A Birthday Prayer for Alice

A Birthday Prayer for Dear Alice

Heavenly Father,
We praise You for all Your gifts to us.
In a special way,
We thank You for Alice
Bless Alice always in Your love.
Bless also, Holy Father,
Those who love Alice
Help us all to praise You and give You glory
Through Jesus Christ our lord.

Amen.

modified from Catholic Doors.com

"vacation" yesterthought

Since my surgery last Thursday, my sweet husband has been home with us. Since, he took his vacation time from work to be with me, so we have tried to do whatever we could to make it feel like it is really a vacation.
On Monday, I made my first post-surgery outing to see the with our family. We went to a really fun theater that offers a full-service menu in addition to the popcorn and four dollar sodas. This theater always includes coupons to go a free movie in the ValPak envelopes that are mailed to local residents. Between our coupon, and the ones passed on us by my mom and Julian 's God-family, we had six coupons to use! It only cost $5.50 for seven of us to go to the matinee. It was such a treat to go to a movie and it wasn't even a problem because I was able to keep my foot up on the chair in front of me. The chairs are sort of like fancy car seats. They recline to several positions making it impossible not to find a comfy position.
Elaina's (3 1/2) Bee Movie Narration: It's a movie about a talking Bee with parents. A mom and a Dad and a kid. Barry had hard, hard work. (Barry is the Bee's name)
Elaina was all decked out for the movie with her stripey top and new bumblebee hat, handmade for her by Grand-Memere.
She has had lots of experience in "bee regalia" as you can see from her Halloween picture from a year ago. At time, she kept saying "muppy" and we just thought it was her own fun little word. No, no, no.. she was trying to say "I'm a bee." We finally figured it out.

After the movie, I hobbled my way through the neighboring store in the Plaza to look for toothbrushes, floss and this'nthat. It is one of those hit or miss type stores. They had one Superman toothbrush, which went to our resident superhero, Pier-Jérôme. But only one, of course... being a hit-or-miss-type-store. Out of convenience, we popped into the Dollar store on the other side of the theater for the other four children's toothbrushes and while we we there, we found a
Bee Movie Activity Book which brought the Bee fun home! There has been lots of reading of Bee stories and the playing of fun games at the Bee Movie Website. Our resident crafty, Timothy, created his own bumble bee using half of a plastic Easter Egg, A clear pen cap for a stinger and lined paper for the wings. Timothy has alleviated my guilt of being the "un-craftiest" mom because he is one of the most clever, creative people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing (and loving with all my heart).

On the way home, my darling picked up a White Mocha for me. Here is my hero! (just smile already - we are about to share a yummy coffee treat!)
He thinks all of my picture snapping is silly, but he loves me anyway because he took the picture of our Sweet Treasures with their beestuff. He is just the bees knees! (did you really think I would get through this post without one bee pun? ) Really, though, he is quite a guy. Today, I mused out loud that I really could do with a little sweet of some sort. He ran to me and gave me a kiss. A little sweet, indeed!

I'll be back on Thankful Thursday! Which, will likely be Friday, because this is yesterthoughts after all.

Blessings on your day!

But we already knew that

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

HT: Mary Ellen

Indeed, it was determined long ago that I belong in Paris.

Life imitates art...

Now that I have way too much time to play on the computer, I contemplated tinkering with my side bar. The first item I came to was this painting.

Do tell me... had you already recognized it on a previous visit? If so, did you get why I put it there to begin with? Okay, I'll tell you now. (well, unless you already knew..)

Last Spring, I was speaking to a gentleman at work and when he discovered my name was Kristina, he said "Ah, Christina's World."

I beg your pardon? (how does this stranger know about my blog??)

He said you know, the famous Andrew Wyeth painting.

Ohhhh.

He described it to me and when I went home, I googled away. I placed it on my sidebar several months ago. It was sort of an homage to my former blog name that is shared with this famous work of art. My blog name was changed to yesterthoughts because I thought "kristina's world" was so unoriginal. Turns out I was right! It was unoriginal. Well, for that matter, it turns out that Yesterthoughts was unoriginal as well. Sigh.

Thankfully, I am not crippled, just a little restricted for now. Yet I find myself identifying just a smidge with the subject of this painting.

Thankful Thursday - Yesterthought

I know.. it's Friday. This blog is titled Yesterthoughts so I am allowed to be late, right. Also, I had surgery for my broken ankle yesterday, so I think you will overlook the "Thursday" and simply consider the "Thankful" part. Lets get to it.

