My hostess took us to Michigan for Thanksgiving. Your Alien Lizard Overlady here, reporting in.

My hostess is still convalescing. Friends drive her to the airport after she stays the night at their house. This is noble, because they are two hours from the airport. The usual would be to drop her at one of the ferries, but she decided that she really is not quite strong enough.

They called her. “Aren’t we driving you?”

“I thought I’d get a park and fly. I’m not that strong yet and taking my stuff on the ferry, up the hill, on to the light rail and then a hotel, well.”

“We will drive you all the way.”

“No, it’s an early flight.”

“We will drive you.”

“But it’s 6 am, so I have to be there at 4.”

“Okay, we leave at 2.”

Wow. She has some really nice friends. The folks at the other end pick us up in Detroit and it’s an hour’s drive to the town. Two houses, her old friend and the old friends son, daughter in law and three children. No internets at the old friend’s, who is twenty years older than her and sharp as a tack. Lives independently and all of that.

We are interacting with everyone. She has to wander over to the other house to use her laptop, so that happens at least once a day. Everyone eats together mostly, so seven. The kids are schlepped by car to swimming practice and bowling practice. My hostess bowls with two of the kids once. Her back immediately protests both twisting and weight. She slows way down after guttering the first three balls and then rolls a 9 mph strike. She plays one game. Her muscles bitch us out in the morning, stiff and sore. The fast twitch ones have been paralyzed for 8 months, since March, so they are grumpy and the slow twitch are damn grumpy from attempting to do double duty. She is taking naps and sleeping 7-8 hours a night. Eating has stabilized, she is much hungrier. She has not quit coffee again yet. Minimal alcohol 0-1/2 of a 5.5% beer. Still can’t eat gluten. They are trying various gluten free things, a gluten free pumpkin cake which was actually good. Dehydrated pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin in the frosting would make it even better.

We had a second hand store trip. We are sewing together wool fingerless gloves that are quite gorgeous. Lots of talking and lots of food. My hostess has her appetite back with her muscles, most of the time.

Convalescence is going well, thanks to my hostess’s friends and family.