This morning, CBS Sunday Morning, showed a story on beer. I like beer, but only "good" beer. One of the people they interviewed said that knowing good beer is at least as hard as knowing good wine. It made me chuckle but yes, in my opinion he was definitely right. My comment to Tom was that knowing good beer is kind of like knowing good theology. Good beer is created through a thorough process requiring years of studying; a brewer takes as much pride in his product as a good theologian does in sharing his theology with people.
To me, telling good, mediocre, and bad beer apart is easy. The flavor goes on a sliding scale from strong, powerful, and satisfying to bitter water with an odd yellowish color. When you drink a good beer you enjoy it, and you only need one to feel satisfied.
OK, you may think that comparing beer with theology is a stretch, and it probably is, but for me, finding out exactly what good theology is, is not an easy task. My first and biggest disappointment in both, is the dilution that takes place in order to make them mainstream and acceptable to the masses.
I have lived in America for a little over 11 years now, and you can count on one hand the number of times I have drunk a light beer. To me, this kind of product has had many key ingredients removed in order to offer a middle of the road solution that will keep people at a certain level of happiness.
I feel that the same is taking place and has been taking place in the Christian world. The real God and the real Bible is not soft and cuddly; it is not diluted like cheap beer. The real God is strong, powerful, and satisfying, and you will only need one. I am still trying out different churches; the one I tried today was different from any I had ever had before, the theology was good, the flavor was intense, but yet sweet and possibly addictive in the long run.
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Life in HD
I got my first pair of real glasses the other day. They are not really that strong. I don't have to use them all the time, mostly when driving or looking at things more than 10 feet away. Yesterday, when I wore them outside for the first time the world looked as if it was filmed in HD. The branches on the trees in the distance didn't blend together, everything was just clearer. The change was not huge but it was noticeable and very pleasant; it made me think about a metaphor they actually represent to me.
I am still spending a lot of time thinking about Christianity, and I enjoy my new partner in crime, Tom. I have been, and I still am, whining about having MD (and if I ever stopped complaining, I would no longer be me). I hate MD, but the other night, I caught myself saying a little prayer to God. A prayer, that none the less showed me, that God is no longer just a figment of my imagination, he is real. I understand, that I don't deserve anything from him, and I have no right to expect that he gives me what I ask for. But in my prayer, which just came to me, I asked him to please help me deal gracefully with the hand he dealt me, since it appears I am stuck with it. The prayer was sincere, and not planned at all. When I have tried to pray in the past, I have always fallen asleep or ended up daydreaming. This prayer was different. In a few moments, it upgraded my relationship with God to HD, much like my new glasses upgraded nature. A subtle but very pleasant change!
Have a great weekend!
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
I am still spending a lot of time thinking about Christianity, and I enjoy my new partner in crime, Tom. I have been, and I still am, whining about having MD (and if I ever stopped complaining, I would no longer be me). I hate MD, but the other night, I caught myself saying a little prayer to God. A prayer, that none the less showed me, that God is no longer just a figment of my imagination, he is real. I understand, that I don't deserve anything from him, and I have no right to expect that he gives me what I ask for. But in my prayer, which just came to me, I asked him to please help me deal gracefully with the hand he dealt me, since it appears I am stuck with it. The prayer was sincere, and not planned at all. When I have tried to pray in the past, I have always fallen asleep or ended up daydreaming. This prayer was different. In a few moments, it upgraded my relationship with God to HD, much like my new glasses upgraded nature. A subtle but very pleasant change!
Have a great weekend!
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
Saturday, November 13, 2010
I'm thankful for.....
Last night, Tom went out with a couple of his friends, so I am letting him sleep in, I can be a good wife every once in a while. No, I actually enjoy this time of peacandof quiet to just think. Unfortunately I think that thinking, or pondering, as I like to call it is underrated, today's life does not really allow for us to ever just sit down and think. Thanksgiving is still a week and a half away, but I have some things I am very thankful for at this moment. I will not be mentioning names, but I hope that those of you I am referring to, will recognize yourselves.
The past few weeks, I have done things I haven't done for a long time, things I thought impossible, and it was really not until I sat down and thought about it, that I realized what it really is I have done. I have taken back a huge part of the freedom I have lost. OK, I am not cured, I still have MD, and I will not be running the Jingle Bell Run anytime soon, but I have done some things I had given up on, things that caused me great pain when I would think about them.
