My Dad fell on Thursday, cutting his head and losing quite a bit of blood. He was mad that EMS took him to the hospital, and even madder when a CT scan showed a bruise on his brain. It was everything my Mom and I could do to persuade him that he needed to stay in the hospital overnight. Once he submitted to being admitted, he became very lethargic and slept most of the day.

Today we took him home. He is much improved over yesterday, though in a way the improvement makes me sadder. His mind is going 90 miles an hour. He has all sorts of things that he wants to tell us. But his speech is labored and slow. He can't get the words to come out right, and it frustrates him terribly. His legs are very weak. He was so chipper in the car on the long drive home, that Mom and I both thought he'd be able to get in the house with a walker. He could not. Fortunately one of their neighbors, a strong young man, came to our aid.

I'll be with my parents for at least a week. That means I'll be separated from my husband and children. We all agreed that it would be best for them to follow through with the Christmas plans we had already made. I know it's the right decision, but I do miss them, especially at this time of year, and especially when my Dad is struggling so.

I knew I would need a beneficial lunch, so I rummaged through the refrigerator looking for stuff I could quickly throw into a bowl and take with me. I found steamed broccoli and ground turkey. I chopped the broccoli and tossed it with the turkey in olive oil. I also found a sweet potato. It was cooked really soft. I pealed it, mashed it, and put it in with the broccoli and turkey. It looked totally disgusting, but surprisingly it tasted good. The potato and oil sort of formed a sweet creamy dressing for the broccoli and turkey. I doubt this combination will ever turn up on a menu in a gourmet restaurant, but if you're in a hurry for something beneficial, you might like it.