Dodging all sickness this year has not been possible. I've finally succumbed. Last Wednesday I came home from work with body aches, chills and a sore throat. Despite dressing warmly, wrapping up in a fuzzy blanket and being in a house warmed to 74 degrees, I was chilled to the bone for 36 hours. After that passed, I returned to work on Friday. I was tired on Saturday but managed to entertain friends for dinner, but Sunday was a different story. My sinuses were invaded by something that created post-nasal drip, causing a cough which kept me awake in the morning hours. I'm sure my husband got tired of hearing me cough and expel phlegm in the moring when I got up. Yesterday morning I woke to my eyelids being crusty and yucky, and my eyes looked like I'd been on an all-night drinking binge.
I broke down today and called my doctor and was able to get in to see her on short notice. Sinus infection, pure and simple. My voice is shot (I sound like a croaking frog), my eyes are still bloodshot (and I don't even drink - except an occasional glass of wine), and my head feels like it's going to explode when I cough. Bending over brings an acute stab of pain shooting through my head, so I'm avoiding it. No yoga class for me tonight! I'm sitting in the recliner and watching television as the little gremlins move things around in my sinus cavities. Once the antibiotic kicks in, I hope things will settle down and I can move without feeling like someone is driving a spike into my eyes. They say misery loves company, but I really don't want to see anyone or do anything. I just want the little gremlins in my head to leave.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
St. Patrick's Day and One Year Ago
A year ago today, my husband, Bob, suffered a heart attack while driving his van. It seems like yesterday that it happened on the one hand, yet it seems so long ago on the other. After having 4 stents inserted to clear 3 blockages in his heart, he recovered and is doing fine, well enough, in fact, to walk about 2.5 miles in the woods a week and a half ago. The entire episode is documented in previous postings on this blog.
We celebrate life, even as we mourn the loss of my son-in-law's father, Al. Joan, his wife, is staying here with her son. The funeral won't be until the first weekend in April due to the busy Easter season and the fact that Al wanted a military funeral with a 21-gun salute to honor his days in the US Navy.
I saw Joan Sunday afternoon at an Irish pub in downtown Durham. We had gone there, along with the rest of my family to see my granddaughter dance with her Irish dance group. Cami has taken Irish dancing lessons for a little over a year, and she's quite good! Since it was St. Patrick's Day, the pub was having outdoor activities all afternoon, and Cami's school was scheduled to dance. The day before, when Raleigh held its St. Patrick's Day parade, the sun was out and the temperatures had soared to 79 degrees, drawing thousands to the parade. Cami's group walked in that parade, and all of our grandkids were on the sidelines taking in the sights. But Sunday was a different story weatherwise. It was cloudy, drizzling, and cold! The temperature topped out at about 55 degrees in the morning and dropped further during the afternoon. I think it was about 51 degrees when we went to the outdoor venue. All of the dancers were required to wear their dance school T-shirts and shorts! Joan and I were sitting in chairs wearing warm coats, hoods, and blankets over our legs, and poor tiny Cami was dancing on stage with shorts and a T-shirt. Needless to say, they moved things right along to try to keep the kids warm, but Cami was still freezing (picture shows Cami dancing with the teenage girls!). It was a quick exit to our cars when the dancing was over.
Joan was glad to see Cami dance as she'd never had the opportunity. Al's illness had kept them in Chicago for almost 2 years. Joan said she had been in mourning for that long and now wanted to get on living. I'm glad she's going to be moving here permanently.
We thank God for life, and I pray that I can live it to the fullest.
We celebrate life, even as we mourn the loss of my son-in-law's father, Al. Joan, his wife, is staying here with her son. The funeral won't be until the first weekend in April due to the busy Easter season and the fact that Al wanted a military funeral with a 21-gun salute to honor his days in the US Navy.
