A Week Filled With Blessings

This has been one of those weeks that went totally off the rails. Still, even with some very stressful moments,  God was in the details and I have much to be grateful for.  To give thanks for the blessings,  I am joining with Susanne and friends over at Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five. 

💜 Monday afternoon, Charly and I decided to go for a walk.  Just as we reached our driveway at the end of the walk,  Charly (who was winded due to an asthma attack) tripped and fell on his face, and he couldn't get back up. Because he is bigger than I am, I couldn't really help him.  I actually called 9-1-1 three times to ask for help and got a recording that no one was available to help me. WHAT???  As I was trying to figure out how to get Charly up, an HVAC tech van that was driving down our street pulled over the curb. The driver had seen me struggling to help Charly up, and this large and muscular young man, who was a total stranger, ran over to us and literally lifted Charly back on his feet.  I am not sure why that truck with that very kind and very husky driver was driving down our street at just that moment, but I am sure that God was involved.  I am so grateful that Charly was able to get back on his feet so I could drive him to the hospital. 

💜 The first emergency room I took Charly to, was at a large regional hospital in our area about four miles from our home.  The place was packed and we were told it would be a 2-3 hour wait until Charly could be seen and evaluated.  I decided that wouldn't do, so I took him to another, smaller hospital that is actually closer to our home, and Charly was seen and evaluated within 30 minutes. After x-rays and a CT scan, we still spent over three hours in the emergency room, but at least Charly was getting the attention and care he needed.  I am grateful that we have good medical care close at hand and that Charly got the emergency evaluation and care he needed after his fall.   I am also grateful that the CT scan showed that Charly had no bleeding on his brain, a real concern after his brain aneurysm five years ago. 

💜 After the emergency room doctor was sure that Charly was stabilized, he was released to come home, and told that he needed to follow-up with a hand surgeon.  The next morning, we went to a large orthopedic clinic in our area and Charly got more x-rays and was seen by an orthopedic hand specialist. At first the fear was that Charly had broken two bones in his wrist and would need surgery.  A CT scan showed that only one bone was broken, so no surgery was needed. Charly was placed in a temporary splint and will get a more permanent cast when the swelling in his hand goes down.   I am grateful that Charly won't need hand surgery. 

💜 I also took Charly for a follow-up visit with our primary care physician who read the reports from the hospital and was satisfied that Charly is in good health, other than the injury, and will heal up. He recommended that we join a gym or fitness center, because sometime the air in the Salt Lake Valley is very polluted and Charly has Asthma.  The doctor (and Charly) both believe that he was having an Asthma attack on our walk Monday and that was a factor in his fall. I am grateful that we have good medical care close at hand, and that Charly is basically healthy, but got some new medication to help him breath better. 

💜 This picture is from last summer, but I am also so grateful for the caring support we got from our son this past week. Josh has called multiple times each day.  He is a busy guy, with a full-time class schedule and job and last week was finals week, but  he was concerned about Charly and kept up on everything that was happening with hospitals, doctors and medical procedures.  We didn't tell a lot of people what happened, and I don't post much on Facebook, but I appreciate texts, calls, messages and prayers from the people we did tell - our daughter, our 17-year-old grandson and my blogging friend and prayer-partner Faith over at Gold in the Clouds.  I believe that prayer makes a difference and I am always grateful for caring family and friends and blessings that come through prayer. 

💜 I am grateful that I had this delightful and heartwarming Christmas book, A Christmas Memory by Richard Paul Evans, to read on the Kindle app on my phone.  Waiting at  hospitals and doctor's office can be boring and nerve wracking, and this book helped me get through it all.  I finished the book last night and gave it 5/5 stars.  It was the perfect book for me to read during an often trying week.  I'll do a more complete review in my December Reading Roundup. 

💜 We are starting to get some Christmas cards from friends and family and I am so grateful for all those who keep in touch and reach out to say "Merry Christmas."   Although fewer and fewer people seem to be sending cards, we enjoy each card we receive. Hearing from those we care about is one of my favorite parts of Christmas!

Thanks for joining me to review the blessings in my often stressful week.  I am grateful for each reader and friend I have made in blogland!  Have a good weekend.  

Until next time,

🤶Deb🎄

"Today be thankful and think how rich you are.

Your family is priceless, 

your friends are gold,

and your health is wealth."

~Zig Ziglar

A Few Simple Things I am Grateful For

November is a month when traditionally we turn our thoughts to what we are most grateful for.  This week, nothing big or earth shattering took place for me, but there was still gratitude in some simple, yet wonderful things.  I am joining again with Susanne over at Living to Tell the Story, to remember and be thankful for little things

. 

