Blurred vision, ragamuffins and such
I seem to be having trouble keeping thoughts collected lately. So instead of fighting it, I'm going to just go with it, and hope it fixes itself. In the meantime, here's what's on my mind lately.
I talked to my almost 87 year old father last week. He's constantly challenged with not having the checks he writes to grandchildren clear his account. We've talked and talked and talked about how nobody goes to the bank anymore, and he's starting to understand that; he's horrified at the idea of anyone doing banking online. In the course of that conversation, trying to track down missing checks he told me:
#1 he bought a brand new rototiller so he can grow beets this summer, so he can pickle beets, because pickling and canning just makes him happy. This is a single man, living in a teensy apartment. He grows and pickles beets to give to all the little old ladies in his building. Thinking of that just makes me smile.
#2 we started talking about the upcoming election, and he said, 'all politicians are more crooked than a barrel full of snakes'. I can't tell you how much that tickled me. He was being stock serious.
#3 he's digging up and shipping some kind of fruit trees from the golf course he plays at, to relatives across the country. Has a plan to soak the roots, wrap them in newspaper and ship them.
Goodness gracious, is there a farmer in that man's heart or what?
My staph is gone, and the scar is beyond ugly, but the staph is gone. And my coffee tastes good again, and I don't have to take the horrible antibiotics anymore. Very thankful. Staph is nasty stuff.
I'm still learning to wear contacts - who knew it was an art? The dr. switched me to mono-vision and my pastor no longer has two heads, I can read the power point screens, and my Bible, but not greeting cards or menus. I ripped a contact, went in and got a replacement and asked them to please give me a contact so that I don't have to tell the waiter, 'give me the special.'
I had my first appointment with the physical therapist who told me I don't need to have any more injections in my back. I loved his honesty and am going to trust him and work my tail off. His prescription for me - core strengthening and some funky pilates machine in the middle of the workout room. I'm thinking I'd be able to wear a bikini this summer if it weren't for the lovely staph infection scar previously mentioned. Bet my kids will be sighing with relief over that. (Just kidding, I didn't look good in a bikini when I was 18.)
My mom and I have our annual trip in just about five weeks, and every time we talk we get a bit more excited. I'm praying for a lot more of these trips in years to come. I'd love to take all the females in my family on just one of them; maybe once our family is done with the baby stage it'll happen.
We're 17 days from leaving for Guatemala. Don is three units ahead of me in Rosetta Stone, so I'm going to take the advice of a commenter and just stick close to him the entire trip. I'm still learning so I can actually talk to the people who come into our Care Center every week. If I could learn to perfect one sentence it would be, "please take your food to the car before entering the clothing area." I did actually speak some Spanish to a little girl, or nina last week. I said, "como te llamas?" and she hid her face in her mother's skirt and would not look at me. I told her, 'mi llama es Beverly' and she smiled just a bit, then whispered her name. My heart went pitter patter - my first Spanish conversation, and it opened a door!
There's much on my heart, thoughts of family and upcoming babies and hopefully more babies, and friends who are dying, and neighbors struggling, and such, but it all seems to be elusive - floating through my brain but either not staying long enough to capture or too tender to share. I guess at the end of the day all of us can use some gentle handling because we have a lot going on invisible to the naked eye. It seems the older I get, the more I find myself laying a lot of it at His feet, praying for the strength to leave it there, and walk away.
BTW, I forgot to tell everyone I read Kisses From Katie - or maybe I did and I forgot (see what I mean about my brain lately?!) It was WONDERFUL. READ IT! Then go love somebody, somewhere, just a teensy bit like she did. The book was encouraging and heart breaking and humbling all at once.
Now I'm reading Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning and it is amazing. It's going to be destroyed after just one reading, between my yellow highlighter, notes in the margin, ink and pencil. If you've ever wondered if God loves you, or if you're loveable, or if you can love someone else, go read it. Amazing, amazing, amazing stuff.
No photos this time - lately all my photos are blurry, a bit like my vision!
I talked to my almost 87 year old father last week. He's constantly challenged with not having the checks he writes to grandchildren clear his account. We've talked and talked and talked about how nobody goes to the bank anymore, and he's starting to understand that; he's horrified at the idea of anyone doing banking online. In the course of that conversation, trying to track down missing checks he told me:
#1 he bought a brand new rototiller so he can grow beets this summer, so he can pickle beets, because pickling and canning just makes him happy. This is a single man, living in a teensy apartment. He grows and pickles beets to give to all the little old ladies in his building. Thinking of that just makes me smile.
