Coma

Coma - - I am one of those people who evidently would have to be drug-induced to rest. If I am tired, you can't get me to move but if I am not tired, I can't just sit around. I was in this chair for almost an hour, rereading one of my favorite books. Obviously I left the cat there by herself. The reason for "trying to rest" is I am recovering from Strep Throat. The doctor asked if I had been around any children. Yes, I believe those would be the short people who check out beginning readers at our church library. However, during the week proceeding the diagnosis, I have been in grocery stores and other public places - - - places where I always wipe down shopping carts with the disinfectant wipes. Oh well. I was just glad to have a bacterial infection that could be treated with drugs. With a virus, you generally have to fight it with just your immune system.

The good news is I only ran fever for about 12 hours and had intense throat pain about that same amount of time - - so that's a blessing right there. Since I rarely have to take antibiotics, Penicillin is still a miracle drug for my body. So between it, vitamin supplements, and the good nutrition I ingest, my recovery seems to be progressing quite nicely. So I will do low energy things like computer work, etc. Don't feel badly for me being sick because I am being paid sick days to be "relaxing" at home. And we all know there are worse health problems to cope with than this - - - some problems that don't cure. Plus, being home gives me a chance to say hello to you and read all my favorite blogs. And even though I feel like a hyper-active kid forced to take a nap, I will go back to my chair and book before the day is over!

. . . . three days agone I fell sick. I Samuel 30:13

Super!

Super - For many of you, that refers to the football game tonight. Those who know me know that I don't care a thing about football. However, my computer sits in the den where the game is on TV. I have no clue what the score is but I just saw the halftime show with The Who. The instumentals and lights were excellent. I liked their voices better in the 70's. It was fun to hear the crowd sing with them.

Another SUPER is my camera is fixed!!!! I should be embarrassed to tell this but I am so happy it didn't cost me anything that I don't care who knows. My younger daughter and husband were here today for our older daughter's birthday. The younger has the same camera as me but a year newer model. She looked at my black LCD screen, then looked at the top of my camera, and pushed a button and Voila! My screen is back!!!! I didn't know I could toggle between the "eye viewer" and the LCD screen. Younger said, "Don't feel stupid. It happened to me, too and I almost had a heart attack when it did." So this technologically-challenged person will have pictures for you next weekend.

Super - - - that's what our celebration was today for the older's birthday. Great food cooked by me and even better fellowship together. Plus my husband got an old big TV moved to the basement in front of his treadmill. Our son-in-law helped do that. My husband has spent some time down there over the last couple of weeks clearing out old stuff and organizing a bit more.

Super meeting yesterday - - - - Our church librarians had an associational meeting. Our speaker was from Nashville. He is extremely encouraging and motivating. During his presentation, he made a point to incorporate each person into his talk. He would move around the room and ask rhetorical questions - - - even sat at each table to help with an "assignment" he gave at the end. Our host church provided a phenomenal breakfast.

Super shower - - After the meeting, some sweet ladies from our church hostessed a baby shower for the daughter of a friend. Don't you just love baby showers? The gifts are so cute and precious. We "ooo-ed and aaahhh-ed" over tiny shoes and soft blankets and the cutest little girl clothes.

Super date - - - we both had a busy, busy work week in addition to the weekend, so my sweet hubby invited me on a date last night. It was at our little Italian restaurant up the road. Now it's back to a super job tomorrow!

Finally, brethren, . . . . whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; . . . . . if [there be] any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Friday on Thursday

Most people still have one more day left to work this week but I am off tomorrow so today feels like a Friday to me. When you are on staff at church, your work week begins on Sunday making the end of a five day week on Thursday.

So tomorrow, I will do the weekly household things like laundry, vacuuming, and updating the checkbook. And I will definitely do what the clock suggests!

Sit down now, and read it in our ears. Jeremiah 36:15b

Apple Cart Turn Over

As I mentioned yesterday, our church services were canceled for today. Our services are telecast on the local network each week. They are a week delayed but we had it on TV this morning. Last week's sermon was great so I didn't mind hearing a repeat. Now we are enjoying our day of rest - - which involves moving furniture! But it is a rest from our usual activities.

