February 11, 2009

• No Rest for the Weary

  I can say unequivocally that this blog’s title is appropriate to my life’s activities this week!

  OH MY WORD!!!!! 

  To those of you who inquired, we are fine, and came through the tornadoes unscathed.  Everyone of them except the last set, in the southern part of our state, formed directly over our city.  Our *HOUSE* to be exact.  They kept naming a building near us as a familiar point to show where the circular clouds were rotating and gaining intensity.  1/2 mile from my house!  I can attest to the fact they formed directly OVER our house. 

  My “plan” was to sit up yesterday and read, but *sit* instead of be in bed.  I spent most of the afternoon sitting, but not on the sofa or in a chair.  I spent the major part of the afternoon sitting on our small hallway floor (“Sampson’s Hallway”), which isn’t even 36″ wide and is (maybe) 5 feet long.  Pillows, 3 girls, me, and scared Sushi. 

  One round of tornadoes would leave and we’d get up.  I had the TV’s sound cranked up and a window (the porch window) cracked so we could hear the sirens going on and off.  When it appeared the worst of the storm was east of us, I’d disentangle my legs from my daughters’ legs, get up (no easy task at my weight and age!!!) and check the TV’s storm tracker (they have the streets laid out on TV so you can see exactly where the storm is moving), and then I’d look outside to see for myself.  If it appeared okay, I ‘d let the girls get up, too. 

  The animals were crazy.  ALL of them.     When one round of rotation left and we were up moving around again, the animals would start to act weird.  The cats fought, the dogs fought, and even our cockatiel would begin to screech over and over again.     I finally covered her cage because I couldn’t hear the TV’s weather reports.  Sure enough, right after the animals acted up, the sirens would go off again.     I finally took heed of my pets “warning behavior” and would call the girls back to the front of the house in anticipation of the sirens going off.  And they would, like clockwork.  In retrospect, I find God’s internal radar, or sensitivity to weather changes, He placed in animals to be a brilliant idea on His part!    Thank you, Lord!

  The shingles for our new roof (to be) were delivered yesterday in the late morning and were sitting under a garage door eave, slightly shielded from the weather.  I wasn’t expecting a delivery or to talk with anyone and I looked wretched in my over 10 year old bathrobe and dirty, stringy hair.  A lovely sight!  Nothing like “unexpected company” when you look like the walking dead!  I’m so glad we hadn’t had a new roof already installed, because we had hail and high wind, and then some.  It would have meant another claim on an already replaced roof.  The hail hitting the windows sounded like a riotous crowd throwing rocks at our house!  All blinds had to be securely closed to keep us from being harmed by glass breakage or flying glass.  The winds were awful when the rain and hail would come – the back side of the tornadic activity.  I went outside after the first tornado to collect a bowl of hail – huge hail – but the sirens went off a second time and I rushed back inside.  We were huddled in the hallway four or five times – I lost count. 

  When things cleared, weather-wise, it was a little after 5pm.  The doctor’s office that saw me on Monday is open late on Tuesday’s, so I called the P.A.’s nurse back because my throat was becoming more sore, than better.  I had tried to eat some baby food (Hawaiian Delight) for lunch and felt like acid had been poured onto my throat’s open wounds.  In essence, it had.  After two bites and my coming unglued, I realized that “Hawaiian Delight” has pineapple in it – an acidic fruit.  C’mon, Cherylyn!!!!     The bloody, raw meat looking throat tissue was still blood red on the one side, the side that had been the most sore all along, and not improving as I had hoped it would by early evening.  The P.A. was sweet enough to get on the phone, rather than me speak with a nurse, and said she figured my throat had stretched so far, while swollen, that it tore the tissue and, as it shrank back down to regular size (due to the steroid shot), ulcers had formed on that one side.  NOTHING but time can cure those.  (rolling eyes) 

  Jesse closed the store early (due to the weather) and brought home fried chicken (all dark meat).  After pulling the crusty batter off, it slide down my throat easily.  Rissy made macaroni and cheese and it also went down easily.  The first meal I’ve eaten since Saturday night.  I plan on making chicken and noodles for tonight’s dinner and, although it’s made with white meat, I’m hoping it will feel good on my throat.  It was a relaxing meal and then Jesse told me his mother was back in the hospital again.     It was 3 different bacteria causing infections in her bladder, again.  She called during dinner and he took down her direct phone number to her room and asked to call her back.  The hospital?  Again? 

  So, with all of the excitement of the day (shingles delivered, children upset and excited, pets going crazy, a bird shrieking, tornado sirens blowing, TV blasting ominous reports, quick text messages to assure me that my granddaughter was with one parent and not stuck at school, and Jesse’s mom back in the hospital), I loaded the dishwasher and told Jesse I was going to lay down in bed and read.  He took over the children’s care.  At 9:30pm, I decided I might feel better (definitely cleaner) if I took a bath before bed.   I did and it did help to relax me.    Remember, I’d been up since 3am! 

  We got in bed together, I prayed for someone in my child study class who was having surgery early this morning.  Then, I read for a bit and turned out the light around 10:45pm.  We were awakened by Jesse’s cell phone ringing around 11-something. It was his brother, James, in Tacoma.  His sister had been taken to the hospital with a suspected heart attack.     He called back around 2:30am to say they were keeping her and going to run stress tests today.  They think she might be very worried about their dad’s declining health AND her finances, since she’s had some major surgeries and has been unable to work.  I guess she’s running out of her saved up money.  We still don’t know the outcome of her heart tests.  I guess the chest pain was severe . . . and scary. 

  See why, “No rest for the weary” is appropriate???  All I want to do is get well and not hurt.  There’s this big ol’ chocolate cake in the refrigerator and there is no possible way I can swallow one bite.  NOT FAIR!!!!! 

  I have a breast exam scheduled for tomorrow by ANOTHER P.A. and they called to remind me of the appointment, this morning.  I explained about my sore throat and all, and asked that my throat also be checked.  She said that would be fine.  Yay!  This place is free, the cheapest of all our medical options!!! 

  Not a thing on my agenda for today.  I don’t dare try to make plans!!!  I will have to wash my hair at some point, I only took a bath last night.   

  If things go as I hope, my children will become my indentured servants and my animals imprisoned in seperate quarters, today, so peace shall reign throughout my kingdom! 

  “Here!  Here!”  cried the beaten down soul of the sad queen, as she sat slumped at her computer desk in her chair.  

  (and, my version of the ending)

  And so it came to pass.  Peace reigned, once more, throughout the royal land.

  

  Be Blessed  ~

  • 12:56 pm
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