#2 we started talking about the upcoming election, and he said, 'all politicians are more crooked than a barrel full of snakes'. I can't tell you how much that tickled me. He was being stock serious.
#3 he's digging up and shipping some kind of fruit trees from the golf course he plays at, to relatives across the country. Has a plan to soak the roots, wrap them in newspaper and ship them.
Goodness gracious, is there a farmer in that man's heart or what?
My staph is gone, and the scar is beyond ugly, but the staph is gone. And my coffee tastes good again, and I don't have to take the horrible antibiotics anymore. Very thankful. Staph is nasty stuff.
I'm still learning to wear contacts - who knew it was an art? The dr. switched me to mono-vision and my pastor no longer has two heads, I can read the power point screens, and my Bible, but not greeting cards or menus. I ripped a contact, went in and got a replacement and asked them to please give me a contact so that I don't have to tell the waiter, 'give me the special.'
I had my first appointment with the physical therapist who told me I don't need to have any more injections in my back. I loved his honesty and am going to trust him and work my tail off. His prescription for me - core strengthening and some funky pilates machine in the middle of the workout room. I'm thinking I'd be able to wear a bikini this summer if it weren't for the lovely staph infection scar previously mentioned. Bet my kids will be sighing with relief over that. (Just kidding, I didn't look good in a bikini when I was 18.)
My mom and I have our annual trip in just about five weeks, and every time we talk we get a bit more excited. I'm praying for a lot more of these trips in years to come. I'd love to take all the females in my family on just one of them; maybe once our family is done with the baby stage it'll happen.
We're 17 days from leaving for Guatemala. Don is three units ahead of me in Rosetta Stone, so I'm going to take the advice of a commenter and just stick close to him the entire trip. I'm still learning so I can actually talk to the people who come into our Care Center every week. If I could learn to perfect one sentence it would be, "please take your food to the car before entering the clothing area." I did actually speak some Spanish to a little girl, or nina last week. I said, "como te llamas?" and she hid her face in her mother's skirt and would not look at me. I told her, 'mi llama es Beverly' and she smiled just a bit, then whispered her name. My heart went pitter patter - my first Spanish conversation, and it opened a door!
There's much on my heart, thoughts of family and upcoming babies and hopefully more babies, and friends who are dying, and neighbors struggling, and such, but it all seems to be elusive - floating through my brain but either not staying long enough to capture or too tender to share. I guess at the end of the day all of us can use some gentle handling because we have a lot going on invisible to the naked eye. It seems the older I get, the more I find myself laying a lot of it at His feet, praying for the strength to leave it there, and walk away.
BTW, I forgot to tell everyone I read Kisses From Katie - or maybe I did and I forgot (see what I mean about my brain lately?!) It was WONDERFUL. READ IT! Then go love somebody, somewhere, just a teensy bit like she did. The book was encouraging and heart breaking and humbling all at once.
Now I'm reading Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning and it is amazing. It's going to be destroyed after just one reading, between my yellow highlighter, notes in the margin, ink and pencil. If you've ever wondered if God loves you, or if you're loveable, or if you can love someone else, go read it. Amazing, amazing, amazing stuff.
No photos this time - lately all my photos are blurry, a bit like my vision!
Comments
I'll have to see about getting Ragamuffin Gospel since you so highly recommend it.
Have a great week!
connie
I'm in that same boat with you, trying to get used to new contacts. I've worn gas permeables for at least the last 20 years. Back when I switched to them from soft lenses, it was because they didn't make a soft lense that would correct my vision with my great deal of astigmatism. Now, it seems they do, and I am LOVING them! It's amazing how much more comfortable they are than my old gas perms. For the first time in 20 years, I can do things outside on a windy day; and I can be around blowing dust without it feeling like glass shards slicing the surface of my eyeballs. No more excuse not to help Mike with leaf clean-up this spring! ;-) My doc is still working on getting my prescription lined out. We've been at it about a month, but I'm patient.
I know that scattered brain feeling, too. It's always worse for me if I stay up too late at night. It can be an indication of a thyroid problem. Have you had yours checked? It's a simple treatment of a daily pill. Of course, there are any number of things that can cause that same problem.
I've got Ragamuffin Gospel on my 'to read' list. I read his Posers, Fakers, and Wannabees a few years ago. Great read!