1. I am most thankful for my family. I couldn't even begin to convey how absolutely enamored I am with my SWEET TREASURES and my husband, too.
2. I woke up. From the anesthesia, that is. I know, I had nothing to worry about. But they make you sign that form. The one that lists the possible complications, including making my husband a widow. The anesthesia doctor went over them with me. She was very reassuring, yet honest. She actually told me that anesthesiologists are expecting a rash of anxious patients because this movie is hitting the theaters soon.
   
3. I had the most incredible caregivers at the hospital. My surgeon spent twenty minutes on the phone with me this morning since I don't remember him talking to me after surgery. I guess the lights were on but no one was home. I was really confident in this surgeon actually because of his confidence. He did not give me lots of options (like our pediatricians do.. they give me a list of options for our children.. until I finally say.. "what did/would you choose for your own children?"). Dr. G. told me his plans and he continues to advise me with certainty. He told me on the phone that so far he has accomplished what he intended with my surgery. I am especially thankful for how this doctor has responded to my concerns. He is patient and honest. He was kind to my mom and boys when they accompanied me to my appointment and not once have I felt like something on his 'to do' list or been made to feel rushed. My pre-op nurse was a gem. She home schooled her girls and kept asking me questions about our home school while inserting my i.v. to keep me distracted. She was so encouraging and actually fun to chat with. Then the post-op nurse was so, so kind! She waited on me hand and foot (literally!). Not just me, she brought Julian a yummy hot chocolate and his choice of popsicle and my husband a coffee fixed just the way he likes it! These good folks contributed to making my most unpleasant experience rather bearable. I feel blessed.
4. The generosity of others - this is a list unto itself!

• My mother-in-love (to borrow a term coined by Lindsey - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) took 4 huge (probably 8 in a regular washer), loads of wash and dry laundry home to do for us and has sent it back, clean, soft and folded! My f-i-l taxied two of our boys to the dentist this week. They also blessed us with groceries and eggs and potatoes from the farm! These beautiful flowers arrived from them today.
  
• My mother has come by each day and cleaned our kitchen from 5 children having lunch on their own. Not to mention bringing two of the boys home from the dentist this week, taking me to my doctor on Monday, treating me to a pumpkin spice latte and a treat from the coffee shop for each of our children. She also kept Timothy overnight for my surgery and did lessons with him, too!
• My dear friend (and first year home schooler of her two children) kept our three youngest yesterday. She sent their backpack home with a report from the day. She fed them well, took them on a hike, included them in their home school day, read good books to them and treated them with kindness and love! What more could we ask for! I am also thankful to my three that went because they were good eaters and well-behaved. No fighting, no tears and even no TV! She offered to let them watch The Walton's and the children preferred to play together instead. Gotta love that!
• My co-workers! The wonderful girl who brought me the donations they collected on the night that I fell, found my house on her own (not too easy with the quirky Mapquest directions) and brought us FIVE BAGS of groceries collected by all of them. I am overwhelmed by their generosity and kindness! The groceries were such a treat to my family because there were items that would not-in-a-million years found their way into any shopping cart of mine.. like Christmas Oreos and E-Z cheese in a can to name a couple. My junk food deprived husband and older sons were over the moon! There were also good things like individual applesauces and fresh fruit and even items on my husband's shopping list such as paper towels and toilet tissue!
• The delicious meals sent over by wonderful friends and loved ones, keeping my family well nourished.
• Also covering my toes is a hand-knit sock. It was donated by a kind, anonymous-to-me soul to the Day Surgery department and placed on my foot by the post-op nurse. This pretty pink hand knit sock makes me smile! (I had Timothy snap a picture and Pier-Jérôme jumped into the shot.)

5. My creature comforts while I am hanging out on the couch.

• The Laptop (given to me by my dear friend) - my lifeline to the outside world for now.
  
• The Mp3 player (passed on to me from my sister and b-i-l). "My music has been added to the mix, such as Praying the Rosary with St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Elizabeth always has such good recommendations!), Marie Bellet and my old favorites, too! Next to add is Paul Potts.
  
• TIVO which records a nice selection of cooking shows for me on the Food Network.
• The first four books in Jan Karon's Mitford Series from the library sale this past summer. I am on my last of four, so I hope to get another credit on the (introduced to me by Amy thank you again, Dearheart!), to order the next one. I am out of credits because I recently used them up on yet another Boxcar Children book for my voracious reader as well as Orthodoxy by Chesterton and The Spirit of the Liturgy by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (pre PB16) for our library as well as Peter Duck by Arthur Ransome for a future read aloud. Paperback Swap is great!

