Live Once. Value Everything.

  

This week, brought to you by... Prednisone.  It's the sad truth.  I still have an unimaginable time wrapping my head around the idea that I can "overdo it" with the pathetic amount of "activity" I do manage to get.

Recently, we were hiking 3 days in a row, and on day 2, we hiked a ways off-trail, where it was quite steep, and I also had Garmin pulling me every which way.  The next day I was experiencing nearly unbearable sciatica down through my big toe, and a burning knife sensation to my lateral thigh. I also noticed a swollen and painful buldge of muscle spasms on the outside of the right side of my spine. (The scratch and lines are from a was-just-there ice pack.)

 All symptoms pointed toward an angry, inflamed, bulging L5/S1.  

After ice and Motrin failed me, I succumbed to the Ortho appt for some Prednisone, which always improves things about 80%!  Of course, this is only a very temporary fix, BUT enough to get me through this week of getting the house ready to list for sale.  Sold.

I'm intent on continuing with Our Life, while we prepare to move.  We have so much to do to get this old house ready, but it's so important to me that we keep busy doing life at the same time. After all, Summer 2014 will only go around once.

The ol' cards in the spokes trick to replicate the
sounds of a motorcycle...

art

keepin' it real
It was extra challenging this week, with Tony away on his annual KC mill tour. His schedule of travel and work sounds exhausting... a new location each day - Utah, Texas, Georgia.

So, I'm about to get real with the way I handled meals this week.  Well, there weren't any. No dinners, anyway... breakfast and lunch carried on as usual. (I mean, I'm not a total animal.)  I typically run my dishwasher twice a day, and currently, it hasn't been turned on since Tuesday.  I opted for the over-fed, and under-nourished option allll week, of eating on the fly for dinner.  This mama was not cooking. Something had to give.  The pros? I painted, packed, organized and sorted through the dinner hour every night. (Is that a 'pro?') Last night, the kids couldn't even agree on a place to eat dinner.  Not one. Well, it was ok - after all, my master plan with this, all along was to rid them of absolutely any desire, whatsover, for fast food.  Right. Mission: Accomplished, I guess.  

Our realtor came today, to take measurements of all of the rooms and take pictures.  It is hardly a stretch to say that I have been working night and day on all that needs to be done, in order to be ready. Patching and painting, cleaning and scrubbing, and much more that I'm sure I've already repressed.  Shower and bed at 1am, and do it all again :) And it's been an eerie week...  I have picked up a few extra hours at work, as another nurse is on vacay.  Also, Ava started a babysitting job for a neighbor.  I had to call a cease-fire on schedules only once, and postpone S's guitar lesson.  Other than that, we were rolling with it; lots of snuggles (S awaits in my bed tonight!), friends and sleepovers.  And lots and lots of grace in the madness.

Time was well-spent with sweet friends we will miss so!  It's been great for Ava to have a friend who is also making a move out of state this summer!

As it stands right now, all of what remains, in material of this life we've had for the past 8 years here, is painted over, and packed up in bins.  It was freeing and tear-jerking all at once to close this chapter; taking down pictures of the tiny, adventurous kids who grew up in this old house.  Chubby Soren, Chatty Ava, and Sweet, SO Sweet and Smiley Gressa.  First steps and words...tandem diaper changes... these walls hold it all.  It's the only place G's ever called home, which was painfully obvious as she climbed into bed one night.

"Mama...?  Will someone live in our house while we are away in Arkansas?"

"Well, yes.  Someone will buy our house," I said, gently.

But... then how will we stay here when we come back to visit, and when we move back in two years?" 

Aw.  Eyes.  Stinging.  She just can't imagine home being anywhere else but here.

After she became teary, I replied, "Gressa, you know what's special about this house?"

"What, mama?" 

"What's special about this house, is the people we share it with, not the house itself.  It's the memories and the good times.  And those will not stop; they will go with us wherever we live."

Relief on the girl's face. 

Thank you, Jesus for your speedy guidance on that one. 

Tonight, I rest... and unwind and reflect with a little J. Vineyard Pinot Gris.  What sweet joy.  This week literally flash-flooded with blessings.  They rushed in, from every direction.  Every time I answered a call, or a text, or even opened the door, a friend was there helping with kind words or favors (including the extremely well-timed gift of J wine.) All of these divine gifts, made this week incredibly easier. 

I'm so intensely grateful for it all. 

My current rendezvous with Prednisone is about to expire... I am going to give Zyflamend a try.  The ingredients of anti-inflammatory Chinese herbs (mainly ginger and tumeric) sound hopeful. We'll see.

Rough day at the Tailwagger's pond
for this guy. 

Live Once.  Value Everything.