If you and I are connected on Facebook you know I’m recovering from hip replacement surgery. My progress is much, much slower than I anticipated. I seriously thought I would be up and moving around normally within a week. I even had a book signing event at the Paul Sawyer Public Library for day 10 after surgery – which I had to cancel. The fact that I’m not dancing up and down the stairs yet is really, really disheartening. Plus I’m struggling to meet a book deadline that is looking less and less likely and I don’t miss deadlines.

Not to mention the fact that I. Am. So. Tired. Of. Pain.

So yesterday I was sitting out on my back deck feeling sorry for myself. Movement caught my eye. I looked up and saw a stream of bubbles floating on the breeze toward me. Bubbles! Max caught sight of them and ran to the railing, barking like crazy. Yeah, that’s nothing new (he barks a lot) but his bark sounded so happy. I don’t think he’s ever seen bubbles.

I found the source two houses down. There was a young girl outside by herself. I watched as she dipped a large wand into her container, held it at arm’s length, and then spun around like an ice skater. Bubbles flew from her wand, about a gazillion of them from the looks of things. A light breeze caught a few and blew them toward me and Max.

The sight of those pearly spheres dancing in the air and shimmering in the sunshine, and the sound of Max’s playful yipping, and the sight of the little girl spinning with abandon – how could I not feel better?