The end of a memorable vacation

I'm back!  My little Bookworm is recovering nicely from his pneumonia (although we'll probably be hearing that cough for some weeks to come), and I'm sure that soon I'll get the spring back in my own steps after nights in the hospital and hours in the car coming home from "vacation."  Thank you all for your kind words — they meant a lot to me.  

It was funny.  My little Bookworm was never in serious danger, although he managed to get quite a significant pneumonia.  The modern miracles of antibiotics, IV hydration and oral fever medications meant that we knew he would get well — it was just a matter of when and how miserable he'd be during the process.  The weird part was knowing that, 70 years ago, there would have been an extremely good chance that his illness would be fatal.  He had a steadily climbing fever, a rapidly compromised lung, dehydration — all sorts of stuff that can be addressed by modern medicine and could only be waited out in the old days.  

My substantive blogging today will be light, if not nonexistent.  I haven't read any news or commentary since Saturday, and am as out of things as if I'd been backpacking in the wilderness all week.  Anything I write now would be reflexive, not informed (and certainly not thoughtful).  Thank goodness that Don Quixote was here to keep the home fires burning — and they certainly seemed to have burned high.  He has a knack for asking questions that elicit interesting discussions.  I've enjoyed reading both his posts and all of your responses.