Decemer 7, 2013

Busy Day - What Did I Do?

December 7, 2013

Do you ever have one of those days where you are busy all day, but at the end of the day you aren't sure what you accomplished?  That is the kind of day I had today.  I know I did accomplish some things, but not nearly as many as I had hoped.  I did sleep later than usual - until 8:30!  Ron had let our house keeper in and she had cleaned my sewing room before I got up.  That was nice.  She always tries to dust when I am not in there so as to not bother my allergies.

I fixed hash brown potatoes for Ron and me for breakfast and we sat and chatted while we ate.  It was a relaxing start to the day.  I worked on the blog entry for yesterday that I had not finished last night.  Next I sewed a little, worked in the kitchen, and encouraged Ron to clean out a bathroom cabinet.  He did a great job!

My house keeper told me she is going to see her family for at least a week.  She will leave in a week.  I think everyone should be able to visit their family, just not when my family is coming!  Not really.  I am sorry she won't be here the Saturday before all my family arrives for Christmas, but I will manage.  It will be a challenge to meet Ron's mom's needs while the lady is gone, because she works for Ron's mom 4 hours every day.

Next I went to get my hair cut. When my hair dresser is cutting my hair, I have to take off my sound processor to the Cochlear Implant, so I sit there in silence.  It is strange to not converse with the hair dresser.  That is a female tradition.  I have always found it relaxing to have someone work on my hair, but I think a part of it is the soothing voice of the lady who is working to help me look my best.  I miss my conversations with her.  We chat for a minute before she starts and a minute before I leave, but it is not the same.

When I finished, I came home and sewed for a little longer.  The project I was working on was finally finished, but I had hoped to get several done today.  Things were all just taking much longer than necessary.  Mid afternoon I went to the grocery store.  It has been so cold yesterday and today, not as many people are out and about as normal.  The grocery store was not too crowded for a Saturday afternoon.  I got my groceries and as I checked out I asked that question I often ask people I don't know:  What do you do for fun when you aren't here at work?  The man behind the cash register (he was about 32 years old) smiled and said, "I hang out with my kids."  He went on to tell me how they play basketball together and just have fun.  He pointed to a store display with a small basketball hoop on a stand and said he has bought that for his 4 year old who loves to play with the basketball.  I told him the 2 most common answers I get from men when I ask that question are, playing with the kids and fishing.  I told him I was always so happy to hear a man say he loves to spend time with his children.  He was just beaming.  We continued to talk about the advantages for kids to play outside and to develop eye-hand coordination with activities like basketball.  This is the kind of conversation I have missed for several years.  I have just not tried to start conversations with strangers for fear of not being able to hear their answers.  I am so thankful for my Cochlear Implant.  It has not given me perfect hearing, but it has given me back parts of my life that were missing.

This morning Ron started feeling bad with a sore throat.  That has always been his weakness and it normally comes this time of the year.  He will feel terrible and will hibernate until he feels better.  That meant that when I arrived home with the groceries he was not available to help bring them in for me.  He had forgotten to pick up ice a few days ago so I had to go back out and get ice this evening.  So much for my plan to stay in and stay warm all day.  That made three trips out today.

A text showed up on my cell phone when I got back from getting the ice.  It was from my son David to tell me that his church Christmas musical would be on line tonight - live.  I had already missed the first 30 minutes and then the computer kept giving me problems.  I missed a little more.  It was beautifully done and would love to have seen and heard it in person, but not this year.  I started addressing Christmas cards, but didn't get very far.  I will probably do it at the office next week.  My daughter-in-law, Vickey, called and we talked until the battery in her phone died.  I answered a variety of emails, did some laundry, and did a little research on line.  I baked a cake for tomorrow.  Jeff's family is coming over for lunch to celebrate his birthday and their youngest child's birthday which were both while they were recently out of town.

Baking the birthday cake presented a problem that I overlooked.  I used two mixes in a large pan and got out the cake board to put the cake on and then realized I would not be able to turn it out on the board and Ron was sleeping, so this will be a birthday cake in a pan.  Not my usual style, but the rotation in my left wrist is just not good enough, nor is the arm strong enough to handle that task.  I will go frost and decorate it as soon as it is cool enough.  Maybe I should have just set it outside this evening to cool quickly.  

