Love Is, installment # 6748

Still recovering, overjoyed to be sick in my own cosy home, and to have little to do until next Tuesday when teaching starts. Have been lying in bed fiddling with my manuscript and reading, including my blog friend Theresa Kishkan's beautiful new novella "Patrin," which I enjoyed very much. Wonderful to have concentrated reading time for great work like that.

Times like this always remind me of my acting days, when there was no choice, no matter how sick you were, but to go on stage and do your thing. Now I can lie here and feel sorry for myself as long as I want to. Until Tuesday. No, until Saturday afternoon, when if I can I'll go to Authors for Indies - writers supporting independent bookstores around the city. I'll go to Book City on the Danforth in the afternoon, if I am sure I won't infect everyone. And Sunday afternoon, I'm going to see my Vancouver friend Nettie Wild's documentary "Koneline" at Hot Docs. The city is overwhelming with events and activities - so much going on this weekend, just as well I will lie here for at least part of it and do nothing.

Except for a few hours today, because the family came to visit. How glad I was to see my daughter and her two sons, the big one and the small one, the one telling me how dinosaurs were stinked, and the one crawling all over the kitchen, pulling things off shelves, standing with some help and babbling incessantly. I do not envy my daughter two very energetic boys; she says Ben is even more physical than Eli was, moving more with more strength. But she can handle anything. That's who she is.

Her mother, on the other hand, after lunch at the House on Parliament and a visit here, was thankful after they'd left to sink back onto the sofa. More time for them next week, when health has returned. Anna brought some homemade clam chowder, and friends Gretchen and Jack brought over some borscht. And strangely, there just happen to be several bottles of red wine around. I might live.

 I want that t-shirt.

I want that smile. This boy's middle name should be Glee - though he told me his new nickname is Super Flash and he is wearing Angry Birds underpants. He has left me behind already.