Lesson in Humility -- Being Shoved Down My Throat

I went to my doctor last Thursday for ex-rays.  She said there are definitely some bulging discs and has sent me to the Kenton D. Leatherman Spine Center.  I have an appointment with them on the 26th, so in the meantime I guess I'll just move as carefully as I can and hope for more good days than bad.  The ex-ray tech showed me one of the ex-rays of my spine curvature, and I was rather shocked at how much it had changed (for the worse) since I was a child.  By the way, the surgeon for whom the spine center is named was my doctor back then.

My doc also gave me some Naproxen, and it has helped.  Yesterday was a gloomy, dreary old day, and I decided that I would just stay in bed for most of it.  I was afraid that lying down all day would actually make by back hurt more, because usually if I'm in bed too long that's what happens.  But I guess I needed to rest it more than I thought in this case, because yesterday evening and today my back has felt better than it has in three weeks. 

Thomas told me not to get carried away and overdo it just because the pain wasn't as bad as it had been.  I am under orders from him to delegate as much household responsibility as I can to my newly graduated son and my more-than-capable daughter.  Several friends have called to tell me to call on them if I need anything, and my Mom has threatened to send my sister Lois up here to help me out. 

Do you know how hard it is for me to ask for or accept help?  That is one area where I don't have enough humility, and I dread lest I should actually have to take someone up on an offer of help.  I'm confessing one of my worst sins here.  I don't like not being able to do things for myself -- one of those control things I guess.

Last Friday I took Eler Beth with me to get some groceries, even though I knew I should have waited for Thomas to get home.  I was okay until I started to get out of the car.  I had to have her bring a cart around for me to use to pull myself up out of the car.  I could barely walk through the store, and Eler Beth offered to get me one of those motorized carts!  No, I think I'll put that off until I absolutely have no other choice.  I'm used to zipping through the stores or wherever I need to go, and I am actually appalled at the idea of having to use something to help me get around.  Now isn't that a pitiful attitude to have?

But the Naproxen and the day's complete rest yesterday have taken away the numbness and the burning down my leg (or else it just went away on its own), and the pain in my hip and lumbar is much better if I don't forget and move too quickly.  So I guess I'll be happy that right now I have a respite and hope that it lasts.  And I guess I'll do what Thomas says and sit and direct the kids with a lot of the housework instead of doing it myself.  And I will hope and pray that surgery won't be necessary. 

There are so many others out there who are so much worse off than I am, but thank you for letting me complain a bit here.  I need to catch up with J-land to see what's going on in everyone else's world.  So ta-ta for now.

O Possum, My Possum ~~ With Apologies to Walt Whitman

I forgot about our other news this week!

On Friday the 16th, Eler Beth rescued two baby 'possums from a cat.  They weren't very old, so we took them in, of course.  I called my sister Barbara who successfully raised three orphaned 'possums to adulthood a few years ago to get some practical advice.

Every two hours Eler Beth would feed them with kitten formula and a dropper.  I took two of the late night feedings, but other than that she did it all.  I cleaned them after the first two feedings, the way you would an orphaned pup or kitten to make sure they could "pee", but they seemed to be performing that (and the other function) very well on their own, so I stopped doing that.  We fixed them up a nice little cozy bed in a wire cage. 

Eler Beth named them Lewis and Clark, even though I couldn't tell for sure if they were males or females.  We figured they could always be Ms. Lewis and Ms. Clark.  On Saturday Eler Beth was outside in our yard when she heard our neighbor say something about a baby 'possum.  Sure enough there was a third one.  She named him Xavier. (!!)

Well, unfortunately on Sunday night Xavier died, but Lewis and Clark started eating peach baby food along with their formula.  By Monday they were also nibbling at potted meat and by Tuesday we caught sight of Clark picking up, holding, and trying to eat an apple slice.

Today I saw Clark drinking water on his own.  He is very mild, compared to Lewis, and loves being with Eler Beth.  We took them ouside to see what they'd do on the ground and Clark stayed right beside Eler Beth.  If she put her hand down to the ground he would immediately jump on it and try to climb up her arm.  He likes to grab the front of her shirt with his front paws and with his teeth (as yet very soft and just starting to come in good), and just hang there with his head tucked down.  I guess that's what he'd do if he was hanging onto his mama.

She knows she will have to set them free when they are old enough, but I think it will be hard for her to let Clark go.  They are cute little rascals I have to say.  I have to get some pictures of them.