My elbow has hurt a lot today.  There were many times at the grocery store that I would pick something up and go to put in the basket and wince in pain as I did it.  In fact the grocery store clerk and I discussed it and he made the sacker re-sack some of the items so the bags would not be too heavy.  I really appreciated that. 

Before I close, the Christmas ornaments I am sharing tonight are special as usual.  The counted cross stitch ones are made by Ron's mom.  She has made us many and they are all wonderful.  The two gold ornaments are places Bob and Vickey have lived - Albuquerque and Boston.  We visited them in Boston and saw the Old North Church as depicted on the ornament and we hope to visit them in Albuquerque before too much longer.  I had better go frost the birthday cake.  Wish I could send you each a piece.

December 6, 2013

Noise and the Cochlear Implant

December 6, 2013

It happened again.  I was too tired to finish this post last night.  I feel asleep at the computer in the middle of the second paragraph.  Oops!  I will now finish what I started last night.

There are some days I hear better than other days.  Today (Friday) was a bad hearing day.  I have no idea why there is such a variation, but today, I had to ask people to repeat almost everything.  Our oldest grandson was at the office with us until 2:00.  He does tend to mumble a little, but today was bad.  We had a great visit; he just had to say everything twice.  The same thing with my husband; I had to have him repeat often.

The day was rather uneventful at the office.  I worked on a deposit, waited on some customers, ran off a stack of my Christmas cards, supervised as my two oldest grandsons got out the Christmas tree for the shop, set it up and decorated it.  Once the boys left, I went to the bank, did a little bookkeeping, and got ready to leave.

The two oldest of the grandchildren were going to a Boy Scout camp out for the weekend - in the COLD!  Jeff and Barbara were attending an awards ceremony for city employees where Jeff received his 15 year recognition plaque, so we were keeping the 5 youngest children.  They arrived full of energy and excitement.  They had not been at our house for a while and of course had not seen the Christmas tree.  The youngest ones had not seen the rotating Christmas tree.

They were delighted with the decorations and only the youngest felt a need to rearrange the ornaments.  She didn't have down the concept of "hanging" them.  She would remove one and then try to set it back on the tree, not understanding the need to hang it back on the tree.  She loved looking at all the different ones and in finding stuffed animals to "care for".  She is a dedicated little mother, caring for every doll and stuffed animal she can find.

When I fixed supper I was again faced with the limitations my arm presents.  I fixed macaroni and cheese as per their request, but when it was time to drain the macaroni, I realized I could not lift the pan safely and had to call on Ron for help.  Even pouring the cheese sauce over the macaroni was painful for the position my hand has to go in while holding the pan.  It was discouraging and that continued with a couple of other chores.  We had fun at the table, but the overwhelming chatter, giggles, and other sounds got to me after a while.  It was all a low rumble through the Cochlear Implant.  At one point I took it off for about 5 minutes and then returned to the sounds.  The sounds were all happy, fun things, but they were all at once.  That is hard on me.

After supper we made cookies.  I decided against the sugar cookies.  They were going to take too long.  Instead we did Spritz cookies.  Our oldest grand daughter helped me mix them up and decorate the first tray.  Then the next three of the kids helped with the second tray.  They were so good and so much neater than a year ago.

The cookies were beautiful and delicious.  We had cookies and milk and more giggles.  They love to bake cookies at Grandma's house!  And this Grandma loves to have them in the kitchen with me!

 The baking brought out another arm problem.  When I tried to take the cookies off the cookie sheet, rotating my wrist to hold the cookie sheet with my left hand was painful.  I told Ron that the two hobbies I enjoy most, quilting and baking, are difficult.  This is frustrating, but it doesn't keep me from doing them.

The children played in the toy room and in another room the older ones kept the baby out while they built with the Legos.  There were protests when it was time to go home and they managed to stall their parents for about an hour allowing Ron and I a chance to visit with Jeff and Barb.

The girls are always interested in what is going on in the quilt room and for the first time the baby really studied the fabrics in a quilt in progress on the design wall.  It was a great time with the grand children.  My frustrations with the arm and the hearing are just going to be a part of my life and I will have to learn how to compensate and work around my limitations.  Time with the grand kids reminds me why I will learn to adapt - to have fun!!

