For someone who had not much to say last time, I'm filled with subject matter today! LOL!!!!
I baked some cookies yesterday. Buttermilk cookies shaped like chicks with cream cheese frosting for feathers. They weren't very good. They tasted like a buttermilk biscuit more than a cookie.
Then I made some almond flavored dough and, instead of pressing a chocolate kiss in the center, I dropped a spoonful of seedless, raspberry jam in the depressed center. They were very good.
We made a decision on the taupe paint colors for the formal rooms and foyer. And, I made a decision on the green for our bedroom. I had several paint samples up all day in our room, and looked at the colors in all different shades of lamp light and sunlight. When the sun shined through the window at 4:00pm, I clearly saw the best choice for our room.
Annamarie's room's light pink turned out more white than pink. We still have to move her furniture back in place. She's been sleeping in an extra bed in Rissy's room. You can only tell there is a blush of pink when you compare it to the ceiling's white paint color. The painter also touched up her baseboards with a bright white.
Let's see . . .
On Wednesday, I went to the GI doctor and he said he was going to have me set an appointment at the hospital to drink some barium and concentrate on viewing my esophagus - from the point where I swallow to where the liquid enters my stomach. We already know I don't have anything wrong past that point. Earlier this month, biopsies of some raw areas and a scope showed everything fine, except a narrowing of my esophagus. He admitted that he may only be able to treat the symptoms and not cure them.
I had the opportunity to apologize for my rantings after surgery about the he (G.I. doctor) and anesthesiologist being "so young." I explained it had nothing to do with me feeling they were inexperienced, but more to do with the fact I'm having a "getting old" crisis of my own. I told him it was a rude awakening when you realize you are old enough to be your surgeon's mother! I asked him to apologize to the anesthesiologist and he said, "He was a kinda Doogie Hauser (sp?) looking kind of guy, wasn't he?" We laughed!
I've started having problems again eating and feeling like a rock is lodged in my chest. I've sipped small bits of water to moisten what sticks on the way down, but it does no good. Yesterday, at lunch, I had a SEVERE episode of chest pain, after swallowing some sauce on pasta. I've had to start using the "GI Cocktail" I was sent home with, after being discharged from the hospital last September. He said that was the right thing to use, for now, and gave me a new, slightly different, prescription.- another "G.I. Cocktail" of sorts.
Several nights I've awaken with spasms that sound somewhere in between a burp and a hiccup. The spasms repeat themselves over, and over, and over, and over until I can barely catch my breath. Jesse said one time, I didn't even wake up when the spasms occurred. At least we know I'm sleeping well!!!!
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ANNOUNCEMENT:
From this point forward, my post will be (quite possibly) a very controversial post. These are my *opinions* and I am not wanting a heated discussion started because of my *opinions,* please!
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On Thursday, I went to my general physician for a follow up visit. While there, he insisted I do some arm lifts (exercises) and bend over reaching my arms far from my body. It caused me to have two spasms in my ribs. The second one was caused because he had me on my back and told me to reach my arms back, over my head. I told him I couldn't reach like that without pulling a rib or having a back spasm.
He believed I "could" do it and insisted I try. I had such a horrible spasm the second time in my upper right shoulder blade, it brought tears to my eyes. These rib spasms feel like a Charlie Horse in your calf, and the area feels very bruised afterward, just like a Charlie Horse. He apologized profusely.
We had not started the exam out on a great note, him reprimanding me because I was late for the 1:15pm appointment. I told him I signed in at 1pm and he could check at the reception desk. I really thought he was kidding. But, he shook his finger at me and said, "It's people like you that make me late all afternoon long, because you didn't fill out your paperwork by 1:15pm. Either get here earlier or download the paperwork at home and complete it before coming to my office!"
I couldn't argue. I was interrupted quite a few times while filling out paperwork for all of my children for their therapy appointments, plus extra forms for Rissy and me, who had medical appointments. The girls' therapist came out and talked to me for about 5 or 10 minutes about the girls. Then, Jesse (who was with Rissy, seeing another doctor) texted me silly questions. THEN, the receptionist gave me one more questionnaire she had forgotten to give me at first.
I apologized to the doctor and said it would never happen again.
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You'd think that would have been enough, but THEN he attacked me and our religion!
No kidding!
He wondered how long "my people" had been around and what my cult or religious clan mandated as far as hair and dressing. He let me know he "hated religion" (and I'm sure he does, as his face was beet red while he told me his opinions) and said he was a Presbyterian and didn't believe in all of their rules. He didn't know what "my people" had for rules, but he didn't believe in those, either! It was all a bunch of "religion!" He looked me square in the eyes with his red face, twisted with anger, and said, "You know that we can do whatever we want? Jesus did away with all the laws!"
I told him, "Actually, Jesus said, I have *NOT* come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it."
Then he said, "We don't have to follow the 10 commandments, either. Jesus gave us two new commandments and those are the only ones "these days" that we needed to follow. Did you know that?!" He look very triumphantly at me, like he had a trump card in our argument/conversation.