😊 I am so excited that one of my Christmas Cactus has buds!!  I have been trying to get to bloom for several years without success, but apparently the plant loves the south facing window it is in here at the house we moved to last summer.  I am grateful that the plant has little flower buds and I hope to be posting pictures of a fully blooming plant soon!

😊 I finally used a gift card I got for my birthday and ordered this cute "book love" t-shirt for school. I am grateful that I love books and now have yet another way to communicate that to my students. 

😊 We had a very rainy 24-hour period last week.  I am grateful for the moisture and also glad that we only got rain and that the snow stayed up in the mountains. 

😊 Charly and I have both been working out in the yard this week digging up some bushes that we don't want in the yard any more.  Next spring we will probably plant flowers in the area where we took the bushes out.  I also put the fall application of fertilizer on our front and back lawn.  I am grateful that we are getting our yard ready for winter, and that we have a yard this year to get ready for winter.  

😊 Charly has been going out in the morning while I am still getting ready for work, to make sure that my car is warmed up and that the windows aren't icy.  I am grateful to have such a kind and thoughtful husband. 

😊  I got started on my Christmas shopping and as usual, Amazon Prime is my Christmas shopping friend.  I am grateful to be able to find the perfect gift and have it delivered to my door within just a few days.  

That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  I will see you all again soon!

Until next time, 

😊Deb💖

“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; 

but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, 

some heavenly blessings.”

~Henry Ward Beecher

Wednesday Daybook

Outside my window - it's a pretty nice day, although it is chilly and breezy. We have blue skies and sunshine tonight, but yesterday, it was cold and windy and we had snow in the mountains and a rainstorm that even produced some hail. 

I've been listening to -  this audiobook, All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore.  I am almost 80% done, and will be finished with this book later this week.   I am finding it to be a very good memoir. 

I'm reading - A couple of days ago, I finished The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda. Now, I have three books going, one fiction and two nonfiction. The fiction book is Life Goes On by Philip Gulley.  It's another book in his delightful Harmony series. The nonfiction books I'm reading are Off The Deep End by Giancarlo Granda and When Harry Became Sally by Ryan T. Anderson.  

I'm creating - more cards for Letters Against Isolation.  After I finish the last card (I always send out batches of five cards) these will be sent to a Meals on Wheels program in Florida.

I'm looking forward to - having some medical stuff I've had scheduled for a couple of months over with.  I am taking both Thursday and Friday off and will be spending some time at the Intermountain Healthcare Outpatient Care Center taking care of some routine but recommended things for "women (and men) of a certain age." It will be great to not have to think about it again for a while. 

In the kitchen - we got a take-n-bake deli pizza for dinner.  I will be on a liquid diet for a couple of days due to the medical stuff happening on Friday, so this is my last meal for a while. 

I'm loving -  that our school district arranged for two free tickets for every teacher to an upcoming baseball game of the Salt Lake Bees, a AAA minor league team for the Los Angeles Dodgers.   Charly and I loved taking our kids to baseball games years ago, so we are excited to get back to the ballpark on May 6.

I'm working on - more box packing. We will be taking back possession of our house in just over a month, so we can start moving some of our things over there, even though we will be doing some remodeling and renovations.  Josh packed up some of the stuff in his room when he was home, and Charly and I have been packing more boxes, so we continue to make progress.  Next week, we will be meeting with two more realtors to make the decision about who will be listing the place where we now live. 

I'm thinking about- ongoing drama at work.  Not fun.  I am stepping back from toxic work relationships, and some colleagues are not happy with me.  No matter.  I am going to stay the course I am on.  Teachers need to be professional in every way.  We teach students by example and I am not going to turn a blind eye to poor behavior and dishonest conduct in students or teachers.  

I'm grateful for -  having a husband who is also my best friend.  This guy is sweet and kind and can make me laugh, especially when I am wound up tight with stress and anxiety.  I am so grateful God told me to marry Charly all those years ago. 

That's it for this Daybook post.  Enjoy the rest of the week and have a good weekend!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Act as if what you do 

makes a difference. 

It does."

~ William James

 

Friday Faves and an Update

Typing this post mostly one handed tonight so I don't miss a week of Friday Fave Five with Susanne and friends, linking up at Living to Tell the Story.

First an update.  I went to our regular family doctor on Wednesday afternoon, and when he looked at the xrays of my hand,  he said that I need to see an orthopedic hand surgeon to have the break reset.  He also said that since I have a "displaced fracture" of the bone in my hand, I will most likely need some surgery and possibly a pin.  I see the hand surgeon this coming Wednesday. 