I saw Joan Sunday afternoon at an Irish pub in downtown Durham. We had gone there, along with the rest of my family to see my granddaughter dance with her Irish dance group. Cami has taken Irish dancing lessons for a little over a year, and she's quite good! Since it was St. Patrick's Day, the pub was having outdoor activities all afternoon, and Cami's school was scheduled to dance. The day before, when Raleigh held its St. Patrick's Day parade, the sun was out and the temperatures had soared to 79 degrees, drawing thousands to the parade. Cami's group walked in that parade, and all of our grandkids were on the sidelines taking in the sights. But Sunday was a different story weatherwise. It was cloudy, drizzling, and cold! The temperature topped out at about 55 degrees in the morning and dropped further during the afternoon. I think it was about 51 degrees when we went to the outdoor venue. All of the dancers were required to wear their dance school T-shirts and shorts! Joan and I were sitting in chairs wearing warm coats, hoods, and blankets over our legs, and poor tiny Cami was dancing on stage with shorts and a T-shirt. Needless to say, they moved things right along to try to keep the kids warm, but Cami was still freezing (picture shows Cami dancing with the teenage girls!). It was a quick exit to our cars when the dancing was over.
Joan was glad to see Cami dance as she'd never had the opportunity. Al's illness had kept them in Chicago for almost 2 years. Joan said she had been in mourning for that long and now wanted to get on living. I'm glad she's going to be moving here permanently.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Another Loss
My son-in-law's father passed away today at the age of 74 after suffering with congestive heart failure for18 months, the last of which confined him to bed and affected him mentally. I hadn't seen him since his last visit to North Carolina, and right now I can't honestly remember if it was before he was diagnosed or shortly after. He was the other grandfather of my daughter's children, father to my son-in-law and his brother, husband to Joan, uncle, friend, and U.S. military veteran.
Seemingly, loss through death has visited my daughter's family recently. Several of her friends have lost loved ones, causing Dori to feel and share their grief, then my mother-in-law passed away, and now her father-in-law. Dying is the final act of the living, but it leaves loved ones bereft and causes a hole that can't easily be filled.
Al's death was expected, even hoped for, as his health declined and his ability to reason and function diminished. His wife, Joan, had stood by his side and been a faithful caregiver much to the detriment of her own health, but that's the proof of a selfless loving soul. I spoke with her this afternoon and know she's in a fog, aware her husband's suffering has ended and but now faced with the reality of life without him. Not having to care for him will be huge adjustment as she has devoted the last year to doing so, seeing to his every need, taking him to doctors' appointments, picking him up off the floor, and often calling an ambulance to transport him to the hospital. Life will be so very different for her now. My prayer is that she can find joy in her 4 grandchildren and resume living life as it's meant to be lived.
Even as I mourn Al's passing, I'm keenly aware of my own mortality, which reminds me to love every day I have and to love my husband and family more than ever. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Even though we may not be suffering from a fatal illness, we only have the now, the moment. God, in his great goodness, never tells us when we'll breathe our last breath. Al knew he was dying but didn't know it would be today.
As Catholics around the world rejoiced at the naming of a new pope, Al slid into the presence of God today, 3/13/13, exactly 11 weeks since the passing of my mother-in-law. I still need to have a good cry. He will be missed.
Seemingly, loss through death has visited my daughter's family recently. Several of her friends have lost loved ones, causing Dori to feel and share their grief, then my mother-in-law passed away, and now her father-in-law. Dying is the final act of the living, but it leaves loved ones bereft and causes a hole that can't easily be filled.
Al's death was expected, even hoped for, as his health declined and his ability to reason and function diminished. His wife, Joan, had stood by his side and been a faithful caregiver much to the detriment of her own health, but that's the proof of a selfless loving soul. I spoke with her this afternoon and know she's in a fog, aware her husband's suffering has ended and but now faced with the reality of life without him. Not having to care for him will be huge adjustment as she has devoted the last year to doing so, seeing to his every need, taking him to doctors' appointments, picking him up off the floor, and often calling an ambulance to transport him to the hospital. Life will be so very different for her now. My prayer is that she can find joy in her 4 grandchildren and resume living life as it's meant to be lived.
Even as I mourn Al's passing, I'm keenly aware of my own mortality, which reminds me to love every day I have and to love my husband and family more than ever. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Even though we may not be suffering from a fatal illness, we only have the now, the moment. God, in his great goodness, never tells us when we'll breathe our last breath. Al knew he was dying but didn't know it would be today.
