Updates

A lot has gone on over the past week and for the most part it has all been good.

Kathleen had her surgery and is doing really well, at least from my non-trained eye. She is actually checking out of the hospital this morning, which makes all of us very, very happy. She can now go home and recuperate in her own home. I went with my folks on Saturday to visit her and I have to give serious props to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, they are great, the people that work that and volunteer there get 5 stars in my book. Here is a story that my sister heard while there that is pretty sobering and makes me very happy to live in this country: A couple of the marathon runners from Kenya were in town for the White Rock Marathon which supports the hospital. At some point these runners were brought to the hospital to do some rounds, visit some of the kids, do photo ops and what not. Well, these men, who were very nice from what I understand, were amazed and taken aback by not only the facilities but just the fact that there was such a place and that there were so many children with these types of challenges that were actually being cared for. They alluded to the fact that in their country, children who were born with deformities of the nature that TSRH addresses (clubfoot, limb lengthening, pediatric orthopedics in general) were often times not encouraged to live and in their country they just didn't last. It breaks my heart to think that kids in other parts of the world aren't given the same love and care that our Kathleen has received. But, if I think too long and hard on the state of the world then I start to spiral into a horrid black hole of depression....

So, on a lighter note....the Queen and I (which, they should make a parody play off of the King and I with that name) have been carpooling all last week, which while I don't have anything of note to talk about regarding these trips, it just makes me very happy.

Also, I have the most talented Dad in the world (and yeah, that really should be I have the most talented Dad in MY world, but you all get the drift). He made a buffet/side-board/large piece of furniture for Casa ABBA and delivered it Saturday before we went to the hospital. It is beautiful and works wonderfully with my decor AND it allows me to store all of my wines and other stuff.

And, I guess now I really need to stop procrastinating and need to buckle down and do some work....