• The cozy kitty who is addicted to me! Really. He thinks my torso is his bed. I send him on his way and keeps coming back.
  
• My new cozy robe (Thanks to my doting mother!)

6. Good Nutritious Food! My sister encouraged me to eat lots of protein. Yesterday Julian prepared the most delicious over-medium eggs with a dash of salt and lots of fresh ground pepper for me. They were so good that my husband prepared them for again today...this time with Ciabatta toast. I have enjoyed yummy soup prepared by my mother-in-love just for me! Delicious hamburger soup with lots of garlic and tomatoes and other nutrient rich veggies. It was so comforting and just right for being snuggled on the couch. Our pantry is well-stocked so there is plenty to eat. That is a huge thank you to our Lord who provides for us.
7. Our small house. I have lamented that I am the old woman who lives in a shoebox. Yet, hobbling around on crutches and leaving the cleaning of our "palace" to the responsibility of others for the time being makes me appreciate our humble and cozy abode.
8. Good medication that is easing my discomfort. My wise Dr. has given me good advice on pain management and so far so good. I have just enough aches to offer up for others, while keeping in a cheerful disposition.
9. My husband. As my mother-in-love says "he's a keeper!" Yes he is. He is using up his vacation time to care for me. He is taking such good care of me and our SWEET treasures. He is keeping my tea mug full. Tonight for our dinner he prepared my favorites. Sauteed Cabbage and Mushrooms to go with fresh spinach salad with grape tomatoes with sliced grilled chicken tossed in a homemade raspberry vinaigrette. The house is cleaner under his direction. He has ensured that the laundry is caught up and put away. The counters are clear and wiped down, the toilet and sink are gleaming and the rugs are vacuumed! But, y'know what.. he did not get to all of the lessons with the children. I kind of liked that. It shows him the trade off I make. I can either have a perfect house or well-educated children. The children come first. I am not knocking his cleaning, though. No sir. It was his priority today. The children did art for hours, they did some reading and created with magz. It wasn't a full day of academia, but it's Friday and we are clean and well fed! Thanks be to God and to my darling!
10. I am thankful for the prayers of loved ones and faithful women I have never even met personally. Their prayers are efficacious and they are sustaining me. I am also thankful to the lovely Diane for inspiring me and that wonderful mom in Minnesota, Margaret, as well!

If you are still with me, reading this long(!) list, I thank you. May God Bless you, richly!

weekend yesterthought

Saturday Mornings are usually a toss up here. As in I usually go out to run the errands to pick up whatever items are needed for the weekend with one or more of the children. We drop off the recycling (our community does not pick up.. yet) and coffee is usually a part of the outing. In summer, my Saturday outings most often include The farmer's market and maybe even a yard sale on the way. But the clock has been turned back, summer is gone and I'm not going out and about for the time being.

The toss up is: if it is not me, it is my sweet husband and his errands usually involve a trip to Lowe's or the Home Depot and of course the recycling (and coffee, too). Well, he won the toss up by default because I am stuck on the couch. He got to run all of his errands and mine.. lucky man.

Before the errand running was underway, I got my day started in the bathroom and I fell. and cried. How silly is that? I wasn't really hurt from the fall, just my ego. I was wearing a slipper sock on my good foot and it was a bit slippy. (I have since put on grippier socks). My darling husband rushed to me and hugged me in my pile on the floor. Then he left me there. He ran off and returned with a painkiller and a sip of cold water.

Enabler!

I am trying to go easy on pain killers (as in not taking them unless I am in severe pain, which, I'm really not). Just because I am awaiting surgery, doesn't mean I am incessantly writhing in pain. It comes and goes and it could be considered nothing more than annoying discomfort most of the time. My husband, who was rather injury prone in his youth, knows the effects of Rx for pain and he agrees with my surgeon that the less pain killers are taken before the surgery, the less chance the body will develop a tolerance to them when one is post-operative.. when they will be necessary. Even with this knowledge, my darling husband wanted to bring me comfort after my fall. I hobbled back to my perch on the couch, feeling the tiniest bit woozy (a painkiller will do that, you know) and quite relaxed and not all that concerned with much of anything.

Elaina went on a grandparent sleepover (and upon her arrival home today referred to herself as "Princess Elaina.") Three of the boys went to run the errands with Daddy. Maximilian stayed with me and played with the Gears and watched cooking shows with me.

