Medicine Mouth

            In May my teeth hurt along with the rest of my body.  I have made a conscience effort to brush them between medicine doses and always hope my teeth don’t rot as a result of my being sick.

           

            I do feel better today than yesterday.  My throat still hurts, but the swollen gland is a smaller size than what it was yesterday.

            I prefer drinking cold to room temperature liquids.  I enjoy gulping water.  I have never been a big fan of warm to hot drinks.  Once in a while, but certainly not on a daily basis.

            Roland, on the other hand, prefers hot drinks to cold (one of our many many oppositions) and will drink a hot chocolate even when it is 94 degrees outside.  I have learned that warm to hot drinks are better for the body’s system than cold drinks are.  Too bad.

            One cannot “gulp” when the drink is hot.  I can’t take pills (medication, vitamins) unless I am gulping.  But yesterday almost all of the liquid I put inside myself was warm to hot because warm to hot liquids are recommended for a sore throat.  Thus I will continue today.  I miss my cold water. 

A.L. Herbert Murders (Recipes Included)

 In this post I mention A.L. Herbert’s book “Murder with Fried Chicken”.  

I am now reading “Murder with Macaroni and Cheese” and am laughing at the crazy characters who get involved with yet another murder.  They have just discovered the body in a house where they didn’t belong and have returned to the scene of the crime.  I am just shaking my head about the choices they seem to be making because they are not wise choices, but because it is fiction, it is funny. 

Halia had been asked to cater her own class reunion.  There are quite a few chapters that introduce us to various characters and relationships. I had not figured out the victim of the last book, but had guessed who the victim was long before the murder – which they only suspect is a murder at this point.  But then they go and blab it to those who could very well be suspects.

This is what I am reading when I am not sleeping or fighting the infection that has been invading my body.  Not as bad as how I felt in May, but still.  I have already been sick this year.  I don’t need to be sick again.  I could go for ten years without being sick and I would seriously be fine with it.  I suspect I will be done with this book (as well as others) long before my cold is gone.  Hopefully neither Jenna nor Roland will get this.  Hopefully nobody does.

School’s out today.  Wish I felt well enough to spend it with Jenna instead of in bed trying to sleep.

When the day presents a 30 or 40 degree jump

I did not sleep well Tuesday Night/Wednesday morning

Amazingly I got cold and Roland woke up hot

Yesterday I woke up with a dry cough

Gradually it turned into a sore throat.

I have been sleeping with the windows open

even just a crack

except for the last two nights.

Yesterday after school I loaded myself with 

Musinex, Flonaze, Vitamin D3 and Chamomile Tea.  

I also broke out the humidifier.

I slept great

Up until 4:00 in the morning.

I took more Musinex

I tried closing my eyes but

wasn’t sleeping.

Now I’m writing this post.

I hope I can stay awake for the next eight hours. 

I have to leave for work just

under three.

This week I’ve been working with

the middle schoolers.

Both schools.

Yesterday I was sore. 

So sore.

My soreness grew throughout the day.

I don’t want to be sick!!!!

If I don't post for the next three days 

I'll be in bed trying to fight this.

Fog to Sun and 30 degree Jump

Roland turned up the heat as

he was cold yesterday morning. 

The fog was thick and did not seem

to start lifting until after 9:00. 

It started.

It was still foggy. 

I did not choose to leave the

house until almost 11:00.  It

appeared the fog had lifted

quicker in Myrtle Creek than in

Tri City.

Still the hills were hidden.  I

couldn’t see the towers until 11:30. 

It was 47 degrees just before

the fog lifted.  Of course

I was already hot and had the

windows open, fan running and  

told Roland that he should shut

 his door and plugged in the small

space heater that is probably

the perfect size for his office. 

I think his office is plenty hot without

the space heater.  The longer it

takes the fog to lift in the morning, the

hotter it gets during the day. 

It got up to 75. Fortunately

we have not removed the

air conditioners (as of yet)

The fog does not seem as dense
this morning.

