[Editor's note: Many of you know that Johanna Fabke, a driving force behind the Gandy Dancer Festival, was unable to attend this year's event due to an illness. She recently wrote us this note to keep her many well-wishers up to speed.]

Greetings to all.

I’ve been home from the hospital for about a month and am doing pretty well, all things considered.  Stoughton Home Health is providing support services, but I’m able to manage most basic household tasks on my own.  Double vision persists, however, so I can’t drive.  My doctors have said that my general recovery is going well enough that there is still some hope that the double vision will resolve in the months ahead.

My first venture away from home for something other than a medical appointment was to hear Bill and Bobbie Malone at the Roxbury Tavern with my son, John, and  Dave, the bass player, backing them up.  Ruth Ellickson, an old friend who has been a wonderful volunteer at both Gandy Dancer Festivals, kindly drove me up to Roxbury.  The music was great and bratwurst never tasted so good!

Bill Malone mentioned from the stage that I was there - I’m told that he was similarly gracious in explaining my absence when he served as emcee at the festival.  During the intermission, a woman I did not know came over to the table where I was sitting and said, “Thank you for the Gandy Dancer Festival.  It was magical.”

I told her I wished I’d been there and thanked her for sharing her thoughts.  I’m delighted to pass this along and to have an opportunity to thank you all again for carrying on in such wonderful fashion after I got sick.