DUOFILIA

We had a good day yesterday. First, and most importantly, I got to sleep in until nine! Whoohoo! I made biscuits and gravy (no animals were harmed in the making of the meal, I assure you) for brunch, which we devoured and then David and the girls went outside to help my dad build his bamboo compound; Dad’s latest project is to plant bamboo, which y’all may know spreads like wildfire, so we got a Cat to dig a 3.5 foot ditch in a big oval (2.5 cars could fit in the oval) and then bury a special bamboo root barrier inside said ditch. That way the bamboo will stay in it’s confines and not take over the county.

Meanwhile, I stayed in the nice, cool interior (95 degrees out) and worked on my upcoming lecture (this one not a health lecture, but for a conference at which I am speaking in October). For lunch I made pizzas, which were awesome (garlic “chicken,” artichoke hearts, onions, olives, and soy mozzarella). In the late afternoon, we took my mom and the twins to the annual Swan Island Dahlia Festival. David’s favorite flowers are dahlias, so we go every year. Swan Island Dahlias is the largest dahlia grower in the US, and the fields are spectacular.

I’ve shared just a few of the pictures we took there yesterday. (more…)

“I will lay me down in peace, and sleep; for you Lord makes me dwell in safety.” — Psalm 4:8 

I shall return, in a bit, from my unplanned sabbatical from the blogosphere. The summer became overwhelmed with the busyness of summer, family issues, etc., and (scabby scummy stupid) Lyme Disease which, of course, makes everything more complicated. I know you all can relate to how life throws everything at you at once, just to see how well and fast you can duck and to laugh when the something lands squarely on target.

Today I had an IV treatment, so I’m extra tired and sore and achy all over, and actually my speech abilities are limited (David is probably enjoying the respite…). I had grabbed a box of tea to help relieve the stress and soothe the anxieties when I read the following quote on the box, which I thought too good not to share. I am of the type who goes and goes, no matter how tired or sore, until I drop dead each night. This is not a good trait. I need to learn how to let things go, to pause. When I am old I will not care that I didn’t fold the socks one night, or that I let the girls go to bed without a bath. Furthermore, my actions are my girls’ best teacher, and if I don’t learn to rest, they won’t know how to take care of themselves either. Here’s the quote. Take it to heart.

“When we were young, the ‘tall’ ones told us when to slow down. When the demands of the world bcame too great, their powers of reasoning proved maddeningly accurate. ‘I think someone’s tired,’ they observed. And off for a nap we went. Ten minutes later, our dreaming faces had put us back in good favor with our exasperated parents. When we woke, the world somehow made sense again. What kind of truth might a napping child impart to us? Now we are the tall ones, living in a complicated world with no one to tell us when to slow down. The slumbering little one knows the value of not having the last word, of accepting a minor defeat. It’s so simple. Miss out on something. Put yourself back in your own good favor. The world will wait.” David Jacoby

 

I’m not going into detail, but I’m having big family issues on both my side and my in-laws, for very different reasons. I think I’m going to delevop ulcerations and aneurysms. Aren’t families great? I’m sure many of you can commiserate with me. I think many family members fall into the same categories, such as:

1) Grandpa Joe, aka “Just-Making-Sure-You-Know-How-Inferior-You-Are”

2) Aunt Sally, aka “Over-Time-I-Will-Break-Your-Will-Until-You-Raise-Your-Kids-the-Way-I-See-Fit”

And so much more!! These individuals and many more like them have been cloned and have infiltrated many families across the nation, nay, across the world! Be on the look out and keep telling yourself everything’s going to be ok.

Today’s link focus is for a friend who just hasn’t looked her cheerful self lately. Here’s a big hug for you, G.

You are outgoing, aggressive and ambitious — or so it says of those whose favorite color is red. Actually, the part about being optimistic and having a zest for life fits you better! (The rest of color descriptions didn’t fit with other people I know either, but like horoscopes, there’s bound to be something one can make come true, “You will experience weather today!”)

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A problem you may wish you had. Although getting it may just lead you to this.

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Perhaps you are feeling a little like this? I took this photo of us at work, so I don’t know what your issue is.

Just a quick note to let you know we’re all alive. Our whole family got hit by some bad GI bug and are finally recuperating. The girls haven’t had any expulsions (upper or lower) for five days now and David for four days. I got sick but never urped, but with the [stupid slimy] Lyme I take way longer to recuperate, so I’m still rather slug-like. Little Syd lost quite a bit of weight during this ordeal, so her doctor is still doing some further tests to make sure everything’s ok.

Speaking of tests, we were given three containers to get a poo sample from Sydney. So I woke up from a nap and David tells me that she just produced a fine specimen. I groggily said “great” and prepared to lay back down, as everything seemed to be under control. But he just stood there and held out the containers to me and said, “can you do it?” I looked at him and raised a quizzical eyebrow. So he says, “because you’re a nurse.”

What an excuse.

Which reminds me of my first term of nursing school. In one of our first rotations in the hospital, our instructor told one of my fellow nursing students that he needed to give his patient an enema. The student looked at his teacher, agast, and sputtered, “I…I’m not qualified for that!” Whereupon, the instructor developed a case of the giggles and then handed him the equipment.