I told him, "But, if you do unto your neighbor as you would do unto yourself, and if you love your neighbor as you do yourself, you won't commit murder, stealing, or adultery, which are what some of the Ten Commandments ask us to not do. Those issues in the Ten Commandments are still wrong"
The doctor, not to be stopped (I really don't even know how this discussion got started!!!!), asked me again about my "dress code." What was the deal about me wearing dresses all the time, since there was no place in the Bible that talked about dresses. I told him, "In the Old Testament in Deuteronomy (in one of the first chapters) it says women were not to wear anything pertaining to a man, nor was a man to wear anything pertaining to a woman."
He challenged me, "But they *all* wore robes in those day. They **ALL** wore dresses!" He look very pleased with himself, this time.
I said, "I'm sure there was a distinction between girl robes and boy robes, even back them. I'm not a historian of ancient history and attire, but I *DO* believe it wouldn't have been placed in the Bible if God thought it wasn't worth mentioning. I told him there was no church mandate that told me what color or length of a dress to wear. In fact, there was no church rule about wearing dresses, or anything else. But, in Timothy and in Peter, part of the *New Testament,* the Bible (IN THE *NEW* TESTAMENT) tells a woman to be meek and modest and to not decorate herself with expensive clothing, fancy hair styles or lots of jewelry in order to draw attention to herself. She is to be feminine. Dresses are the one thing a girl can wear that a man DOESN'T *EVER* wear, thereby making it strictly feminine attire."
(The print of our current bedding and window treatments.)
He said, "How long has this dress business with women been around?" I told him women had ALWAYS worn dresses up until the 1920s. and many of them had worn a covering on their heads. And, women were more feminine and encouraged to be homemakers until the 1960s, when women screamed for equal rights. After that, many things in the American culture changed, and not all was, necessarily, for the better." He admitted that the 1960s was a significant period in the history of women.
Considering he was running so late because of *me*, I figured we were done . . .
But no . . .
. . . only wishful thinking, on my part.
He pressed on and asked again, "So, how long has this group of 'your people' been around? I mean when did they get started? This cult you follow." I told him, "Technically" plain attire and many beliefs we adhere to today (like water baptism after an age of accountability, as opposed to baby baptism) come from the Anabaptists. I believe they formed in 1587. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's 1587. (I don't think he expected an exact year as an answer.)
"And, although you and I have, obviously, different beliefs, I don't believe wearing pants or not wearing a head covering will send me to hell."
I also said, "This isn't a salvation issue. Many church doctrines differ in these areas, but none of these issues are relevant to salvation or the saving of one's soul. All who accept Jesus, and what He did on the cross (which was a gift), and all who realize there is no work we ourselves can do to guaranty we will go to heaven - only by our belief in the gift of salvation from Jesus - and ONLY by that *ONE* acceptance, can we enter heaven . . . through Jesus.
"So, my husband and I pray about all other "issues. We pray, wait, hear from God, and are convicted to do what we do. The Bible says If God reveals something to you and you don't obey, it is counted as sin." (James 4:17)
(Purring, smiling, and rolling around like a slug!)
He turned away to look at my chart and mumbled, "Well, that's true."
Then he began to let up on his tirade of questions by sarcastically asking me, an inch from my face, "Well, are you allowed to take a bath?"
I quickly answered with a voice in shock, "Noooo! Never!"
He had started to walk away from me, but whipped around and frowned at me. I continued, "I can't quote this passage like I did the others, but I believe, somewhere in the New Testament, it says, we are to only take a shower on a day of the week that begins with the letter "T" and we are to face south when so doing. But, NEVER a bath!"
He shut up.
Thank you Jesus!
The Bible is quite serious when we read, " . . . be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
I hope I didn't come across overbearing. He was definitely trying to push my buttons.
So there you have my week, my medical news, and some of my theological beliefs! Please don't throw stones - it's been a long week!
(Cleaning his ear and being silly!)
I need to finish this up. I've been writing off and on for hours, and I need to lie on the heating pad. The painter didn't show up today. Oh, well . . . .
Two new recipes coming up tonight and tomorrow after church. Pork tonight, Crock Pot chicken tomorrow. I'll let you know if they are worth keeping! I made meatballs with homemade barbecue sauce in the oven last night. VERY good!
Be Blessed ~
One of my changes I've recently made in my life. Read more, and keep a log with comments.
I had to buy clear soup bowls at Wal-Mart, because the etched floral pattern was discontinued everywhere. Each one of my everyday clear dishes, was a $1 a piece. So far, we've not broken one dish. They are VERY durable! I fist bought them because we hosted church meetings (25 people) at our house each Sunday night. These were better than flimsy paper plates on laps. When I wanted to replace my everyday dishes (blue trim with geese from the late 80's), I could find nothing I liked and decided to pull out the glass church dishes - NEVER expecting them to last for the past seven years! What a surprise!
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