Now here are my favorites for the week:

• Healing

I have been pretty sore this week, but I went back to work on Wednesday and have largely done most of the normal things I do every day, with some assistance from my sweet husband.  Doing things one-handed is a bit challenging, but I am managing.  I have had some pain, but I am managing that with Advil.  I took only one of the strong painkillers I was given at Urgent Care Monday night. As you can see, my face is healing.  The only thing that remains quite noticeable is the dark bruise on my chin. I thank God that I am healing and pray this healing will extend to the broken bone in my hand.

Charly also had a follow-up check with the doctor for the pneumonia he has been battling for over a month.  The doctor found that Charly's lung still are not clear, so he is now on his third round of antibiotics. He is getting better, but he isn't there yet.  

• Kindness

Since I broke my hand, I have been the recipient of much kindness.  Josh brought home this card and my favorite candy bar,

This sweet card and the sentiments it showed meant so this mother's heart.

When I went back to work after a day off, my English department teaching colleagues gave me these lovely flowers... 

...and this cute card.  It was so kind of the people I work with every day.

When we got home from a doctor appointment on Wednesday, some kind members of our church congregation (ward) were waiting with yummy, easy-to-fix food, that was so much appreciated.

They also brought these cutie oranges that they had drawn cute faces and written nice messages on.

• Walks

I am grateful I have been able to keep walking most days this week. I always look forward to my daily walk.  My walks are one of the major ways I deal with stress and this week has had some of that for sure.

• Chocolate Bunnies

I am so excited that there has been so much support for the service project I have been doing to help provide Easter candy for Easter baskets for kids whose parents have been victims of domestic violence. So far, all of these chocolate bunnies have been donated, and I am expecting even more in the next couple of weeks. I am grateful for all those friends, students and members of our church congregation who have been so kind and generous to help with this service project.

• Tulips

Some of the tulips bulbs I planted last fall are up. I love spring flowers and am looking forward to lovely blossoms outside my front door before long. 

I will end this post with this quote.  I am so grateful for all the kindness that has been made manifest in my family's life this past week. Have a good weekend!

Mid-February Weekend

Friday afternoon, Charly went back to the doctor for a follow-up on his pneumonia.  After an exam and chest x-ray, the doctor found that the pneumonia is not completely gone.  He changed Charly's antibiotic and told him to come back again in two weeks.  Charly says he feels somewhat better, but getting over pneumonia always seems to take several weeks.  Prayers that the new antibiotic will work and that Charly can recover soon.

Saturday dawned with clouds, but the sun was trying to peek through. 

Here is another shot of the mountains to the east, taken from the parking lot of the grocery store where we shopped on Saturday morning.  It was a little chilly, but it is still February!

Charly and I went grocery shopping, as usual, Saturday morning.  The yellow price stickers show some of the manager's special we got.  

Later, I went for a walk by myself while Charly and Josh went to the bank so Josh could get a credit card.  Josh is a very frugal young man, but it really is time for him to start establishing some credit.  After all, his 1996 Corolla won't last forever and he will need to buy another car eventually.  Later on Saturday evening, Charly and I went to couple of stores to get out of the house, but by the time we got home, Charly was tired and coughing a lot.  I was also taking cold chills and feeling achy and exhausted.  We watched a little TV and went to bed.  

Because Charly was still coughing, and I was exhausted,  feverish and achy, we slept in and missed church again for the second week in a row.  I don't like to miss church.  My week seems off when I don't have that spiritual refreshment on Sunday.  I did however, read my scriptures and do my weekly "Come Follow Me" Study.  

I also did some indexing of records of African American soldiers who joined and served in the Union Army at the very end of the Civil War.

Later, Charly and Josh had a meeting for their calling with the children and youth ministry at church.  I felt well enough to walk around the neighborhood while they were gone.  I talked to my older sister on the phone as I walked.  Our relationship has been strained lately, so it was nice to have a pleasant chat for a while.  I hope that, going forward, things can be better.  I am so tired of strained relationships.  I have apologized for everything I can think of and now I want to heal, forgive and move on and have good relationships with all those I love.  I pray for this every day.

Sunday dinner was beef tips, potatoes, onions, carrots and gravy prepared in the slow cooker.  After dinner, Charly and I watched a bit of TV (PBS Masterpiece and Mystery), then we went to bed.

As the weekend comes to a close, I am grateful for the tender mercies and grace God gives us every day! This wasn't the most exciting weekend ever, but Charly is coughing less and says he is feeling better. I am feeling better as well - my aches and chills are gone. I am tired now and hoping for a good night's sleep and praying that the week ahead will go well.