Quiet Please!

In the hustle, bustle, and busyiness of life, a quiet moment can be a rarity.  We are so bombarded with distracting sounds that many of us have to add a layer of "white" noise so that we can rest or think. 

 

There are sounds of the home - appliances running, doors slamming, children laughing or crying, and media blaring. 

 

Beyond our walls, there are sounds of the community - vehicles, rescue sirens, barking dogs, lawn maintenance equipment, and neighborhood children at play.

 

And sometimes, deep within our souls, there are distracting noises of discontent, fear, guilt, anxiety, and hopelessness.

 

A portion of the view from the upper deck of our cabin in Wears Valley.

This evening, I've found a quiet moment.  We are at the halfway point in our family vacation, and following an afternoon of rambunctious fun (which included our youngest eating rock candy and dipping it into powdered sugar before each bite - yes, rambunctious!), my husband has taken the kids to the pool to give my ears - and my overworked ankle - a rest. 

 

It's amazing what one can notice when it's quiet.  The cicadas and crickets sing their sunset chorus.  A gentle, cool mountain breeze rustles the leaves of the tall, sturdy trees.  Occasionally the snapping of twigs grabs my attention as I look to see if I'm being visited by one of the many black bear that are often seen lumbering through these parts.    And then there is the hum of the jacuzzi on the lower deck...a reminder that we still love our amenities.  :-)

As I sit and soak in these soothing sounds, I'm reminded that in less than a week my world is going to become twice as noisy as it's been all summer.  The school bell will ring, and our returning students plus a healthy batch of new ones will bustle through the doors eagerly anticipating another school year.  Our days will be filled with the added pressures of homework, music lessons, and lunch packing.  Life's noises will threaten to drown the quiet that is needed to maintain balance, and it will be easier to succumb to the spin cycle and quickly find ourselves completely wrung out than to intentionally step aside and find a quiet place to rejuvenate the spirit.   

 

No matter your occupation, your family composition, or your geographic location, you're living in a noisy world.  Take a little time to find yourself a quiet place.  Listen to the cicadas, the crickets, and the wind.  Listen for the voice of God.  It's in the quiet that He is most often heard.

 

 

 

A Special Moment

...with a very special former student.

Never underestimate what a relationship may teach you. That is the lesson I learned from a boy who was probably underestimated by many.

I hadn't dealt with autism before meeting him. I didn't know to expect on a daily basis. I was both fearful and hopeful for his success.

But like so many others with "disabilities," my friend has extra "abilities. "  And just as I was amazed at his strengths in the classroom those years ago, I'm even more amazed and more than a bit proud of the young man he has become.

So when the opportunity presents itself, step out of your comfort zone and embrace someone who faces challenges that are different from your own. Offer to walk along beside them for at least a part of their journey. They will likely benefit, but I guarantee you'll benefit more.

The Reality of Suffering

I'll admit it. I've had a pretty cushy life.

Haven't experienced much pain.

No great tragedies of which to speak.

Never been in utter despair.

But I've had a brush with a reality that turned my life upside down for a moment; the extent of which is yet unknown.

And I've learned that this is true. So true.

"Your most profound and intimate experiences

of worship will likely be in your darkest days -

when your heart is broken,

when you feel abandoned,

when you're out of options,

when the pain is great -

and you turn to God alone."

-Rick Warren

 

So, Whaddya Think?

Since my whole shoe inventory is fixin' to undergo a major purge, I thought I'd check into my options for supportive, neutral footwear that would protect my joints, provide stability, AND keep me from looking like a 95-year-old granny. I'm quite sure my search was unsuccessful.

Yup, I'm serious. Kohls.com - women's athletic shoes - beige.

Oh, and just for fun...

It might be worth the $50 just to see the sheer panic on the faces of my kids!

If you like them, I won't judge.  :-)

"I see you're on your feet!"

This was the exclamation of one of my little piano students who came for her lesson this morning.  "Yes, and this feels soooo much better than that wheelchair," I replied with a broad smile.  :-)

The road has been long.  Nine weeks tomorrow, to be exact.  Ten days ago, this cast was removed:

Glad I went with purple...
it withstood lots of campmeeting dirt!

My surgeon was specific about two things, and I've tried to keep them in mind -

• The broken bones have not healed, they are healing.
• Healing does not occur during periods of mobility, but during rest.

For the first few days with the walking boot, I relied heavily on my knee walker and regular walker.  I didn't expect to have such heel and leg pain, but now that I know it's normal I'm trying to walk and work through it.  The most difficult thing for me is getting over the fear that it will happen again.  The walking boot has more bulk than a cast, but I've quickly learned to be thankful for all the padding and the air that I can put in or released as needed. 

And after not being able to drive for 8 weeks and 6 days, I decided I'd had enough of that and took off for the bank and my favorite coffee shop yesterday morning.  Right foot on the gas, left foot on the brake. :-)  I picked a low traffic time, and made use of the drive thru at both places.  After reading some things online last night, I'm guessing I wasn't supposed to do it, and I can't say that it really felt comfortable or safe, so that'll probably be the extent of it for awhile. 