I don't know if Newton's Third Law of Physics could be applied in our house - - - the equal and opposite reactions idea - - - but there is surely a law of "decorating" that when one piece of furniture is added or moved, it leads to another and another and another being moved. That means we are in a bit of an "Apple Cart Turn Over" today.

It hasn't been as difficult as this. (No, these are not our neighbors or us.)

But it hasn't been as easy as this either. (hmmmm, maybe we should claim this picture. It takes 25 years off our lives!)

First we moved a shelving unit (not our shelves pictured).

Then a desk (not ours pictured) has come up from the basement to go in the guest/craft room.

Moving the desk allowed my husband's treadmill to be placed facing the TV. Now if we can figure out how to get his OLD heavy TV downstairs, he will be very excited. I suggested the wheelbarrow because that TV is bulky and too heavy to carry around the house or down the stairs. And again, that's a story for another day!

Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. John 20:10

Shoveling

We still had snow on our subdivision roads today.
However we did not have one of these.

We understand that there were plows on the main roads and those roads were cleared. The way our driveway and road got clear today was with shovels. My husband and older daughter did the driveway. Then he and I did the road and hill coming to our driveway. He figured it was about 200 feet in all. We are so thankful that this is not something we do on a weekly basis during the winter. It's fun exercise once in a while but would be another stress to deal with on a regular basis if we lived farther north. Also, he was able to get my car out of the neighbor's yard at the bottom of the hill (where I parked it last night). It's back in the driveway.

Because the roads aren't dry and clear - - - and there is a slight possibility of more precipitation tonight, many churches have canceled services tomorrow to help avoid falls in the parking lots. It is very rare that churches close their doors on Sunday in Cleveland.

One fun project that was completed today was the assembling of brushed nickel shelves for our kitchen. Ours actually have 5 shelves with the top one leaving some of the post showing so we could still easily reach some items up there. It holds double the amount of items we had on the wooden shelves in the same space. However, the kitchen looks larger - - even with a bigger shelving unit - - - probably because of the open design. One of our next decisions to make will be what paint color do we want? Most likely our cabinets will be white. I think I want to look at some glass tiles for over the counter tops but I am not sure. First we will have to remove layers of wallpaper - - but that's a story for another day.

Now we're finishing off the day watching "Miss America". They are very talented, hard-working young women. Read a biography of Heather Whitestone sometime to learn what a busy schedule these girls have the year of their reign.

I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4b

Home Sweet Home

It is wonderful to be home - - safely inside a warm house. We actually got the forecasted snow. Often, it will not happen because when our weather hits the mountain, it will sometimes divert around us. Unfortunately that did not happen today. Many, many children and youth are excited but commuters had a horrific time getting home. Our road crews will treat the roads but you generally don't see snowplows like you do up north. So we wait for a thaw on our secondary roads.

One of our cars is at the bottom of our hill in a neighbor's yard. Our neighbor across the street was able to drive our new car up our hill into our garage. My husband got almost to the top and the momentum quit due to the ice of the melted snow. You don't want to know the number of attempts that were made. However, backing back down and up another hill, R was able to get enough speed to make it the last few feet to the top.

So we are house-bound a day or two and not complaining. We have plenty of projects and when we're not working, there are plenty of books to read. I am praying that we don't lose any power though!

Sorry I don't have pictures to show you this time since we have a significant accumulation to make a pretty photograph. . . . . I still haven't taken the camera anywhere to be fixed.

Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: Thou hast made summer and winter. Psalm 74:17

Called

This is my friend, Heather's, post. It will be a fun, interesting, and spiritually challenging read. Our family loves Heather. She has been on the church spelling bee team with us for the past four years - - the last three years, her team has been first place. The spelling bee was a fund-raiser to raise money for GED scholarships for a community literacy program. Heather is a beautiful woman inside and out. That's why I wanted you to meet her, too.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying , Whom shall I send , and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8