Funeral, Flu, Plumbing Problems and Upcoming Birthday

Well, this month sure got away from me.  Our Sister Wanda passed away the week before last, and her funeral was on Saturday, the 17th.  That pretty much tied up that whole weekend.  Dennis was off for 4 days, so he made a quick trip down to the Davy Crockett National Forest and killed a deer in muzzleloader season.  He made it back just in time to go to the visitation on Friday night.

Sunday night, the 18th, after getting home from church services, I sliced and marinated some venison to make jerky the next day.  After I finished, I started feeling headachy and had a lot of drainage going down into my chest.  Dennis got up early the next morning to drive to Spur to work on feeders for hog hunting.  I woke up feeling horrible!  I got up and started drying the jerky and doing laundry.  I put on a load of dishes to wash and noticed the kitchen drain was backed up.  I worked on it with drain cleaner, boiling water and a plunger and couldn't get it to open up.  So I had to stop doing any more laundry (since it backed up, too) and couldn't use the kitchen sink.  As the day progressed, I felt worse and worse, and my fever kept rising.  Dennis came in about suppertime to find a mess in the kitchen and me laid out sick.  He tried to fix the drains, but he wasn't able to make any headway either.

Monday night, my temperature vacillated from 102-103 degrees all night.  Dennis left for work the next morning with the understanding that I'd call him if I needed him.  I called and scheduled a plumber to come at 11:00, then called Dennis to come home and deal with him.  He took off long enough to handle the plumbing situation and then headed back to work.  I went to the doctor and tested positive for the flu.  The rest of the week went by with not much else going on.  I managed to do a little around the house, but not much.  I mainly tried to keep germs wiped and sprayed away, keep up with what laundry HAD to be done, and keep plenty of fluids in me.  Ricky started to get sick about midweek, and I was afraid he had caught the flu from me.  But his temperature never got up much over 100 degrees.  The rain (over 2"!) shut down their work for a couple of days, so he was able to stay in and rest up.  By the weekend, I was finally starting to feel human again.

Dennis left again early yesterday morning to go to Spur to do some hog hunting.  He drove out in time to make it to Steele Hill for services and spoke for them.  Then after lunch, he went out and killed a big boar (which was just to trim the herd...not edible).  He had planned to stay until Wednesday, but he broke a crown and had to drive back this morning to go to the dentist.  He plans to head on back this afternoon to finish out his hunt.  He also has some chores to do around the house for Bobbie and Daddy.

I've started working on decorations for Jesse's birthday cake.  His 1st birthday is Friday, and his party is Saturday.  I'll be baking and decorating the cake Thursday, then we head to Paris Friday morning.  Sure looking forward to seeing my little guy again.  We haven't seen him since Thanksgiving!

The girls and I have also started making our plans for our 2015 Mother/Daughter Trip.  We plan to spend the last (full) week of March in New Orleans.  We have a cute little duplex rented, and Sheila has been finding fun things for us to do while there.  I'm hoping the flowers will be blooming good at that time.  It ought to be beautiful!

Well, that's what has been going on in my life lately.  How are things in yours?

Analogies and metaphors make for interesting reading!

I love the analogies and metaphors that are used in the Bible…especially those found in the book of Proverbs.  Some are very poetic, and some are just downright funny.  I want to share a few of my favorites.

Psalms 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

This is a beautifully poetic verse that is so very comforting!

Psalms 19:9-10  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

I love these verses!  If only we would truly desire the judgments of God more than the finest of gold or honey.

Proverbs 14:4  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

When I read this verse, I think of having a house full of children…and one devoid of them. 

Proverbs 16:31  The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

Another one of my favorites…such a beautiful image!  It makes me think of all the dear, older Christians that I admired so.

Proverbs 25:19   Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

I have definitely “felt the pain” described in this verse!  Makes you think twice when someone turns to you in time of trouble.

Prov. 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

We are used to the version of this used in the New Testament (2 Pet. 2:22) describing one who returns to his sin.  Here we see that as disgusting as a dog is to eat his own vomit, so is a person who continues in their foolishness.

Prov. 26:17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

I love the imagery of this verse.  We all know what to expect if we yank on a dog’s ear…we are just asking for trouble.  Such is the result of sticking our nose into other people’s arguments!

Proverbs 27:22  Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Here, Solomon deals with a foolish man again.  They are a tough lot to deal with!

Proverbs 11:22   As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

This is one of my all-time favorites!  I wonder what all of the indiscrete women of the world would think if they knew there were being compared to a gold ring in a pig’s nose?!

Just a little bit of the beautiful…and interesting…language found in the scriptures.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Out with the old, in with the new

It has been a little while since my last post.  I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season.  I enjoyed attending a couple of concerts:  The TransSiberian Orchestra with Sheila, Stephen and Mandy, and Bass Hall's Swingin' New Year's Eve (big band music) with Sheila.  Christmas is pretty quiet around here...just the four of us.   (Sheila made a fast one day trip to spend Christmas Eve morning with Jesse, so  I was able to see Jesse open his present from us, by video and pictures sent by Stephen and Sheila.)  We ordered 3 different kinds of tamales for Christmas Eve and watched "It's a Wonderful Life."  I never get tired of that movie!  Then on Christmas day, we had our annual shrimp and crab leg boil with key lime pie for dessert.  Then Sheila and I went to Weatherford and watched the new "Annie".  

Along with the good, there has also been some bad.  Frieda has been struggling to regain her health after her colostomy.  She finally made it to rehab in Mineral Wells, but had to be sent back to the hospital due to some arrhythmia issues.  Wanda is still in ICU after her brain surgery.  Her recovery is going very slowly...still not very responsive.

Dennis took off this weekend, so we've had 3 days together.  We stayed in New Year's Day, due to the weather.  It got up above freezing yesterday, and although it rained all day, we decided to have a day on the town.  Dennis had some gift cards for Cabela's, so we started out there.  Then we stopped by Hobby Lobby, so I could buy some cake making supplies.  After eating a nice late lunch out, we headed back home so I could start supper for the girls.  First time in a while they have both made it over on a Friday night.  I enjoyed our time together!

In just under 4 weeks, Jesse will turn 1 year old.  He is growing up so fast!  Dennis took off that week, so we'd be able to attend his birthday party.  Mandy has asked me to do his cake, so I've been having fun coming up with what to do (with her direction).  I originally learned to decorate cakes for the sole purpose of being able to do special cakes for my kids and grandkids.  (The business just sort of grew on its own!)  I can't wait to do this cake for Jesse and see him enjoy it!

Next week, things will get back to normal...everyone going back to work.  I love beginning a new year.  I always go over the past year and make new goals for the new.  I love the sense of renewal that comes with evaluating where I've been and where I'm going.  I look forward to a good 2015.  It promises many exciting adventures.  May each of you be blessed with good health and many adventures of your own!