Several weeks ago the theme of the Jr Church lesson was Philippians 4:6:
and I've been rehashing that in my mind ever since.
We had two separate blocks of days this month when we could go to Alabama. A large part of me wanted to go the week of the 4th as my siblings and nephew would all have a day or more off that week. The other part of me knew the garden stuff here would start to really produce that week. Then the week before Mom had a severe lupus flair-up and Bobby had some "minor" health concerns, so I was not at peace about going. We finally decided to go ahead and go, so I was trying to get the grass cut and everything done before we left. And of course the belt on the lawn mower broke. Thankfully we were able to call and schedule a pick-up for the next day, and my brother-in-law brought his machine over AND mowed for me. I'm very glad we went. Though Mom is by no means well, she was and is much better, and Dad outpaced me in his and Andy's garden to the point it was almost embarrassing. Smith Lake no longer has their fireworks at the dam, which were somewhat visible from Mom and Dad's house, but some neighbors did have some incredible ones to watch. While we worked hard, we also had some good times of just being together. I'm cognizant now more than ever that each in person goodbye could possibly be our last.
We came home Saturday night, and discovered someone went in our garden while we were gone...and left the gate open when they left. So the geese ate a good chunk of the cabbage leaves, the chickens ate five of my green bean plants and about 15-20 small to medium-size tomatoes. I was not a happy camper, at all, and was struggling to be thankful that we still had an amazing amount of produce and there wasn't more damage done. (The last time the chickens got in my garden I lost half of my green bean plants, some of my corn stalks as well as a few okra stalks, in addition to half of my tomatoes.)
Sunday morning, I'm struggling from a week of constantly interrupted sleep and long travel days. In the midst of getting Bobby ready, I realize my side of the waterbed is leaking. We made it to church, even though it was late, and headed to North Raleigh after lunch to order replacement parts. They should be in Friday or Saturday. So I'm thankful we have a spare bed I can sleep in until the parts are in, and I'm VERY thankful it happened when were home and caught it at the very beginning, and NOT after it had shorted the bed's heater system or flooded onto the wood floors. But I have to admit that Sunday morning I was alternating between trying to stay awake and pondering how much time and money all these repairs were going to cost.
And today...Wake Radiology, who has never had a problem in the last 20 years with either assisting me in getting Bobby on an xray table or else had a table that could lower to the height of his wheelchair, suddenly announces that their "new" table, which is 5-6 inches higher than his chair, is a hazard. They can no longer assist me in transferring him because their insurance will not allow it. It could injure the workers or Bobby to do so. I SOOO badly wanted to go ugly on her and inform her that what she was telling me was illegal and violated the American Disabilities Act. I wanted to cry, and ask her if it was her child or her mother needing a health screening, would she shrug it off because it was an inconvenience. They called the dr, and he told them he could get enough information from a different procedure. On the flip side, for the first time in 15 years, we are now back to yearly check-ups!!! After all the cancer procedures 15 years ago, we were excited when we made it to the bi-yearly check-ups, but before we could go back to yearly the kidney stone problems started and we have been stuck at bi-yearly or more for the last 10+years. To finally be back at yearly is so huge, especially in light of the fact he passed a small stone two weeks ago.
Tomorrow we receive our information for the municipal elections this fall. I'm so not ready for this, even though a small part of me will be glad to have a little bit of time working again. But I also know from past experience that once this begins, the remainder of the year will become a busy blur. And I'm not quite ready for that.
I don't know what the rest of this week holds, but I hope we can keep seeking the positive and finding an attitude of thanksgiving, regardless of what obstacles life or people may throw in our direction.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
We had two separate blocks of days this month when we could go to Alabama. A large part of me wanted to go the week of the 4th as my siblings and nephew would all have a day or more off that week. The other part of me knew the garden stuff here would start to really produce that week. Then the week before Mom had a severe lupus flair-up and Bobby had some "minor" health concerns, so I was not at peace about going. We finally decided to go ahead and go, so I was trying to get the grass cut and everything done before we left. And of course the belt on the lawn mower broke. Thankfully we were able to call and schedule a pick-up for the next day, and my brother-in-law brought his machine over AND mowed for me. I'm very glad we went. Though Mom is by no means well, she was and is much better, and Dad outpaced me in his and Andy's garden to the point it was almost embarrassing. Smith Lake no longer has their fireworks at the dam, which were somewhat visible from Mom and Dad's house, but some neighbors did have some incredible ones to watch. While we worked hard, we also had some good times of just being together. I'm cognizant now more than ever that each in person goodbye could possibly be our last.
We came home Saturday night, and discovered someone went in our garden while we were gone...and left the gate open when they left. So the geese ate a good chunk of the cabbage leaves, the chickens ate five of my green bean plants and about 15-20 small to medium-size tomatoes. I was not a happy camper, at all, and was struggling to be thankful that we still had an amazing amount of produce and there wasn't more damage done. (The last time the chickens got in my garden I lost half of my green bean plants, some of my corn stalks as well as a few okra stalks, in addition to half of my tomatoes.)
Sunday morning, I'm struggling from a week of constantly interrupted sleep and long travel days. In the midst of getting Bobby ready, I realize my side of the waterbed is leaking. We made it to church, even though it was late, and headed to North Raleigh after lunch to order replacement parts. They should be in Friday or Saturday. So I'm thankful we have a spare bed I can sleep in until the parts are in, and I'm VERY thankful it happened when were home and caught it at the very beginning, and NOT after it had shorted the bed's heater system or flooded onto the wood floors. But I have to admit that Sunday morning I was alternating between trying to stay awake and pondering how much time and money all these repairs were going to cost.
And today...Wake Radiology, who has never had a problem in the last 20 years with either assisting me in getting Bobby on an xray table or else had a table that could lower to the height of his wheelchair, suddenly announces that their "new" table, which is 5-6 inches higher than his chair, is a hazard. They can no longer assist me in transferring him because their insurance will not allow it. It could injure the workers or Bobby to do so. I SOOO badly wanted to go ugly on her and inform her that what she was telling me was illegal and violated the American Disabilities Act. I wanted to cry, and ask her if it was her child or her mother needing a health screening, would she shrug it off because it was an inconvenience. They called the dr, and he told them he could get enough information from a different procedure. On the flip side, for the first time in 15 years, we are now back to yearly check-ups!!! After all the cancer procedures 15 years ago, we were excited when we made it to the bi-yearly check-ups, but before we could go back to yearly the kidney stone problems started and we have been stuck at bi-yearly or more for the last 10+years. To finally be back at yearly is so huge, especially in light of the fact he passed a small stone two weeks ago.
Tomorrow we receive our information for the municipal elections this fall. I'm so not ready for this, even though a small part of me will be glad to have a little bit of time working again. But I also know from past experience that once this begins, the remainder of the year will become a busy blur. And I'm not quite ready for that.
I don't know what the rest of this week holds, but I hope we can keep seeking the positive and finding an attitude of thanksgiving, regardless of what obstacles life or people may throw in our direction.
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