April 2, 2014

Things We Want to Hear; 

Things We Don't Want to Hear

April 2, 2014

Do you have a favorite sound?  For me it might be the laughter of my sons around the dining table.  Is there a sound you don't want to hear?  For many it is "fingernails on a chalk board."  Now with Dry Marker boards, the younger generation may not know what that sound is. 

I have often been a "news junkie", watching the news for hours at a time.  Tonight as the news is on about the shootings at Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas, this news story is something I don't like hearing, and yet I am drawn to it, looking for explanations.  It is so hard to understand someone doing something like that.  My prayers tonight are for the wounded, the families of those who died or or wounded, and even for the family of the shooter.  I have always believed that no mother looks at her new born baby and thinks, "I think I will raise a murdered."  That is not in a mother's heart.  Some mother's heart has to be breaking tonight as she learns what her son has done.

My day has already been long.  I woke at 5:15 and pretty quickly realized I was not sleepy enough to go back to sleep.  I was out of excuses.  I needed to get up and go to the gym and do some exercise.  So I got ready and went to the gym for the first time in over a year.  I stopped going when I went deaf.  I didn't know if I would be comfortable there without being able to hear.  Then my broken elbow kept me away and the second elbow surgery extended the absence.  Today I went.  I spent time on the elliptical thing.  (What is it - elliptical what?)  Then I did three other machines, two of them to work on my weak arm.  I only stayed about 35 minutes, but that was a good start.  I hope I will keep it up for now.

I went to Walgreen's on the way home and got milk so I could have cereal for breakfast.  Then at home I made Ron's coffee and woke him up before I headed to the shower.  Later at the office I continued with bookkeeping chores.  I got the statements in the mail and recorded checks in the computer checkbook.  Ron was in much of the day, but was out on a couple of jobs.

Late in the afternoon he offered to let me leave if I would take a payment by the insurance office for him.  I had already planned to take a Discover payment by Sears and to go to Staples to get ink cartridges for the printers, so I accepted his offer.  I was able to visit with a couple of friends at the insurance office.  Oh, I had another customer today with a lot of questions about my Cochlear Implant.  The man said Ron had told him about it and he had some questions.  I am always glad to share information with others in hopes that they can pass it on to someone who needs it.

Once home, I fixed supper and ate while I watched the information about the shootings at Ft. Hood.  I have a good friend in Killeen.  Her husband is retired military and spent many years on that base.  Praying for the entire community.

Even the tree ducks had their feathers ruffled by the high winds.

My daughter-in-law, Vickey called and we had a nice visit.  She is feeling better finally after a long bout with bronchitis recently.  We had strong winds here all day stirring up the dust and leaving me coughing frequently.  Many in town are suffering from the winds today.