December 5, 2013

A Trip to the Doctor, Followed by 

a Successful Shopping Trip

December 5, 2013

This morning I took care of the ponds and bird feeders after I got the blog entry done for yesterday.  I was late doing it.  I explained that it had not gotten done because I was too tired the night before.  I think that is becoming a habit.  I am tired tonight, but I got a lot accomplished today.

At the office I made one adjustment to the design of my Christmas card and then started printing them, but didn't get very far. I will pick up where I left off tomorrow morning.  After my lunch, I left to go to Harlingen to see my thyroid doctor, Dr. Concha.  She is a beautiful, Oriental lady who is so gracious and kind. 

A few years ago, our church had a couple of times where they allowed a medical company to come and offer assorted medical screening tests for an affordable rate.  I had these done in 2010 and they showed a nodule on my thyroid.  When I took those results to my doctor he kind of scoffed at them asking what symptoms I had.  There were none, but he gave me a referral to a specialist.  He said he didn't like those type testing companies because they often alarmed people unnecessarily.  I obviously wasn't alarmed because I waited six months before I took it to him, since I suspected he would say to wait six months and then re-test.  He said, yes that is what he would have said.  He did admit he had two patients who are now alive because places like that detected serious problems where no symptoms showed up.  So, he had to admit they could be helpful if the patients don't over react when they get their results.  I didn't.

When I saw the specialist that first time, she kind of had the same attitude as my primary care physician, but after doing a sonogram 6 months after that initial one, she said she needed to do a biopsy.  All was fine and every year I go for a sonogram and blood tests and then see her for an exam.  Since 2010, there has been very little change except for a second nodule that showed up on the other side but is now gone.  I remain symptom free. 

I had the tests done a couple of weeks ago and went today for the exam with Dr. Concha, the specialist.  She said the blood work was fine and the thyroid was not causing any problems with the blood and can't be blamed for my weight.  The nodule on the right side is gone.  That was the good news.  The bad news is that the nodule on the left side has doubled in size this year, so she scheduled a biopsy for next Friday.  Then I go back a week after that for results.  Then we will be back on the every six months instead of the current every year schedule. 

Dr. Concha had not seen me in a year, so she didn't know about all I had been through this last year.  She, like several of my doctors, was not familiar with Sudden Hearing Loss.  She asked the question that everyone else does:  Why did it happen?  I should have told her it was my thyroid to see what she would say.  Not really.  She is way too nice to do that to her.  I am so thankful for her.  She is a blessing.  She loves the Lord and is a faithful prayer warrior.  I like to have praying doctors.  She agreed that 2013 had been a rough year for me.  I told Ron when I got home that I am so glad I trust in God to take care of me and am not superstitious or I might have refused the appointment she gave me for Friday the 13th of 2013!  She and I agreed that we want to get rid of all the bad stuff this year so next year will be smooth sailing.  I hope so!  I am ready for some smooth sailing.

She asked if I wanted her to explain the procedure and I said no, I knew about it since she had done it before on me.  She asked if I just didn't want to know or if I really remembered.  I told her I remembered and that she did such a good job, it is not scary.  She said I was really putting the pressure on her.  She has a very gentle touch and a calming way about her, but my blood pressure still goes up when I walk in the door to her office.  I mentioned that to another patient and she said she has the same problem.

After I left Dr. Concha's office, I started my Christmas shopping.  I have done very little Christmas shopping so far, so I was "on a mission" to get it done.  Well, not all of it, but I did make some excellent progress.  Six of the grand children are done except for one small item for the baby.  (This includes our honorary grand children, Diana's niece and nephew.)  I just have Jeff's two oldest and Diana's nephew to still do in that generation group.  I also got one of the adults done and have strong possibilities on several other adults.  I think I did five stores in Harlingen and two in Brownsville on my way home.  Five hours of shopping and few frustrations.  Crowds weren't bad.  I was surprised how much Hobby Lobby was already sold out of in the area of Christmas decorations, package decorations, etc. 

