There is Life After the Flu!

The beast has been vanquished! At least mostly. The last half of the week has definitely been better than the first.

I woke up Thurs morning with this overwhelming desire to clean my house.
Noooo, the fever had not escalated. I was actually feeling MUCH better. I washed dishes and clothes and tidied like a mad woman. DD4 kept telling me not to over do because even though I didn't feel tired it would come back to bite me on Friday if I wasn't careful. She was speaking from the experience of paying on Thurs for her own bit of energy on Wed. Fortunately she was only partly right.

Friday was a bit of a slowed down day but not a major setback. I managed to go into town to pay a bill and pick up a few groceries and ... that was it. Done for the day. But at least I got a little done before I collapsed.

Today I managed to make it to the program rehearsal at church. It was easy for me since all I do is sit and listen. Seriously, I am the official listener. I have the best job in the church! And because the program is tomorrow, this served as our sound check so we only have one song to go over at 8:45 tomorrow morning. Sweet!

The rest of the day was a serious do-nothing day. Well, except for the usual hack and blow and sound like a frog stuff, but, hey, it's still better than the laryngitis I've had all week. Anyway, the flu is on its way out of town and not a moment too soon, either.

Many thanks to all those who have been praying for us. God is answering. I just LOVE when He does that!

The Warmed Over Mack Truck Cat

Run over by a Mack truck
Death warmed over
Something the cat dragged in

These are all expressions that my grandmother would use when describing how she felt when ill. You can pick any one of them or, shoot, go ahead and pick two, and you would have a pretty good idea of what the flu is doing to me.
These are the highlights of my week.

SUNDAY
Woke up with a sore throat and took my usual arsenal to combat viruses. The same stuff that NORMALLY would have kicked any germs to the curb and allowed me to continue my life. Two hours later I was worse instead of better and proceeded to spend the better part of the day sacked out sawing Z's.

MONDAY
Took a pain inventory and found that the list of what didn't hurt was shorter than what did: my fingernails, toenails and one small spot in the center of my right eyebrow. (Now, I can exaggerate with the best of them, I am a Southern girl after all, but this time, I wish.) Pushed fluids, expanded my arsenal and moved very little- except to the couch, my new bed. Beloved has work for the rest of the month- PRAISE THE LORD!!- so I REALLY don't want him to get this. (That sounds rather mercenary, huh? Not what I meant- I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy or his mean ole dog and especially not on Beloved!)

TUESDAY
Headline news for the day:
HIDDEN JEWEL TAKES A BATH AND WASHES DIRTY HAIR!
Yes, folks, you heard it here first! A feat of amazing skill and derring-do! One not to be repeated in the immediate future I assure you since it took almost all day to accomplish and the rest of the day to recuperate from.

WEDNESDAY
Ahh! Today has a list of accomplishments.
1) I got dressed. OK, it was after noon and only lasted about 2 hours, but still.
2) During that amazing window of opportunity I went to the bank- a half hour round trip.
3) When I returned home I collapsed in Beloved's recliner (where I had moved to at four this morning in an attempt to staunch the painful coughing) and managed to get a little nap.
Only problem is, I'm not used to sleeping sitting up or even reclining. so every time I would fall asleep my jaw would drop open and wake me up. Sheesh.


Lest you think that I'm just on a major whine here, let me tell you a little of what God has been doing.

Beloved has NOT gotten sick, even though he has been most attentive to his ickly, sickly wife and daughter. Oh, YES, DD4 came down with the SAME thing on Saturday. She keeps telling everyone that I taught her to share. Humph. I MEANT chocolate, silly.

Anyway, given that she had a day's head start and is almost 30 years younger, her recovery time has been swifter and some of her symptoms have been a little lighter. She has been a dear in ministering to her old mom, nagging, I mean reminding me to drink and take my supplements. She's also had more energy so she's been on Germ Patrol wiping out the enemy from wherever she thinks it may be lurking.

