• The process of change is grinding, it grinds along slowly, grinding as in painful, in some ways, grinding as in, wearing one down, smoothing the edges, creating new spaces that will one day be filled. There is still too little in place to be able to post anything more than that for now.
• Our girl has been on a rollercoaster. Some great days. Just amazing days, when I marvel at the miracle of her being and am tempted to think that we’ve crossed a threshold. But that is largely a measure of magical thinking–we should know by now that it ebbs and flows. We aren’t sure yet if she will be able to be with us for Thanksgiving. It looked briefly like she would be able to sleep over tomorrow and have the whole next day at home. I went out and got the fixing to make a big breakfast on Thursday morning to be followed by a long, lazy morning watching the Macy’s Parade. But I got ahead of myself and it won’t happen that way. As of now, the plan is lunch at a restaurant in the middle of the afternoon.
• Sherod needs hip replacement surgery. That’s actually good news because we had been preparing ourselves for back surgery and we were filled with dread.

Not holly jolly happy kind of stuff, and also real. The holidays mean something else now. The empty spaces allow for grace to show up in unexpected places and I am very, very grateful. May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with good food, good joy and merry warmth.