Some Stress, Some Pain

The past week has been a bit stressful.  Monday, the 19th was the sixth anniversary of my father's death, and the 23rd was the anniversary of his burial.  There have been so many things during the past six years that I've wished he were here to witness, and Andrew's graduation is just another one of those things.

Jeffersonville High School had 378 graduates this year.  The construction on the high school made parking a bit hectic, but there were plenty of parking attendants and local police officers directing things.  The ceremony itself only took about 90 minutes.  Afterwards Andrew went to C's graduation party, Thomas and Eler Beth went fishing, and I came home and took a nap!

Adding to the mental and emotional stress last week was physical stress as well -- a bout of sciatica that has not really improved in a week's time.  I didn't do any exercising last week as a result of the pain. The pain got a little better and then worse again, so I guess I'll go get it checked out.

I have scoliosis and had to wear a Milwaukee brace for four years as a child (which is a story I should probably write about someday).  As a young adult I had some back pain, but nothing too terrible until after Andrew was born, which is when I began gaining weight.  Now I have sporadic bouts of pain in the left lumbar (which is where the curvature is worst), but usually massage, rest, or anti-inflammatory drugs ease that pain.  The pain I've had this week is in my right lumbar (practically unheard of for me), right pelvic area, and right buttocks, so I'm sure it's either a pinched nerve or maybe even a bad disc.  I can't bend over, and sometimes can't even turn over in bed without excruciating pain.  I started to get up from the sofa a few minutes ago and felt like something grabbed me and threw me back down!   Another possibility is that because I have been losing some weight and strengthening muscles, some muscles may have shifted in my lower back, and that may be causing strain or pressure on a nerve or two.  Yes, a trip to my doctor is in my immediate future.

I have not sat at the computer much lately, so am behind on J-land news.  Even sitting up in bed, using the laptop is painful.  And taking pain killers or muscle relaxants has not been an option for most days this week because of having so much going on.  It doesn't take much to knock me out (Extra-strength Tylenol has been known to do the trick), so I have to make sure I'm able to sleep off what I take.  So basically I've been moving stiffly so as not to make any sudden wrong moves, leaning on whoever's arm is closest, gently stretching my lower back, taking very hot showers and Motrin, and, once finding just the right position in bed or in a chair, holding that position for as long as possible.  Lying on my left side and pulling my knees up to my chest helps too.

So that is most of my news for the past 10 days or so.  I hope that I feel up to catching up with everyone soon, and that my plans for the upcoming few weeks won't be affected by my back pain.  The awards ceremony for Prosser is this Wednesday, so once we get through with that I can relax (mentally at least) for a few weeks.

I hope everyone reading this is doing well and that their summer is getting off to a good start.

Pomp and Circumstance

Just a quick note today, since I haven't posted in so long.

Tomorrow is high school graduation, so we have been super busy for the past few weeks.  Two of Andrew's friends are also having their grad parties tomorrow afternoon.  One of them is friend C who Andrew talked out of quitting school -- one of my favorite "Andrew" stories.  Prosser's (tech school) graduation is next week as well.  Andrew will finally be finished with school (until college in the fall).  That's one down and one to go!  I feel like I've accomplished something!!

Eler Beth and I are finishing up her classes as well.  I'm planning on doing some school work through the summer, too, though, although not every subject and not every day.  I'm planning a two-week reading/compositon unit toward the end of June, and we're going to do a two-week math unit toward the end of July.  Then we'll do a quick social studies review and start her 7th grade proper in August.  I'm planning on some two-week breaks throughout the fall and winter.  Oh yes, I'm just so very organized for seventh grade all ready.  I'm so proud of myself.  I hope we can stick with our schedule and zip her right through.

I'll try to post a pic of Andrew soon.  He's picky about what pictures I can or cannot post of him, so we'll see what he allows! lol

 

Today's salute goes out to Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada, population 51,904, approximately 1,188 miles from me --

Sa-LUTE!

 

Tuesday Updates and Salute

I've been extra busy lately; I'm not sure doing what -- living, I guess.  I'm trying to get caught up with everyone, so if I haven't already been by, I'm on my way.

I'm alternating squats with my crunches each day.  Yes, squats won in the poll.  I guess that's a good thing, but I have to say in all earnesty I don't like squats!  But they're good for me.  Next month I'll probably add something else to the routine. 

Yesterday I did 20 crunches.  I only had to do two via comments, but I'm doing at least 20 daily.  I thought that was a good, easy number.  Today I will do 10 squats, even though I only had to do three via comments.  My goal is still to have dropped several pounds and inches by June 20, and I do see progress.