A dear friend went to the store for us on Monday and picked up some essential sick food, a cute card, and lovely flowers. Then she sent supper on Tuesday night. What a dear heart! She does have competition though. Two other friends contacted us and offered to make a store run. Even though their schedules were jam packed and one of them was recovering from illness as well. A third friend, whom we shall call the Grape Juice Bunny, left a jug of juice by our front door. And my precious medical friend took time out of her very busy schedule to answer my questions and offer advice that could speed up our healing.

Above all I have been covered in prayer by our precious friends and church family, many of whom are fighting similar bugs themselves.

So, in spite of feeling like a warmed over, dragged in cat that has been run over by a Mack truck, I am also feeling immensely loved and cared for.
Only God could do that.

Music Memories and a Red Velvet Hug

Today was a busy, blessed day. We had a special Thanksgiving service at our church today. The children sang, our Ladies Worship Team sang and I sang. And the roof did not fall in. Amazing.

I sang a song with the Worship Team called "How Great Is Our God". After I sat down I thought how much my voice has changed over the years. When I was in chorus in school I sang either 1st or 2nd soprano, depending on where the director needed more voices for a particular song. Today I sang on the alto side. Not truly alto, more like melody an octave lower with a few harmony notes thrown in for good measure. Kind of "also".
That thought reminded me of my dad. His standard joke was that he sang "solo"- "so low" you couldn't hear him. He was a funny guy but he was right about his singing ability. He couldn't carry a tune in a bucket with the lid nailed shut. It didn't stop him from singing, though. He just made up his own tunes. And his own words. Different every time. He was a funny guy.

After the service we had a potluck fellowship dinner. Lots of food, a chance to visit with friends, some old & some new. And dessert, where God reminded me that He knows me personally and cares about the small things in our lives.
I posted yesterday that it was my mom's birthday. What I didn't mention was that I considered making one of her favorite cakes for thanksgiving but decided not to due to time constraints this week. (the "how many people do you think you are?" consideration) Mom had two favorite cake flavors- carrot and red velvet. Since carrot is also my favorite we usually have it for my birthday, so I thought about making a red velvet cake in honor of her birthday. When I went to the dessert table today, there was a beautiful red velvet cake. What a delicious reminder of God's love & care even in the small things. It felt like a warm hug.

How great is our God.

Food and Memories

Whole Wheat Bread
Cranberry Salad
Sour Cream Cornbread
Tuna Pie
Chocolate Butterscotch Cookies
1 load of laundry
2 dishwasher loads of dishes

This is what I did today.
I would post a picture of my feet but they have gone into hiding.

It was a good day, though. I love it when I feel like I have actually accomplished something at the end of the day. I also love how cooking gives me "thinking time". Today I thought about my mother. She would have been 77 today.

What was really nice is that today, her birthday, wasn't a sad day. I didn't cry or really "miss" her. I just thought about her, and reflected on our relationship. It would be lovely if we had had the kind of relationship that brought warm, fuzzy memories, but we didn't. We loved each other but we didn't really understand each other. Due to several factors, misunderstanding being one, we didn't get along exceptionally well. I didn't grow up enough to truly appreciate her until long after she was gone. Unfortunately, youth was not an available excuse, (I was in my 30's, married with children) I was simply immature (and selfish) when it came to relationships. Not that I am really good at them now, just improved. My children have taught me a lot.
But today was not even about looking back with regret. It was just about simple memories drifting through my mind- mostly about food. As I looked through my favorite recipe book I noted several of her recipes, handed down one at a time, usually through a phone call that started with, "Mom, how do you make... ". There were some things that she never got the hang of cooking well- steaks were an endangered species in her kitchen (I gave up in them years ago- I hated spending all that money to end up with unchewable blackened beef jerky). But nobody could hold a candle to her fried chicken (except maybe Grandma) and her banana pudding (even Grandma).
I know enough today to be grateful for my mom, for the things that that she taught me and the things that she passed on to me. This Thanksgiving we'll be gathering with my siblings and their families and I'll make potato salad to contribute to the feast. Just like Mom taught me.

Which Way Do I Go?