I'm to see the OS again Monday, and I'm thinking he'll probably wean me off the the boot.  He's also going to check my ROM to see if I need PT. My leg muscles are quite atrophied, so that's another issue that hinders balance and endurance.

Did I mention bulk?   :-)

And a bit of advice for all of us -

Have a great day!

Crack Really Can Kill...

your summer, that is!  Especially if you land on your face and break a leg! LOL!  Do you realize how many cracks are in sidewalks?  Practically every walking surface is like one big accident waiting to happen! Believe me...I notice them all now. 

I'm tempted to start hoarding away money into an "in case it ever happens again" account. Seriously, if I'm ever again in a cast, all I ask for is a handicap accessible guest house on Mackinac Island.  I could ride my scooter to the lake every day, and enjoy being unable to do anything else.  :-)

Yes, please!

Ah, back to reality...

I have been in a cast almost seven weeks now.  When I went to my last appointment on June 1st, the doc took my stitches out and my lime green cast was replaced with a pretty purple.  My incisions looked so much better!  I didn't have x-rays at that visit, so it's hard to tell exactly what's going on under the skin, but it feels like it is healing properly. 

My little attempt at humor could leave the wrong impression.  My summer is as busy as any I've ever lived.  Thanks to the generosity of people who care about me, I have all of the equipment I need to do the things I really want to do.  As I write, I'm sitting in my camper in Frankfort, IN.  Church camp is the highlight of my year, and I look forward to spending two weeks away from normal demands to focus on spiritual growth and fellowship.  One gentleman made a huge set of steps for the entry door of our RV.  Each step is 20" deep, allowing plenty of space for my walker.  He made the step height and grade so that there would be minimal difficulty for me to navigate them alone.  My sister-in-law's mom had an awesome knee scooter sitting in her barn, and she offered it to me.

Meet my best friend.  :-)

Another friend brought a golf cart for me to use to get from building to building on this rather spread out campground.   I''m so blessed to have these tools that make my life 110x easier!

And the good news is that July 1st, at 2 p.m., I will hopefully be able to transition to a walking boot!  Yeah, I know...they're bulky and ugly.  But hey, have you ever gone 7.5 weeks without shaving one leg?  Ewww...I'm ready!!!

It's Skyline Time!

image

Gotta love it...or hate it!  I don't remember hearing anyone say, "It's not my favorite, but it's ok..." No, either you crave Skyline or you curl your nose and say, "It doesn't even taste like chili!" 

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve Skyline.  We would often (like really often) travel to Cincinnati to visit family, and few things were more fun than heading to Skyline with my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I have some of the coolest aunts, uncles, and cousins, so it was a win-win.  :-)  Fun times, to say the least! 

Anyway, a few years ago Skyline came to Lima and we developed a tight relationship...lol.  Tuesday night was kid's night, and it was great to be able to walk in and pay for two adult meals and have all four kids eat free.  Not only that, they had a craft table and they would entertain our kids for about 30 minutes, which gave us a free babysitter.  :-)

Time moved on, and the boys outgrew the kid's meals (it was getting a little embarassing to ask for two...haha), so they started ordering like big guys.  Really big guys.  Keep in mind that a large 3-way is over $7 and if we let them purchase a drink and maybe an extra coney, we're talking a $50 meal real quick for a family of six. 

Previously, I had purchased canned and frozen Skyline chili to use in Skyline Dip (just add a foundation of cream cheese, a layer of chili, and a cheddar cheese topping  - warm in the oven, and dip with tortilla chips), but they weren't cost effective to pull off a meal at home.  One day I noticed that Meijer was featuring these on an endcap:

At under $1.40 per packet, I figured it was worth a shot, so I grabbed two.  Once the scent of Skyline (of Cincinnati chili) began to permeate the house, I knew it was $ well-spent.  Even if it tasted gross, the smell was pure bliss!

Since then, we've made several batches of chili at home.  Last Saturday Greg did a double batch in the crock pot.  It simmered most of the day, and we have eaten probably 8 meals (x 6 ppl) off of 8 qts.  We like to use it on spagetti noodles, fries, hot dogs, and baked potatoes. 

I know there are all kinds of copycat recipes out there, but I'm not a 15 ingredient type of cook, and I love it that this packet only requires ground beef (not browned), tomato paste, and water.  If you make it, stick to the instructions on the packet or you won't have true Cincinnati chili.  Also, we've found that eating it a day or two after cooking gives a better consistency.  Usually the smell gets us and we just use bowls to help with the juices for the first day.  Also, get yourself a fine grater and a brick of cheddar cheese to achieve an authentic taste!

Yeah, we still go to Skyline sometimes.  After all these years, they're like family.  :-)