I Like BIG CUPS...

It's Monday... the Monday after a week of spending time with family... with NO VOICE. Today is DAY 13 in the continuing saga of "Bacterial versus Viral - WHAT IN THE WORLD IS CAUSING THIS ILLNESS?!?!?" For the first time though in thirteen days, I woke up with a bit of a voice today. I sound more like a bull frog than a person. But, it's progress.

This morning in the shower... I wrote over a dozen blog posts...

This is DAY EIGHT of me having NO VOICE AT ALL. Per the doctor, I have a viral infection which attacks the vocal chords & will not allow them to close at all. When your vocal chords won't close AT ALL, you get no SOUND at all. When you cough it sounds hilarious... nothing.  When you sneeze there's no "A-CHOOOO" sound... just air. When you whisper, there is no sound with it -- only puffs of air when you force them (which hurts, by the way!)

 

This morning

Day Six Being Mute

You've heard that said, right?

DAY SIX & I can't wait until my days aren't filled with these statements... 

1. "I don't know. Ask the MUTE one." FOLLOWED BY EVERYONE'S LAUGHTER - EXCEPT MY OWN!
2. "Wait! It looks like Mom is going to make an announcement." (whenever I pull my phone out to text something) FOLLOWED BY EVERYONE'S LAUGHTER - EXCEPT MY OWN!
3. "That deaf, dumb, blind girl... sure plays a mean pinball." FOLLOWED BY EVERYONE'S LAUGHTER - EXCEPT MY OWN!
4. "Speak up!!" FOLLOWED BY EVERYONE'S LAUGHTER - EXCEPT MY OWN!

This is the sixth morning

Dinner for Five?

Perhaps there are so many twists & turns in life so we don't have to see everything that's coming down the path. Have you ever wondered that? It's a great reason to live in the moment. It's wise to do some planning for the future... but, not at the expense of the present.

Sometimes things happen "to us" in life that we never really thought would happen "to us." In January, we will celebrate year two of having another family member. She wasn't planned or expected. But, she has proven to be one of the most delightful changes to our lives.

OPEN YOUR EYES...

I'm a broken record with this one... but, my life was deeply impacted when I opened & read Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. More than anything, the book validated something I felt had been belittled over the years by so many of my respected peers, friends & mentors. What Ann wrote gave a voice to what I'd felt my entire life... the best things in life are in the moments -- no matter how small those things may be.

• Laying on the grass in the summer looking for cloud animals
• A mother & baby deer drinking from a small creek at the wood's edge
• The daily changing colors of winter wheat in June & July
• Smelling chili cooking in the crockpot when you get home on a cold day
• The sound of snow crunching under your feet during a winter walkabout
• Belly laughs from a little one
• The reflection of white lights on the snow way after the rest of your neighbors have turned their lights off

My Friend Will Be Healed

The past 5 to 6 weeks have flown by, although sometimes in slow motion. Is that even possible? In one way I feel as though it was yesterday when I was sitting beside my friend and laughing about things we'd said or done in the past. In another way I feel as though months have gone by without me being present to what was happening around me in other areas of my life.

In the middle of the summer, my friend was diagnosed with advanced stages of pancreatic cancer. It had gone undetected for several years. Tests showed that it had spread to her liver. After conversations with several doctors, she made the decision not to chemotherapy or radiation treatments -- as they were not expected to rid her body of the cancer. We went for about 5-6 weeks celebrating the fact that her "numbers were down". Anyone who has walked this journey of a loved one fighting the dreaded C disease knows all about "numbers being up" and "numbers being down."

First Monday In Heaven

My "JoyDare" from
a few weeks back.

This morning I awoke with the thought... "Yep! This is her first Monday in Heaven!" Why my mind works like that is a mystery to me. But, it was how I greeted the day in my mind. And, the thought made me smile AND yet feel a little lost at the same time.

Today will be the first weekday in quite awhile that I won't be getting ready to drive over to my friends house to keep her company as she prepares to meet the Lord. She went to be in His arms early Saturday evening. Her diagnosis 5 months ago took us all by surprise. But, she didn't seem to skip a beat as she put everything in place for her passing. If this was her time to leave this earth in God's plan, she was okay with that. She didn't want to die. She'd leave a grieving husband & many grieving friends. But, she had a peace about whatever God's plan was. And, she wanted to

2014 November ONE THOUSAND GIFTS #JoyDare

NOVEMBER 2014 

One Thousand Gifts (by Ann Voskamp)

#1000Gifts #JoyDare

Buy book here...      

Buy Kindle edition here...

I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014! 
GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS!

Today I find JOY in...

BONUS: my girls on Halloween:

11/1/14 Sat

3085. my leopard print homage
still on the kitchen floor from yesterday!

3086. NOTE TO SELF: Check the windchill factor before heading out to work

3087. leftovers from Halloween

11/2/14 Sun
stayed home from church while the rest of the family went

3088. quiet time with just me

3089. posted my October JoyDare post :D

3090. crunchy fall leaves & small slides

11/3/14 Mon

3091. my front yard - I mean REALLY - such beauty

3092. fresh greens for lunch from the garden

3093. making a dinner which would earn the approval of my mom

11/4/14 Tues

3094. voting & not getting a sticker...

oh, and then throwing up for