I made another phone call today!  I called my friend Pat (who knows everything you could need to ask because she works at the Tourist and Visitor Information Center).  She did know the answer to my question: "Is there a Michael's in Harlingen?"  The answer is, "NO".  Thank you, Pat.  She and her husband go all over the valley shopping so I knew she would know the answer even if she didn't work at the Information Center.  It is Pat and her husband who we usually go to supper with on Friday nights, but not tomorrow because we are going to babysit our 5 youngest grand children.  I think it is sugar cookie time!  That will work well since my house keeper comes on Saturday.  Lucky me!  She can get all the sticky finger prints off everything and the sticky spots off the kitchen floor after we decorate the cookies.

It was after 8:00 before I got home, but I was pleased with all that I had accomplished.  I could hear the doctor.  I heard when I was called in for my appointment (that is rare).  I could usually hear the clerks as they told me how much money I was spending.  I could hear the clerk at Chick-fil-A where I picked up my supper.  I am getting more confident when I am out shopping alone.  Ron may not think this is good.  My son, Bob called just a few minutes ago and I do have trouble understanding him on the phone.  I did hear him say they got several inches of snow today.  Burrrr.....  The front has not arrived here, but my aching elbow tells me it is not too far away.

December 4, 2013

Too Tired to Type

December 4, 2013

This is actually being typed Dec. 5, but it is yesterday's posting, so it carries yesterday's date.  Last night I was just too tired to type.  I am not sure why I was so tired, but I fell asleep in my recliner before 9:00 and woke up about 10:30 and moved to the bed.  Of course, then I was awake a little after 5:00 this morning.

Yesterday started with some sewing.  I worked on the binding for a quilt in progress.  I was clipping threads on the quilt last night when I fell asleep.  Ron had a job promised yesterday morning so I got to the office in time for him to keep his appointment. 

Most of our friends are delighted that I can hear better now than I could even before the Sudden Hearing Loss last January.  Our yardman came in to collect yesterday for the previous month and stayed to visit with me for a while.  He had a lot of questions about my Cochlear Implant.  He is deaf in one ear and felt that some day he might need to have the surgery some day.  He asked about the cost and things like that.  I did have to explain to him that at this time, he probably would not qualify for one because he can hear out of one ear.  To qualify for an implant, (at least under Medicare), your hearing in your "good" ear must be under 40% with a strong hearing aid.  I think his in his good ear is fairly good.  He is a very nice, Christian man, and we had a wonderful visit talking about God's timing and God's provision in my situation.  He is a blessing to us in his regular care of our front yard, but also a blessing when he comes in to collect.  Normally he has a long visit with Ron when he comes.

Sometimes, people wish you had not heard what they said.  Many of us have had the experience of having someone overhear something we said and we wish we hadn't said it or at least that they hadn't heard it.  I had a customer yesterday who probably wishes I had not heard what he said.  Normally when a customer leaves an item to be worked on, he is given a bright orange receipt to bring when he comes to get the item.  The number on his receipt matches the number on the tag we put on his item.  This particular customer arrived without his receipt yesterday.  I did have his name on the tag so I asked for his driver's license ID so I could match it up with the name on the tag.

The customer said he didn't have his license.  I took a guess and asked, "So you drove here, but you don't have your license?"  He said that was correct.  I took the item and put it back on the pickup counter and suggested he find some ID.  He said, "Well, I don't have a license."  This was different than what I had assumed - that he just forgot it.  So I asked, "You are driving without a license?"  He said, "Yes, for 8 years."  He said this softly, and in the past I would either not have heard it at all or thought I didn't hear correctly.  Now he had my full attention.  I said, "That is against the law.  Doesn't it bother you that you are breaking the law?"  He explained that they took his license away for DUI.   

At this point my blood pressure was rising.  And I again questioned him on the situation, asking why he has not gotten it back in 8 years and if I understood (at this point I didn't hear a couple of things), he had been stopped again by DPS and so he couldn't get it back.  He asked me to wait a minute and he went outside.  While he was gone, I asked God to help me.  I was so irritated, but I found it interesting he was telling me all of this - he could have lied in the first place and said he lost it.  He came back in with his father's wallet and license (his father was waiting in the car).  At his point, I smelled beer.  I started my lecture.  I told him that it was time to get legal.  I told him I suspected that he had not stopped drinking, (and he did not deny it).  In fact the whole time he never seemed upset at the things I was saying or defensive about his actions, only a little ashamed. 