I have been wrestling with some decisions over the last couple of weeks that have come to a head the last few days.

Some decisions are pretty easy- to eat or not to eat? Eating almost always wins and without a lot of angst-filled thought. Some are harder- to get out of bed or to go back to sleep? This one could use a pro/con list but usually the 'get out of bed' comes out the winner... at least eventually.

It is the really hard decisions- you know, the ones that could change the course of your life- that leave me slightly dazed. While I'm constantly praying for God's will and direction in my life, sometimes (often during decision making prayers) He becomes curiously silent. And so I wait.

I'm not a fan of waiting.


Waiting on direction from the Lord is a lot like a plane circling the airport in a holding pattern. You may be moving but you aren't going anywhere. You aren't where you started out but you aren't where you are going either. And being anything but patient and pleasant is simply a waste of time and energy.

I've found that the problem is usually not so much that God isn't ready to talk but that I'm not ready to listen. And usually I'm not ready to listen because I really only want to hear one answer. And that usually isn't the one that He has for me. So even if He tries to speak to me and clearly says "The answer is blue", my mind tries to rearrange (twist?) the answer so that I reply, "Green, right, the answer is green".

No wonder God is silent.

Pickin Em Up and Puttin Em Down

I walked again this morning and can now in good conscience post this photo of me walking. It's one thing to take a photo of what I would look like walking and quite another to actually do it. Just ask my feet!

Provoked to Good Works

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Hebrews 10:24

I've been thinking about this verse a lot since our pastor read it on Wed night. And I've been provoked a lot this week, too. To good works. I love it when I get to watch the Word in action- in my own life! A beautiful and much rarer thing than I would like.

Provocation 1- This Blog

I love to read blogs but I have been rather negligent in posting to my own. I have several blogs that I follow and have found it a bit disappointing when I visit and it's the same post that I read yesterday- and the day before- and the week before- and the month before... you get the idea. Anyway, it occurred to me that that is exactly what my friends and family have been experiencing when they have visited my blog for the last months. So, I have been provoked to the good work of posting to my blog at least weekly and more often if at all possible.

Provocation 2- Walking

It has been brought ot my attention (again) that my health issues have a better chance of being resolved in a favorable manner if I will simply exercise on a REGULAR basis. So, I have actually donned my tennies and walked three- count them- THREE times this week. Twice outside and once inside to a walking tape. In this I have definitely been provoked but it is a good thing.

Provocation 3- Work

I interviewed for a job this week. The reviews on how it went are mixed. Right now I am in a waiting mode since the final decision won't be made for a week or two. In the process of the interview a number of questions were asked that have made me analyze my experience in the workforce and the things that I really enjoyed doing. I also was challenged to consider some skills that are not up to snuff. In the spirit of that provocation I am working on improving my typing skills. Whether I get this job or not the time saved in typing proficiency will be a blessing to me personally in the work that I do for our family and church.

Sometimes being provoked is a blessing. This week has been full of blessings for which I am most grateful.

Sole Journey- The Beginning

A while back I came across a photo blog/journal that really caught my eye. It was a young woman's chronicle of her weight loss journey. Every week she would post a photo of her progress in achieving a new body. I admired her courage, even when she began to regain the weight. (a concept that I could TOTALLY identify with!) Anyway, I tooled around and found other photo journals and thought, cool, maybe I should do something like this on my blog. Well, of course not the weight loss thing- get real! But maybe the photo journal thing. So, I started taking photos of different parts of my day- from a slightly different perspective. Now, I'm not likely to post daily (big surprise there) and maybe not even weekly (no small surprise there) but perhaps periodically.

So here is the beginning of my periodic photo journal of my life. A chance for you to follow in my footsteps, so to speak.

This is how I start my day- with prayer, Bible study and a green drink (affectionately known as Sludge or Swamp Water). Welcome to my world.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth in his way.

Psalm 37:23

What have you been doing... Part 2

These are for 2008.

The two June weddings were a week apart.

This was for a young couple who graduated high school two weeks before the wedding.