Personally I believe that the biggest victory is that I allowed someone who was not Tom to help me out. I have for years stayed out of situations where I would need help and Tom would either be unable to be there, or just be the odd one out (you really don't bring your husband along to a girls' night out). People have often offered to help me out, but I have not been able to accept the help, I have felt humiliated, and just uncomfortable having people touch me, even if it is only pulling at my belt hoops to help support me etc. The other night I allowed a friend to help me out! When I went horseback riding I allowed people to help me out, and when I went to Tampa with FDOA a few weeks back I also depended on someone who was not Tom to help me, and to make sure I stayed safe.
I have previously complained about how the lack of independence is the worst part of MD, and the fact that I walk like a duck, and have general low self esteem embarrasses me, and many of you have repeatedly said to me that I should not let the MD define me and that I am not MD. Today I know I am not, don't jump for joy just yet, I could just be a moment of clarity, but I do want to tell you about this past week and about my plans for the next few days, and then compare them to how I would have handled this weekend a few weeks ago.
Earlier this week I went out for a birthday lunch with a friend, it was at a bar with high chairs, so seating was no issue, but I went on my own, and asked my friend for help and support when I felt insecure. That day I was also wearing my awesome new boots. Most of you probably take putting on shoes and boots for granted, I am not going to go into details other than, the video would have gone viral on youtube had it been taped when I put them on, but I was going to wear them come hell or high water or whatever the saying is. I kept the boots on until bedtime that night!
Later today I am going out for lunch with a couple of my friends, friends, that obviously don't care about my disability or they would have said no to coming. I will need Tom's help to get up at the restaurant as the chairs are fairly low, but he has graciously agreed to drop me off, do next week's grocery shopping and then come back and get me when we are done.
Tonight, a friend of mine is celebrating her birthday at a local bar/restaurant. We had already said we would come when Tom was offered tickets to tonight's Seminole game. I told Tom that I would ask my friend if they would mind being my buffer at the restaurant so that he could go to the game, and she was more than happy to do that. Tom appeared more insecure about the arrangement than I did. The tickets fell through so he will be coming tonight anyway. But for a moment we were in a place where none of us had to make a sacrifice in order for the other to do what he/she wanted.
Monday I will be going to an Indian lunch buffet with a friend, once again without Tom, and once again accepting the help from someone other than him. The friend I am going out for lunch with has also said that if I ever want to go shopping, she would like to come along.
All right, a few weeks ago, I would have worn flipflops (I love flip flops, don't get me wrong, but half the reason I always wear them is out of convenience, and because it is hard for me to find shoes etc that are easy to walk in). I would have done the birthday lunch. The friend I went with is one of the people I am the most comfortable around, and whom I care deeply about!
Accepting help from my friend as I did the other night, and as I would be willing to do tonight to allow for Tom to go to the game would have been completely out of the question a few weeks ago. Tom would have missed out on the game or if he had been offered the tickets before we had been invited to the party I would have stayed home and gone to bed early. Tonight, Tom and I could have gone out separately for the first time in years, it will not happen, but I feel good about knowing that the option was considered.
The lunch at the Indian buffet on Monday was suggested by my friend, she knows she will need to help me, and by asking me to go out for lunch at a buffet (will need to get up and down etc) means that she doesn't care, she wants lunch with me.
I am incredible thankful for those of you who have been reading my blog, and shown your support. Some of you have allowed me to vent and cry when needed! I have said this before, I had no idea that people would be interested in my story. I actually haven't met most of you face to face, but your support and encouragement makes me feel that I do!
I am still enjoying my spiritual search, and you know what, I enjoy it even more than I have been as I now have a travel companion! Tom enjoyed going to church with me last Sunday, and told me that he had wanted to go on the trip with me for years, but that he didn't want to push it because of everything else that was going on inside my little head. We have been talking quite a bit about what Christianity means, and what we want from it. Well you can't really choose what you want from it, but I think you get my point! Last night, when he was on his way to his friend's house, he called me and told me that he accidentally put the radio on a Christian program, and the preacher there explained the concept of predestination, and that he now knew what I had been talking about.
I am thankful for all of you, and I am thankful for having found a little bit of self esteem that has helped bring a little bit of the Kick a__ girl I once knew back out.