Prayer in a Mustache

          Somewhere in my memoirs is a Beetle Bailey comic strip printed in September 1999 – maybe 2000.  Of course, I can’t locate it and thus I will describe what happens (although it will take more time).

          For those not familiar with Col. Hathaway (or General – whatever he is) he is bald – which I had never thought about one way or the other as his head is always covered with his army cap.  The only hair that is visible on his face are two little white eyebrows and a small white mustache (about the same size as his nose).  In this strip, Hathaway has his hat off and placed on his desk.  He announces that he has heard that hair can be grown through meditation and so he wants to try it.

          For the next four frames we see Hathaway deep in meditation trying so hard to get his hair to grow while his staff poke fun at his desire.  In the last frame, Hathaway touches his still bald head and comments that it must not have worked.  He doesn’t notice that his mustache has grown six times its size and extends beyond his face. 

          Although I would guess it probably wasn’t Mort Walker’s intent (Walker the creator of Beetle Bailey) that his pun should represent prayer, that is how I saw it.  I did not laugh when I saw his large mustache.  I saw a “prayer” being answered but not the way the Col. had wanted.  Yes, I probably read too much into this simple comic strip, but I refer to it as an analogy but must describe it in detail so that I can compare.

          So often I will look so long and hard at my metaphorical scalp where I think the blessing ought to be that I do not notice that which has been placed beneath my nose. In other words, God provided the tools I need that I may “grow” the blessing that is needed and not necessarily the one I was hoping for.  I have learned that often the direction I think I should go is not necessarily the one I should take.  God doesn’t rob me of my free agency.  I can still choose my own direction, but after some years of experience, I have learned that He is so much wiser than I and my faith is increased if I follow the path which He sets for me.

          Many of us have climbed mountains and often feel we don’t have the strength to go on.  But I know that trials make us stronger. Climbing mountains gives a sense of visibility that we are not able to see from the bottom.  I know that struggles will help to strengthen me one day.  I have to have faith.

There is Light

I once had an institute instructor who, after every conference, would ask the class members what we thought the theme of conference is/was.  I think this year’s theme is on listening to the guidance of the Holy Ghost and finding the light to overcome darkness – or help others to find light.

Light has so many meanings.  It is symbolic for overcoming a bad experience or finally understanding something that wasn’t understood before.

Light is illustrated through light bulbs, candles, lamps, Christmas lights, lighthouses.  Those kinds of lights are artificial.  The sun is a source of natural light.  The Son is a representation of light for us to follow. Other than leading us out of darkness, He can also lighten our burdens. 

Light can mean the opposite of dark. It can also mean the opposite of heavy.

I wear lighter clothes in the summer than in the winter.

The snow in the dessert is lighter than the snow on the coast (when there is snow on the coast).

Some breads use lighter grains than others.

I am a light sleeper

We have seen more light rains than heavy downpours.

Sometimes I’ll eat a light snack or a light meal.

I prefer a light breeze to a powerful wind.

The weight of my hair feels so light after I get a haircut.

I can lighten my hair or the color of my clothes.

I enjoy watching the light grow outside in the morning.

Myrtle Creek has only two traffic lights.

I can light birthday candles.

Sometimes strobe lights will give me headaches.

We all need exposure to the natural light.

I take comfort in light.

I take comfort in His Light.

I hope His Light shines within me that I may have a positive influence over others.

What is Happening (or Has Happened)

Yesterday my eldest great nephew had

his first shot of chemo. 

He is five.

Today my only grandson (so far)

turns one

Yesterday the book we sent

was delivered but

the family says they are waiting for

today to open it.

Yesterday Roland turned 66

Our plans for Tomorrow are

to make jam out of the

last two gallons of juice.

It has been raining while we sleep

I sleep heavy. 

Roland does not sleep well. 

He likes the heat on.

I don’t.

I don’t like being hot.

He doesn’t like being cold.

Often my hands and feet will
get cold but the rest of
me does not.
Sometimes I think the
elements often interfere with
my ability to get Internet.
That's frustrating
but small in comparrison to
many other things and
situations.