Tree Lover
This is where Lily has taken to doing her homework.

Really, can you blame her? This summer she turned into an uber-outdoors enthusiast. She's going to grow up and be a vegetarian, veterinarian, octogenarian tree hugger. She'd much rather be outside than anywhere else. She'll go out and sit on the rocks, or climb a tree and write in her journal or do her homework. Any time I can't fine her, I just go outside and call her name and she responds from somewhere in the woods.

I love her.

My knee surgery was yesterday and it went well. I didn't do very well in recovery because of the anesthesia. I hope I don't have to have any kind of surgery ever again. Ugh. It was awful. But my knee feels better now than it did before surgery. I had a decent sized tear in my left meniscus and the cartilage had rolled back on itself, which meant that my knee hurt all the time and I couldn't really walk faster than an easy stroll. I miss exercising and running a lot, but this will still be a long recovery. I really wanted the  surgery done asap because when we go to London we will probably be walking about 10 miles a day. After a couple of months of rest and light activity, I can start to get moving again. I am grateful for doctors and surgery and I'm grateful to live in a country where I have access to health care. Not everyone on the planet can say that.

Books we've been reading: Benjamin Franklin. Carver especially loved reading this one. You'd be surprised how many things Franklin invented and how he pursued education and writing to better himself. He was amazing. I'm not a big history buff, but this book was a winner!