Good news: Emily was released from the hospital yesterday morning. I figured she would be, since she turned the proverbial corner Thursday night. She conked out at about 4:30 in the afternoon and slept very soundly until about 9:30 - she slept through all of her brother's visit and most of her father's, and then perked up just as Emil was leaving. She and I watched movies until 1:00, then slept straight through until 6:30 . . . That was the longest stretch of sleep either of us had gotten for the past week, and judging by the way it revived her, she really needed it. In the morning the doctor came, ordered another CT scan to make sure her tonsils were okay, then when the results came back negative, she was discharged. It all happened very quickly; when I left at 9:30 we were waiting for the results of the scan, and by noon she and Emil were having lunch out by Lake Lansing. It was wonderful to see her feeling so much better.

The weekend is shaping up unexpextedly pleasantly, considering that I was supposed to be on Mackinac today. Last January, as soon as it was possible to do so, I made reservations for this weekend at the Windermere Hotel. The idea was, no matter how busy and bereft of vacations the summer was, I'd have that weekend to look forward to. Brenda suggested it, saying that if it turned out that Emil didn't want to go, she'd be happy to go with me again. And by and large, that worked; I was definitely consoled by thinking that on my birthday, I'd be sitting on the porch at the Windermere, reading or knitting and looking at the bridge. (I have wanted to do that since I was about twenty years old.)

But as my birthday came closer, it began to seem like less and less a good idea. Until Emil got his job, it seemed like completely unjustified extravagance, given our finances. When he got his job, it started to seem within the realm of possibility, but still not a very good idea. And truth to tell, I didn't much feel like taking a weekend away; the majority of our weekends lately have been spent with one or the other or both of us in Ann Arbor for at least one day, so I haven't exactly felt the need to drive a lot. And I'm working very hard to keep up this semester after a fairly unprepared start, so taking time off now felt like shifting work from one day to the next, not like a vacation at all. And I really didn't want to be away from my family on my birthday this year. But I knew Brenda was looking forward to going, so I didn't back out.

But as last week wore on, it became more and more apparent that the trip probably wasn't going to happen. I didn't make that decision until Thursday night when I called Brenda. I didn't call the hotel then, so when Em was released from the hospital, I made a last-ditch effort to get up there - but Brenda had made other plans by then, and Louise wasn't available, and I wasn't going to go alone . . . Nothing worked out.

So instead of being on Mackinac, I'm home relaxing, which is much better. Last night, David came up to see Emma, and I made them dinner: Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, at Emma's request. Emma kept raving about the potatoes (but of course, after the hospital potatoes, that's not much of a trick), and David ate half the meatloaf all by himself. I was gratified. I think I like nothing better than watching people eat with enjoyment the food I've prepared. (Why I love Thanksgiving,)

And this morning I'm looking out the window of the Mackinac room at the stunning blue sky, listening to WLNZ and working a bit. In a little while, Emil and I are going to go to Sleepy Hollow for a walk in the woods - one of my favorite birthday activities. We've got a DVD I really want to see this evening, and I'm told there's a present lurking somewhere. Tomorrow afternoon there's a PALM meeting. And the work for my classes seems manageable again. And it dawns on me that although I didn't get the weekend in the rocker on the porch at the Windermere, I did get the promise of that weekend, which really did cheer me up this summer when I didn't even get as far as Fuller pool . . . and Brenda and I have decided to continue to go to Mackinac, but instead of going in the fall, to go in May right after we both finish teaching. That'll feel more like a vacation anyway (and now I have a May trip to look forward to).

All in all, this whole episode has been a vivid and welcome reminder (especially after the events of the past several months) that when life hands you something you don't expect, it's not always awful. Sometimes it turns out actually to be better than what you wanted . . . and that's a nice birthday present, too.

Off to go walk in the woods. Happy day, everyone.