, Reiko, and Kelley
Making a shopping list for my husband
Basking in a new yellow robe and fuzzy footwear
(Speaking of which...) Laughing over "festive thongs" signed by Erin and the RBF women (and chuckling when the phrase "festive throng" showed up on my Dante reading the next week)
Getting through the third season of Alias
Chuckling through the "High Fidelity" video Rhonda sent me
Making a honey-do list for my husband
Trying to catch up on Dante. Still behind, but appreciated his reference to "Christ our Pelican." (In mythology, pelicans rip their flesh to nourish their starving babies with their own blood.)
Appreciating the ride to Dante class offered by my sis on one of her few days off (a five-hour commitment for her)
Cheering that the prof let us out after 75 minutes rather than keeping us the usual three hours
Watching the kids and Reiko do the Christmas box project (see earlier entry)
Making another shopping list for my husband
Watching "Cars" with my daughter
Watching my family put up the Christmas tree today
Trying to fold towels one-handed. My cupboards look like someone wadded up towels and shoved them in there.
Giving thanks that I normally have two arms and hands. "Two are better than one, for they have a good return for their labor."
Returning to the classroom to teach...tomorrow.