For the next few minutes I told him that it was time to get right with the law and to get right with God.  I told him in this Christmas season every church was having special services where he could hear about God's plan for his life and could figure out how to change.  I said, "You and God need to get together and have a long talk.  He can help you."  He  told me he sometimes goes to "that church in San Juan" (a large Catholic church).  I told him he needed to do more than that, he needed to talk to someone and let God help him turn his life around.  My guess is this man was between 45 and 50 years of age.  As he edged toward the door, I called him back and gave him a calendar (our Christmas give away) and told him Merry Christmas and that I hoped in this Christmas time he would look for God to help him change.

I know all the things I should have said - a gospel presentation, etc.  I had felt time was very limited since his Dad was waiting in the car,  but he stayed far longer than I expected (3 - 5 minutes).  There are so many things I could have said or should have said.  We all have perfect "rear vision".  My prayer is that something I said, will wake him up and that God will send someone into his life to show him how to receive Christ as his personal Savior and that with God's help, he will be able to turn his life around.  He seemed amazingly responsive to what I said in that he didn't cuss me out and run out the door.  He seemed ashamed of his actions, but powerless to change.  May God use it as his wake up call, before he kills himself or others as he continues on the road he has been on - literally and figuratively.

The whole experience left me drained.  Mainly I kept thinking, what more could I and should I have said?  How could I have helped him more and condemned him less?  It is easier to condemn than to help.  I can only pray that he will search; that God will bring to his mind every time he passes a church, that he should go inside and seek help.  I also thought of all of us who drive every day, sharing the road with those who have been drinking and are not alert enough to be behind the wheel of a car.  I pray for revival to sweep our nation.  Only God can bring the major changes in the lives of individuals that must be brought in order to change destructive habits.  Maybe all that was a part of why I was so tired last night.  I was just completely drained. 

Ron had a young man who came in yesterday for some lock help and stayed for a long time to talk.  The young man said he had been in four years ago and that he had never forgotten the conversation he had with Ron at that time.  Ron has no recollection of him or the conversation.  We know that God has brought people in who need to talk and I just pray that the man I talked to, listened as well as this young man did. 

I got a few things done at the office, but nothing spectacular.  Oh, I guess I did.  I designed our Christmas card, so I think today I am ready to start running them off and I need to address envelopes.  Designing the card always takes a lot of time as I include family photos from throughout the year.  So much of my year has been focused on me and my medical needs, that it was good for me to go through the photos and see my grandchildren growing rapidly.  Last night Jeff sent me a photo of our youngest grand daughter standing in front of her second oldest brother.  He is going to be the tallest of the bunch.  In the photo, she is looking up at him from knee height and the contrast is breath taking.  What a treasure that family is not only to us, but also to others.  That sweet little grand daughter will spend her life looking up to her big brothers (all four of them) both literally and figuratively!  May God protect them all!

I did accomplish something else yesterday.  I placed a phone call.  Normally I have Ron make all my phone calls, but I decided to try.  I struggled and misunderstood a couple of things that were said, but I got it done.  I needed to call the doctor's office where I have an appointment today to see if they had received the blood work results and the sonogram (thyroid).  They had called a day or two ago to say they didn't have them.  Now they have them, so I will do that this afternoon.

After work I fixed supper and Ron and I sat down together and ate and talked.  We don't often sit down together, just the two of us.  I know that seems strange when it is just the two of us at home, but various activities keep it from happening often enough.  I spent a long time cleaning the kitchen after that and then as I said, I fell asleep in the recliner. 

December 3, 2013

Back to the Orthopedic Surgeon

December 3, 2013

There has been very little time to work on the Christmas tree today, but I thought I would insert some photos of some of the ornaments over the next few days.  These first two are part of a set we got just last year from our son Jeff and his wife, Barbara.  They are beautiful and are "The Reason for the Season."  Without Jesus Christ, there would be no Christmas.  I was so saddened to see a sign in front of a church today inviting people to their XMAS pageant.  As we sometimes say around here: They missed it by "this much".  But in this case, they missed by a whole lot: they missed the whole reason for the pageant and the season.  I was in heavy traffic and on the way to a doctor's appointment or I would have stopped for a photo.  I am hoping by the time I pass there tomorrow, they will have changed the sign.