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
The past few weeks, I have done things I haven't done for a long time, things I thought impossible, and it was really not until I sat down and thought about it, that I realized what it really is I have done. I have taken back a huge part of the freedom I have lost. OK, I am not cured, I still have MD, and I will not be running the Jingle Bell Run anytime soon, but I have done some things I had given up on, things that caused me great pain when I would think about them.
Personally I believe that the biggest victory is that I allowed someone who was not Tom to help me out. I have for years stayed out of situations where I would need help and Tom would either be unable to be there, or just be the odd one out (you really don't bring your husband along to a girls' night out). People have often offered to help me out, but I have not been able to accept the help, I have felt humiliated, and just uncomfortable having people touch me, even if it is only pulling at my belt hoops to help support me etc. The other night I allowed a friend to help me out! When I went horseback riding I allowed people to help me out, and when I went to Tampa with FDOA a few weeks back I also depended on someone who was not Tom to help me, and to make sure I stayed safe.
I have previously complained about how the lack of independence is the worst part of MD, and the fact that I walk like a duck, and have general low self esteem embarrasses me, and many of you have repeatedly said to me that I should not let the MD define me and that I am not MD. Today I know I am not, don't jump for joy just yet, I could just be a moment of clarity, but I do want to tell you about this past week and about my plans for the next few days, and then compare them to how I would have handled this weekend a few weeks ago.
Earlier this week I went out for a birthday lunch with a friend, it was at a bar with high chairs, so seating was no issue, but I went on my own, and asked my friend for help and support when I felt insecure. That day I was also wearing my awesome new boots. Most of you probably take putting on shoes and boots for granted, I am not going to go into details other than, the video would have gone viral on youtube had it been taped when I put them on, but I was going to wear them come hell or high water or whatever the saying is. I kept the boots on until bedtime that night!
Later today I am going out for lunch with a couple of my friends, friends, that obviously don't care about my disability or they would have said no to coming. I will need Tom's help to get up at the restaurant as the chairs are fairly low, but he has graciously agreed to drop me off, do next week's grocery shopping and then come back and get me when we are done.
Tonight, a friend of mine is celebrating her birthday at a local bar/restaurant. We had already said we would come when Tom was offered tickets to tonight's Seminole game. I told Tom that I would ask my friend if they would mind being my buffer at the restaurant so that he could go to the game, and she was more than happy to do that. Tom appeared more insecure about the arrangement than I did. The tickets fell through so he will be coming tonight anyway. But for a moment we were in a place where none of us had to make a sacrifice in order for the other to do what he/she wanted.
Monday I will be going to an Indian lunch buffet with a friend, once again without Tom, and once again accepting the help from someone other than him. The friend I am going out for lunch with has also said that if I ever want to go shopping, she would like to come along.
All right, a few weeks ago, I would have worn flipflops (I love flip flops, don't get me wrong, but half the reason I always wear them is out of convenience, and because it is hard for me to find shoes etc that are easy to walk in). I would have done the birthday lunch. The friend I went with is one of the people I am the most comfortable around, and whom I care deeply about!
Accepting help from my friend as I did the other night, and as I would be willing to do tonight to allow for Tom to go to the game would have been completely out of the question a few weeks ago. Tom would have missed out on the game or if he had been offered the tickets before we had been invited to the party I would have stayed home and gone to bed early. Tonight, Tom and I could have gone out separately for the first time in years, it will not happen, but I feel good about knowing that the option was considered.
The lunch at the Indian buffet on Monday was suggested by my friend, she knows she will need to help me, and by asking me to go out for lunch at a buffet (will need to get up and down etc) means that she doesn't care, she wants lunch with me.
I am incredible thankful for those of you who have been reading my blog, and shown your support. Some of you have allowed me to vent and cry when needed! I have said this before, I had no idea that people would be interested in my story. I actually haven't met most of you face to face, but your support and encouragement makes me feel that I do!
I am still enjoying my spiritual search, and you know what, I enjoy it even more than I have been as I now have a travel companion! Tom enjoyed going to church with me last Sunday, and told me that he had wanted to go on the trip with me for years, but that he didn't want to push it because of everything else that was going on inside my little head. We have been talking quite a bit about what Christianity means, and what we want from it. Well you can't really choose what you want from it, but I think you get my point! Last night, when he was on his way to his friend's house, he called me and told me that he accidentally put the radio on a Christian program, and the preacher there explained the concept of predestination, and that he now knew what I had been talking about.