As Catholics around the world rejoiced at the naming of a new pope, Al slid into the presence of God today, 3/13/13, exactly 11 weeks since the passing of my mother-in-law. I still need to have a good cry. He will be missed.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Mini Series - The Bible
We were some of the millions of people who watched the mini series, "The Bible," Sunday evening. With much anticipation we watched the Bible come to life, an undertaking which hadn't been approached for over 45 years by Hollywood or anyone in the movie industry in such a realistic production. But in some ways I was disappointed.
My disappointment arose from the brevity of the scenes and from the multiple interruptions by commercials. Having been raised in church and being familiar with Bible stories, I felt like so much was missing, and it was. (For example, the Bible says that when Moses led the Hebrew nation out of slavery in Egypt, there were 600,000 men, besides women and children. The group portrayed in the series was a fraction of that number.) However, cramming the entire Bible into about 8 hours of television (the series is running for a total of 10 hours, but I'm sure the commercials cut out at least 2 hours!) is a monumental task and one which dictated curtailing the stories. It's my understanding that the hope of Roma Downey and Mark Burkett is that people who aren't familiar with the Bible will actually pick it up and start reading it for themselves. Their intent is to whet the appetites of viewers and create in them a desire to read what they've been watching on the screen.
I applaud Roma and Mark for this huge undertaking and thank them for their faith and fortitude in completing this huge project. The cost must have been staggering, but as believers, they see that some things are worth the cost ten times over. And some things are priceless.
If you haven't yet tuned into "The Bible", please check it out this Sunday on the History channel, and then pick up a Bible. You won't be disappointed in either the series or the written Word - the Word of God.
My disappointment arose from the brevity of the scenes and from the multiple interruptions by commercials. Having been raised in church and being familiar with Bible stories, I felt like so much was missing, and it was. (For example, the Bible says that when Moses led the Hebrew nation out of slavery in Egypt, there were 600,000 men, besides women and children. The group portrayed in the series was a fraction of that number.) However, cramming the entire Bible into about 8 hours of television (the series is running for a total of 10 hours, but I'm sure the commercials cut out at least 2 hours!) is a monumental task and one which dictated curtailing the stories. It's my understanding that the hope of Roma Downey and Mark Burkett is that people who aren't familiar with the Bible will actually pick it up and start reading it for themselves. Their intent is to whet the appetites of viewers and create in them a desire to read what they've been watching on the screen.
I applaud Roma and Mark for this huge undertaking and thank them for their faith and fortitude in completing this huge project. The cost must have been staggering, but as believers, they see that some things are worth the cost ten times over. And some things are priceless.
If you haven't yet tuned into "The Bible", please check it out this Sunday on the History channel, and then pick up a Bible. You won't be disappointed in either the series or the written Word - the Word of God.
Passing on Opportunity
The title of this post may sound like I'm passing up an opportunity that was a good fit, but I'm not. During the meeting I had Monday afternoon for something that I'd really like to do, I discovered that it wasn't for me. The schedule would be more than I could keep up with at this point in my life. It also required a degree which I don't have, and the job pays a lot less than I make now, the difference being more than we could absorb.
When I went into the meeting, I was at peace with what God had for my life. I'm trusting that He has the right person for the job and that He will bring something else my way to satisfy my desire to "make a difference." So I'm continuing the countdown to retirement even as I keep my heart open for God's will for my life and any new direction He brings my way. Several volunteering possibilities have my interest, and I'm going to check those out.
Remembering that Grandma Moses, the artist, didn't start painting until she was into her 70's (I think), I trust that God knows what He's doing in my life.
When I went into the meeting, I was at peace with what God had for my life. I'm trusting that He has the right person for the job and that He will bring something else my way to satisfy my desire to "make a difference." So I'm continuing the countdown to retirement even as I keep my heart open for God's will for my life and any new direction He brings my way. Several volunteering possibilities have my interest, and I'm going to check those out.
Remembering that Grandma Moses, the artist, didn't start painting until she was into her 70's (I think), I trust that God knows what He's doing in my life.
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