Our weather here was nice yesterday and today, but that will change tonight with some storms moving in.  Sunday was drizzly, yucky, chilly, and gray, but it was still a good day for me.  I really didn't want to go anywhere, so we stayed inside and had a nice family day together.

Let's see, what else?  Oh yeah, we're having a spate of graduation parties here.  A couple weeks ago two of Andrew's friends, a brother and sister, a year apart in ages, who are homeschooled and finished school at the same time had a party.  They wanted to get theirs out of the way early since their circle of friends has so many having parties this year.  It was a very nice co-party.  One half of the room was decorated for him and the other half for her.  The kids had a great time, and I even got to see my son slow dancing!  I was so surprised that he did that at a party where there were adults, because he's usually a bit shy about that sort of thing.   He even danced with his ex-girlfriend.

The next party is on the 30th, and then there's one on the seventh.  One of his friends is waiting until August to have his party to give us all a breather! lol  Thomas and I always try to give a generous cash gift to high school graduates, so we're glad to get advance warning of parties, so we can budget that in. 

Andrew has told me that he doesn't want a graduation party.  I have no idea why, but he did tell me that he'd accept the equivalent of the expense of a party in cash. lol  He may change his mind; we'll see.

Barbara at Life and Faith in Caneyhead recently started doing something in her journal that I think is neat, and I told her I was going to steal the idea from her.  Do you guys remember the segment on the show Hee Haw where they'd salute a town in the US and announce its population?  Then they'd say "Salute!", only they'd draw out the word till it sounded like "Sayyyyyyy-LUTE!"  Well, Barbara is going to start ending her entries with a salute to a town that shows up on her Site Meter; the town of a reader of her journal.  I thought that was a fun idea, so I'm going to start doing it.  I actually meant to do so yesterday in that entry but I forgot.

So to end today's post --

Montevideo, Uruguay  population over 1,000,000

approximately 4600 miles from me.

Sa-LUTE!

The Real Tribute To A Mother

I was taking clothes out of the washer and I found a HUGE paper clip.  Eler Beth saw it in my hand.

"Oh, that's mine.  I must have left it in my pocket.  Heather gave it to me."

Heather is Eler Beth's eight-year-old cousin.

"I don't know why she wanted to give it to me.  I almost said no, and then I thought about how I'd feel if I wanted to give something to someone and they told me they didn't want it, so I took it and thanked her," she said.

And that made me remember picking Andrew up from Kindergarten one day (13 years ago!!).  He told me about a game they played inside during recess because it was raining.  He described the rules, and I remember asking him who he "chose" during the game, thinking it would be Eric, his best friend at the time, and I was surprised when he said it was Shane.  Shane was a sweet, troubled little boy, who had many learning problems.  I asked why he chose Shane, and he said, "Because nobody ever picks Shane."

 

I look at my kids and I see two very individual, competent, and intelligent people, and I'm so glad that I have them.  They can vex me and worry me, and believe me they do!  I may not write about those times, but they're normal, imperfect kids, so we have plenty of vexation and worry along with the good stuff.  I think about things I've said and done to them that I regret, but they don't seem to be too damaged by my imperfection, so I guess I can forgive myself for those lapses.   I believe I have my own mother to thank for any good parenting traits I may have.  So I not only thank God and my husband for my kids, but I thank her as well. 

When they say and do things like the two instances I cited above, I feel like I've been honored for being their mother, and in turn this honors my own mother.  I can't imagine any better "gift" than this.

First Book, Cheerios, and John Lithgow

I discovered this today --

When I clicked to give at the Literacy Site I saw this:

According to the site, "In celebration of the 6th anniversary of the Spoonfuls of Stories® program, Cheerios® will be distributing 100,000 children’s books by John Lithgow to programs serving children in need across the country.

YOU can help decide where the books will be donated by answering trivia questions below from now through Sunday, June 15, 2008. Every correct answer counts as one vote, so the more questions you answer correctly, the more votes you cast. Cheerios will donate 20,000 children’s books to programs in each of the 5 states that receive the most votes. Cheerios’ nonprofit partner First Book will be identifying programs that will receive the books in each state where the books will be donated."

I spent a few happy minutes answering questions this morning, and dividing my correct answers between Kentucky (currently #4) and Indiana (currently #7).  Some of the books I could remember having read a long time ago, but most of them I haven't.  It didn't matter.  I could guess correctly for most of them.  Give it a try!  There's nothing to lose.

I'll give you a head start even -- the answer to the first question is "The Wallabies".

Please click the graphic above and play the trivia game every day this week.

Tags: The Literacy Site, John Lithgow, Cheerios, First Book