This morning I had an appointment with Dr. Olson for a follow-up visit on my elbow surgeries.  I thought this would be the last visit, but he wants to see me again in 3 months.  He measured the extension of the arm and the rotation of my hand.  The rotation had improved by 16 degrees and that was good.  The extension had very little change.  He did not have an x-ray taken this morning, but had a variety of questions.

One of Dr. Olson's questions had to do with my quilting.  I told him that I cannot  do hand quilting at this point.  I tried to hand quilt a small wall hanging last week and just could not hold the left hand in the position I needed to in order to accomplish my task.  I don't do a lot of hand quilting - I just don't have the time or hand strength (even before the accident), but I want to be able to do it.   He said that it may take two years before I am content with where I am in improvements.

There are two areas on my arm that are "swollen" and I asked about them.  One is near the elbow and one at the wrist.   He said there would be some improvement, but that the main lump near the elbow will always be there.  He says it is mostly internal scar tissue.

Three weeks ago I had seen Dr. Olson and within a couple of days after that visit, I saw significant improvements in the arm strength, rotation, and general reduction of pain.  Time is the greatest healer.  I know that a lot of this will just take time.  It is a little under 3 months now since the second surgery.  I do believe that I will continue to see improvements.  Each day is a little better.  I know it will get better, but I still left his office feeling discouraged.  I will manage.  I will adjust.  I will keep pushing.  But I wanted to come away encouraged.

It took a long time at the doctor's office this morning.  It was after 10:00 before I made it to the office.  I stated working on some filing and then Ron headed out on several jobs so I did some cleaning while he was out.  Then it was on to the never-ending paperwork.  I did posting, paid a couple of bills, mailed a couple of notes, updated the checkbook in the computer and things like that.

When Ron got back he had a couple of safes to work on and made excellent progress on one.  The other I think he just started.  We chatted some about Christmas shopping: ideas, times to do it, what to get, etc.  All of these are things that are usually up to me to handle. 

I had a call from the thyroid doctor in Harlingen that I am to see this Thursday, for my yearly check-up.  I have to have various tests run before I see her and I had them done on the 21st.  They said they don't have any of the reports yet.  So I will check with them tomorrow and see if they found them.  The blood lab is across the hall from her office!  Walk across the hall and check!  Oh, my!  The sonogram is done in San Benito, so I can understand them maybe being missing that report.  I may have to go pick it up.  I think I had to do that one year.  I really like this doctor, but I have often felt that it is the receptionist you normally deal with the most.  You have to be able to get things done at that level.  The man in the lab is excellent at taking blood and I have not had a problem with him not getting the reports to the doctor in the past.

As I was heading out the door to come home at the end of the day, my mom arrived.  She was there to see how my back was doing - fine today - and to invite me to supper.  I had just turned down Ron's invitation to go with him to his mom's because my stomach was upset, so I turned her down, too.  I said I was heading home.  On the way home I decided I really had to go to the store for a few staples so I stopped and got what I had to have.  I came home and ate (shouldn't have) and have accomplished little else. 

My arm is sore this evening.  The wrist and the elbow ache.  I sometimes feel as if I am whining when I write these things in the blog, but I really want to be honest in sharing how things are going.  I could tell you that all is well and I feel great, but then if you ever have a friend with similar problems, you would wonder why they were having problems since I always said things were great.  At the doctor's office today, the x-ray technician asked what my pain level was on a scale of 1-10.  I told him a "one".  Right now a "two" would be closer.  Compared to where I have been, I am doing well, but there are still problems. 

The hearing went well today. (I just re-read that and it sounds like I went to court for a legal hearing.  Ha, ha.  No, I am talking about my ability to hear.)  A couple of times I went out into the showroom to ask Ron what a particular noise was.  Once he was tapping his foot.  The other was the click on the safe door he was repairing, as it would shut.  I could hear both in my office.  As I have said before, I don't know why it varies from day to day, but today was a good hearing day.  Well, except for the x-ray tech at the doctor's office.  He talks very fast, mumbles, and doesn't open his mouth when he talks.  I really have trouble hearing him.  He also words questions strangely so that it is hard for me to guess what he said.