I am thankful for all of you, and I am thankful for having found a little bit of self esteem that has helped bring a little bit of the Kick a__ girl I once knew back out.
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
Thursday, November 11, 2010
HAPPY VETERANS'S DAY
I just wanted to say thank you to those of you who have served, or who are serving in the armed forces. Volunteering to do what you do for your country is a very noble and selfless thing to do. You are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and that should never be forgotten.
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Hobbits
In his writings, Tolkien depicted Hobbits as fond of an unadventurous bucolic life of farming, eating, and socializing, although capable of defending their homes courageously if the need arises. They would enjoy at least seven meals a day, if possible, breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and (later in the evening) supper. They were often described as enjoying simple food—such as bread, meat, potatoes, tea, and cheese—and having a particular passion for mushrooms (I wouldn't say that mushrooms and tea are stables but they are included in Danish cuisine).
It is not the first time I am comparing Danes to Hobbits, but unfortunately, this time it will not be a positive comparison. Take a look at the above description of Hobbits, nice right? It might as well have been a description of Denmark. However, what doesn't shine through in this description of Hobbits or Danes is a fear of the unknown, and just like the Hobbits, Danes are capable of defending their homes.
For some reason, Denmark, and Danes living in Denmark feel threatened by anything and anyone who is different. They appear to be insecure about who they are and where they stand, and because of that, they have completely ignored the need for integration and communication when strangers enter their realm. They fear the Danish culture will disappear, and are fiercely protecting their home. People, our culture will only disappear if we let it! The beautiful, friendly, peace loving Danes living in Hobbitton, seem to have taken an you either become one of us, or we don't want you approach to immigration and cultural differences.
A few days ago a new agreement was made to introduce new requirements for immigrants wanting to move to Denmark. The rules (this is a short unedited version) will include the following: You have to be married to a Dane, be well educated, be able to speak two foreign languages, they are stopping just short of requiring certain hair and eye colors, hmmmm. As a Dane it will be harder for me to return and bring Tom with me, if I have not worked for two and a half out of the last three years abroad I don't qualify to bring him, and there are certain other requirements as well.
When Bilbo and Frodo returned to Hobbitton after their respective journeys, they never quite felt at home again, the other hobbits found them "odd", and both ended up in exile. This hobbit definitely feels like Frodo or Bilbo, I've been sent into exile away from the home I love, forced to choose between the man I love and the country I love. Tom! you win!
Peace
Frodo Baggins
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
It is not the first time I am comparing Danes to Hobbits, but unfortunately, this time it will not be a positive comparison. Take a look at the above description of Hobbits, nice right? It might as well have been a description of Denmark. However, what doesn't shine through in this description of Hobbits or Danes is a fear of the unknown, and just like the Hobbits, Danes are capable of defending their homes.
For some reason, Denmark, and Danes living in Denmark feel threatened by anything and anyone who is different. They appear to be insecure about who they are and where they stand, and because of that, they have completely ignored the need for integration and communication when strangers enter their realm. They fear the Danish culture will disappear, and are fiercely protecting their home. People, our culture will only disappear if we let it! The beautiful, friendly, peace loving Danes living in Hobbitton, seem to have taken an you either become one of us, or we don't want you approach to immigration and cultural differences.
A few days ago a new agreement was made to introduce new requirements for immigrants wanting to move to Denmark. The rules (this is a short unedited version) will include the following: You have to be married to a Dane, be well educated, be able to speak two foreign languages, they are stopping just short of requiring certain hair and eye colors, hmmmm. As a Dane it will be harder for me to return and bring Tom with me, if I have not worked for two and a half out of the last three years abroad I don't qualify to bring him, and there are certain other requirements as well.
When Bilbo and Frodo returned to Hobbitton after their respective journeys, they never quite felt at home again, the other hobbits found them "odd", and both ended up in exile. This hobbit definitely feels like Frodo or Bilbo, I've been sent into exile away from the home I love, forced to choose between the man I love and the country I love. Tom! you win!
Peace
Frodo Baggins
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The seats are comfortable!
OK, today was our second attempt at making it to church on a Sunday morning. We had our clothes ready last night, made sure the alarm was set, and with only very little grumbling, we made it in time. We went to a Presbyterian church here in Tallahassee. I had never been to a Presbyterian service before. The church we went to is based on reformed theology. This made it an easy choice for me as most of the books I have been reading have been from the Reformed Calvinist view.