We helped them plan, set up & decorate for about 100 people.

The waterfall was fun & a big hit!

This wedding was for a young couple in their late 70's. We didn't have a plan, we just brought our stuff & helped the groom's daughter and grandaughter set up & decorate for about 40 people. It helped that we had just done this the week before!

What have you been doing all this time???

I've been trying to figure out just how I've spent the past 17 months and I found some pictures that show some of what I've been doing.

These are for 2007.

Helped set up & decorate for baby shower April 2007

Plan, set up, decorate and host bridal shower May 2007

Helped decorate for LoveBug Day at our church May 2007
(included making 15-20 large lovebugs and 10-12 large ladybugs)

Helped set up & decorate for wedding June 2007

(This one was an interesting challenge as we had a large empty industrial building to turn into a wedding venue. It worked out surprisingly well. We just set up some specific focal points and ignored the rest. Besides, all eyes were on the bride & groom anyway :)

Planned decor, set up & decorated for wedding June 2007 (approx 200 people)

(Acted as stand in wedding coordinator the day of the wedding as the actual wedding coordinator - DD4 - was a bridesmaid. She's learning early that you just cannot be in two places at once.)

Helped plan decor, set up & decorate for 25th wedding anniversary July 2007

Helped plan, set up & decorate for wedding Oct 2007

Cyberamnesia and Turning Forty

So, only 17 months since my last post. I wish I could say that life has been so boring that there was nothing to write about. But you know better. And of course in and amongst the busyness I lost my password. And forgot my username. *sigh* Some things just never change.

(I guess you could say that I was suffering from Cyberamnesia.)

I've been reading some other blogs lately and was inspired to figure out who I was (again) and so have been restored to cyber health. In honor of one of my favorite inspirers I offer a belated 40th birthday post .



Welcome to the other side of the hill!

As you can see, it’s not as bad as all the hype may lead you to believe. I have found that while some things do decline – glasses are almost a given and gravity is NOT your friend – other things improve.

For instance, once I hit forty I made the executive decision that from then on I would choose what was fashionable for me – not the “fashion moguls”. I wanted to be comfortable and still look decidedly female, so I opted not to purchase any of the mud colored, ugly clothes in the stores. I also passed up purchases of the hooker-wear that is so thoughtfully provided in sizes from toddler to XXXXL. I refuse to wear a standard cut t-shirt, stiletto heels, advertising for designers or big name corporations and sleazy feeling fabrics. I love dresses, bright colors, ruffles, shirts that are long enough to cover my seat when I wear pants and silk. I figured I had lived in this body for forty years, I could wear what I like.

Another benefit to being forty was that I could choose what color I wanted for my hair. For the first half of the decade I opted for the natural look, flaunting my new silver tresses. In the second half I listened to the wishes of some family members and went dark, since forty is still so very young. I liked both looks but I kept finding that I liked the color of the roots better than the color from the bottle so now I’m going back natural- white in the front and silver streaked in the back. I figure hey, I’ve earned these puppies, why not let them shine! I can always add a colorful rinse if I’m in the mood.
Maybe I’ll try a flaming red.

The best thing for me about turning forty was that it gave me an excuse to let go of a lot of baggage from my “youth”. After all, I was a grown-up now and not the same person that I was in my teens, twenties or even early thirties. I could finally let go of a lot of old stuff and be the woman that God created me to be. I like her.

I enjoyed my forties. I loosened up, laughed more and stressed less. I tried to focus more on the truly important things and less on the transient stuff that I couldn’t change anyway. Now that I’m over fifty (hang on, the ride is a hoot!), I keep doing the same thing- letting go of the past (I can’t change it), letting go of stress (I'm not in control here so why waste my energies stressing?), laughing more (this is my favorite exercise!) and focusing on what is really important (when I leave this earth, what will I take with me and what kind of legacy will I leave behind?). Yeah, forty was great, but fifty?

Fifty ROCKS!

I hope you enjoy every minute of your forties! See you over the next hill!!