Just a few words about the other ornaments in the photos.  The gingerbread man was made for us by my sister Debbie about 35-40 years ago.  The next four hand painted ornaments are ones I did over 40 years ago.  The following two (the butterfly and the angel) were gifts from our son Bob and his wife Vickey.  The one that says "JOY" was a gift from our church choir.  The last few years they have given out ornaments to all of those who attended the Christmas musical at the church.  The last  one Ron bought on his trip to Israel 20 years ago.  My parents gave him the trip as a gift for his 50th birthday.  Almost all the ornaments on our tree have special meanings to us and hold precious memories.

December 2, 2013

A Productive Monday

December 2, 2013

Monday may not be any one's favorite day of the week, but I had a very good Monday.  Nothing spectacular happened, but I got a lot done and I felt good - except for a lot of sneezes.  I am not sure why, but Ron and I have both been sneezing a lot the last few days.  For  me, that is not unusual, but for him it is. 

This morning I got several things done before I left for the office like unloading the dishwasher, taking care of the ponds and bird feeders, and spending about 30 minutes working on the Christmas tree.  I put in more time on the Christmas tree this evening and it is taking shape.  I still have lots of ornaments, but I am running out of room for them on the tree. 

I think I mentioned that our Christmas tree rotates.  I tried to post a video of it in motion, but the blog couldn't handle such a large file.  I will try a couple of other options in the next few days, but I will post a short one on Facebook this evening.  As I said, there is still more decorating to do and boxes to put away that are on the floor around the tree - the boxes that I use for storing the ornaments, but I am making progress.

At the office, I spent the morning working on preparing monthly statements to send out to our customers.  I had them ready by the time the mailman arrived.  I went to the bank to make a deposit and then had my lunch.  During the afternoon I did some work on other bookkeeping things, like paying bills and working on the monthly report. 

Later in the afternoon Ron was out on jobs for a couple of hours and I took care of customers.  It is so good not to dread going out front to help them now that I can usually hear what they are saying.  Of course they often start chatting about the time I turn the machines on and it is totally impossible to hear them at that point, because the sound processor cuts the sound way down when the machines are loud, so it is hopeless to try to hear them. 

The next thing I worked on is our Christmas letter.  I usually have it done by this time of the year, but not this time.  I did get it written, but have not designed the card yet.  I always include family photos so that will take a while. 

Our first Christmas card arrived.  It was delivered in person by one of the salesmen who visits every six weeks or so.  He has been taking care of our account for over 20 years and has been a friend since the beginning.  We knew him before he married and now his oldest child is in college!  It was great to see photos of his family on their card and he always brings homemade cookies that HE bakes for us!  What a treat.  Lately he has arrived late in the afternoon, sometimes even after closing, so I have not seen him some of the times, but he came a little earlier today and we had a very nice visit.  I stayed well after closing visiting and in doing so I spotted a lovely sunset out the front window of the office.  I don't get a clear view since there are power lines in the way, but I will share a photo anyway.

For probably 15 years, their company has had a special program in July and August where you can earn points by making specific purchases and apply those points to gifts you can select.  The first year they did the program, we happened to have a big contract to install some locks that were in their list of ones to earn points.  I was able to get my first digital camera with those points and I was hooked at once!  That first camera was a Sony that used 5" floppy discs for the photos.  It was an amazing camera with a good zoom and I had so much fun.  That is when I got hooked on bird photography.  I am probably on my 4th digital camera since that time and rarely go anywhere without it.

My hand did hurt some as I typed the Christmas letter and the elbow has ached some today, but it continues to improve.  I still am limited in the amount of weight I can carry with that arm and the rotation isn't what I would like, but again, it is still improving. 

Also, I noticed that as I visited with our friendly salesman, I could hear him very well.  I think I quit going to supper with him and Ron several years ago because of the hearing.  I probably would have gone tonight, but I had some errands to run.  I went to pay a bill for the business and then ran a couple of additional errands.  I was fine all through that but when I got home and started to get out of the car, my back "locked up" and I had a painful time getting out of the car.  This happens occasionally, but had not happened in a while.  A long hot soaking bath helped and I went back to decorating the tree until I bent to put an ornament on a low branch and had to quit due to the pain.  I will get back to the tree tomorrow.

Early tomorrow I have my last appointment with the orthopedic surgeon.  He had told me I could cancel this one, but there are a couple of things I want to check on.  One is that tiny spot in the scar that was sore a few weeks ago.  So I better close this out and get to bed!