Today, I woke up with a bit more pain, but I just took ibuprofen to deal with it. As I hobbled into the powder room, I found evidence of little boys who are not being completely conscious of putting their clothing into the the laundry closet and I commented to the parent with two working ankles.

The reply "I think you should take another painkiller."

Enabler!

I didn't. Instead, I got ready for Holy Mass. Later a visiting loved one told me that "I am not required to go to mass in my condition." "God would understand." My reply was "I NEED the graces from the Eucharist." and I do. Don't we all?

Peace and all good to you and your dear ones!

Postponed

My surgery was cancelled and rescheduled for next Thursday. I arrived yesterday and was set up in pre-op and while waiting for the anesthesiologist, I was informed that the surgical staff was concerned with the sterility of the surgical tools. Forty patients had their surgery rescheduled so I was in good company. They weren't certain, so the hospital chose to err on the side of caution. I was thistempted to grumble for a nanosecond and then let it go. Maybe a bigger problem than a broken ankle has been avoided.

Since I have to wait a week for the surgery, this morning my surgeon placed a new, shorter fiberglass cast. The new one is better. It seems to be in a better position and it is considerably shorter and weighs less - very good things.

I am really avoiding taking Rx painkillers unnecessarily. I expected the new cast application to cause a huge increase in pain, but timing of the medication was just right. I am focusing on the positive here, can you tell?

It can be frustrating to be stuck on the couch or hobbling on crutches when there is so much that needs to be done. I made three lists.

1. Things I would do if I could such as..

• wipe the counter
• not hang my undergarments to dry on the shower rod in full display (use the center closet rod) Thank you to my 10 year old laundry elve - you mean well!
  
• put the reusable grocery bags on the basement shelf or in the trunk of the vehicle
• clear the clutter on the island
• actually put the shoes that have collected in front of the shoe rack into the shoe rack
• put the books that have been placed on top of each shelf of books and slide them on the shelf upright, with the spine facing out.
  
• vacuum
• start a load of dark wash
• feed the cat who is standing at his bowl and gawking at me
  

the list actually filled an entire notebook page, but you get the idea...


2. Things I can do

• Straighten and sort the basket of papers and magazines
• Look up the missing part online for the thing in the box under the desk
• pay the bills
• submit the rebate form for the new cell phones
  
• pester my insurance person to rent one of these for me (making the above list in obsolete in the near future)
  
• stop looking around and noticing things that aren't done!

just to name a few...


Then I made a list of

3. What I have accomplished this afternoon

• scheduled an appointment for December that I have been forgetting for weeks now
• dumped the orphan sock bin onto my lap and found about 20 matches
• sorted through my greeting card and notecard stash to find just the right cards to send off for thank yous - still need to write them though
• folded a load of laundry
• started blogging again..despite that fact that it is pedantic minutia (hey that sounds like a new blog name..)
  

While I was at the doctor, Julian and Timothy (and Elaina) did their lessons with my helper again. My mom drove me there and Maximilian and Pier-Jérôme came along for the ride. Maximilian read a story aloud in the waiting room in the Highlights magazine.

When we arrived home, a wonderful new homeschooling mom from our parish picked up all five of our children for a play date today. After work, my husband picked them up and they were sent home with a yummy dinner and dessert! After dinner, Timothy zipped around the house accomplished ten things on my "If I could I would" list for me and then he enjoyed a well-deserved piece of his Halloween candy.

Sighing contentedly and signing off now.

Thank you for visiting! God bless you and your dear ones.

Anointed

"Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven" (James 5: 14-15).

I hobbled into the Vigil for the All Saints Mass at our Parish this evening. I wanted to receive the Eucharist before having Surgery tomorrow. I was in no condition to go to mass this past Sunday. I was getting used to the pain medication and could not keeping anything down. (Eventually, I figured out that I could adapt to the medication by eating a handful of dry cereal o's, a gingerale chaser and finish with a ginger chew.)

After discovering that my surgery is tomorrow, Father offered to anoint me after mass. He prayed over me, then blessed my forehead and hands with Oil of the Sick. Then he invited all present to place their hands on my head and pray for me, beginning with each member of my family and finishing with several fellow parishioners. Afterward, our dear Priest prayed over children and then my husband asking our Heavenly Father to bless them with all of the graces they will need during my recovery.

My anxiety is significantly diminished. I may get some sleep.

A blessed All Saint's Day to all of you.

All you holy men and women pray for us!