December 1, 2013

An Awesome Sunday

December 1, 2013

This morning I was up early and got several things done before we left for the church.  Actually we went in separate cars because my husband was slow getting ready.  Our Sunday School class was awesome this morning!  Most of the members were there as well as a few visitors.  We had a very good lesson and lots of discussion.  Ron teaches the class and at one point one of the men asked if Ron wanted to raise his hand to get a chance to speak.  He loves it when there is a lot of participation.

One of the men in the class shared something that happened this week.  On Thanksgiving morning about 1:00 a.m., his mother's house caught on fire and burned to the ground.  As sad as that is, all were very thankful his mother got out safely.  It again brought home one of my problems to me.  His mother is hard of hearing and as a family member was trying to locate her in the burning house, she could not hear them calling her.  She was trying to get out the back door and the family member found her and took her out another door.  Our class member took her to his home and returned to the scene of the fire, arriving back at his home about dawn.  He slept an hour and then when he got up his mother told him they were going to cook a Thanksgiving meal because they had so much to be thankful for. 

This same class member had asked us for several months to pray for his daughter-in-law who had advanced breast cancer.  At one point the doctors said the treatments had not helped and they only gave her a few days to live.  Hospice was called in.  And then God stepped in.  A new doctor came on the case, evaluated her, and sent hospice home.  He said he would call them if they were needed.  A few days later the lady went home from the hospital to care for her two young children.  This morning she was in church with her two little children and I got to meet her for the first time.  She is a beautiful, tiny young woman who God has chosen to leave here to care for her young children.  What a testimony this family has.  And I heard it.  I heard as our friend shared in class today about his mom.  I was able to talk to the young daughter-in-law.  It is good to be able to hear.

It was good to be able to hear as a lady in our class told of God's protection around her and her grand daughter this week when they found themselves in a very dangerous situation.  I missed a couple of details that she shared in class and after church asked her about the event.  She had prayed through the dangerous time but as she told me, she was ready to meet God if things had not worked out to keep them safe.  She was going to be safe either way - safe here on earth or safe in the arms of her heavenly father, God.  I am so thankful God left her here, and I am so thankful that I was there to hear her testimony this morning. 

We had so much to praise God for in Sunday School class that it seemed like we had already been to a worship experience before we headed to the auditorium for the worship service.  They did start with Christmas music today, but the first song, Joy to the World, did not sound anywhere near right to me for the first two verses, but by the third, I had picked out the melody.  I asked my mom later if the first two verses had been to a different arrangement and she said no.  The next Christmas carol I also could not pick out the melody, but the following two Christmas songs, I could.  When I sing, I sound so strange to myself, that I am not enjoying singing as I had in the past.  Maybe that will get better.

The message from the pastor this morning was good and it encouraged us to give to our Lottie Moon Foreign Mission Offering this month.  He told the story of Lottie Moon going to China to share God's Word in the late 1800s.  I really focused on the message and heard much of it.  I was pleased with that.  I hope it just keeps getting better.

This afternoon, much of my time was again spent in the sewing room.  I have a few other possible projects in mind and I spent time going through fabric seeing what I had that would work.  I need to finish what I have in progress!  It is easy for me to keep starting new projects.  That is not good this time of the year.  I did spend time working on the Christmas tree.  It is looking so good.  Ron and I are pleased.  It is more fun putting out the decorations when we know the kids will all be home for the Christmas holidays.  I told you I would keep you updated on the progress on the tree.  There is still much to do on it.

Ron and I have been married 48 1/2 years and have been collecting Christmas ornaments all that time.  Many are handmade by me or by friends.  The tree is on a rotating stand which had not been working the last few Christmases, but Ron located the needed part this year, ordered it, and fixed the stand.  The grand kids are going to be delighted. 

Our youngest son, Stephen, called this evening and talked to Ron.  I just let them talk and didn't try a turn tonight.  On Tuesday, Stephen has his last seminary class and will turn in his paper and do a presentation to complete the requirements for his Master's Degree.  Praise God!  We are so proud of him for working so hard to finish this.  He works full time and has done excellent work in his classes.  It will be interesting to see where God leads him to serve.  For now he will continue to be assistant manager at the Christian bookstore where he has been working for the last few years while attending the seminary.

This has truly been an awesome Sunday.  God is good.