We both liked the service, first of all, the seats were cushioned, I mean who wouldn't be impressed with that? It seems to me that every time I have gone to church lately the pews have been wood and after an hour your butt gets sore. Definitely a plus. They had a huge organ along with a great choir, yet another plus, I love listening to choirs, besides they cover up the noise when the rest of us sing out of tune.
We chose to go to the traditional service, I think we are both too conservative for a contemporary service I am not sure why. The atmosphere was light yet serious enough for the pastor to get his point across during his sermon.
Today's sermon was based on one of my favorite parables, namely the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable shows the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful in people. The pastor's main conclusion was that we should not label each other, and always value mercy over orthodoxy. There are no boundaries to Christian love, and unorthodox people, such as the Samaritan, a heretic, could inherit eternal life by loving in the way Christ loves. To me that seems to contradict the Calvinist point of total depravity, but who am I to say?. It doesn't matter, the sermon was great with a cleat point, and the seat was comfortable :-)
We have decided that we will try out different churches every Sunday from now until Christmas. Just to kind of get a taste of what is out there, and to determine whether or not going to church is for us. We will be attending today's church again next Sunday as they will have a special service, explaining Presbyterian worship, the order followed service, seasons of the year etc. We thought it would be a good one to attend!
Today's church had the following positive points not in order of importance, just in random order:
1. Comfortable seats
2. Great Choir
3. Cool organ
4. Great sermon
5. Gift bag with coffee mug when we left
6. Fairly young congregation
7. Bulletin where you could fill in the blank during the pastor's sermon to ensure that you pay attention. Brilliant idea for people like me who have very short attention spans, and who tends to day dream.
Things I could have been without:
1. Prayer for Young Disciples, a little puppet play performed for the kids re-enacting the parable of the Good Samaritan. It was neat, but just seemed kind of out of place, more like something that should be done during Sunday school.
Our first impression of this church was definitely positive, but since none of us are that experienced in the traditions of different denominations, we do want to go exploring for a while. I am very good at getting excited and carried away only to loose interest after a short time. It may not be a good idea when choosing a church. Who knows, it may also turn out that we don't need a church. What fascinates me though, is the sense of security and belonging churches seem to offer here in the US.
Remember soft seats automatically go on the plus list!
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
We both liked the service, first of all, the seats were cushioned, I mean who wouldn't be impressed with that? It seems to me that every time I have gone to church lately the pews have been wood and after an hour your butt gets sore. Definitely a plus. They had a huge organ along with a great choir, yet another plus, I love listening to choirs, besides they cover up the noise when the rest of us sing out of tune.
We chose to go to the traditional service, I think we are both too conservative for a contemporary service I am not sure why. The atmosphere was light yet serious enough for the pastor to get his point across during his sermon.
Today's sermon was based on one of my favorite parables, namely the parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable shows the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful in people. The pastor's main conclusion was that we should not label each other, and always value mercy over orthodoxy. There are no boundaries to Christian love, and unorthodox people, such as the Samaritan, a heretic, could inherit eternal life by loving in the way Christ loves. To me that seems to contradict the Calvinist point of total depravity, but who am I to say?. It doesn't matter, the sermon was great with a cleat point, and the seat was comfortable :-)
We have decided that we will try out different churches every Sunday from now until Christmas. Just to kind of get a taste of what is out there, and to determine whether or not going to church is for us. We will be attending today's church again next Sunday as they will have a special service, explaining Presbyterian worship, the order followed service, seasons of the year etc. We thought it would be a good one to attend!
Today's church had the following positive points not in order of importance, just in random order:
1. Comfortable seats
2. Great Choir
3. Cool organ
4. Great sermon
5. Gift bag with coffee mug when we left
6. Fairly young congregation
7. Bulletin where you could fill in the blank during the pastor's sermon to ensure that you pay attention. Brilliant idea for people like me who have very short attention spans, and who tends to day dream.
Things I could have been without:
1. Prayer for Young Disciples, a little puppet play performed for the kids re-enacting the parable of the Good Samaritan. It was neat, but just seemed kind of out of place, more like something that should be done during Sunday school.
Our first impression of this church was definitely positive, but since none of us are that experienced in the traditions of different denominations, we do want to go exploring for a while. I am very good at getting excited and carried away only to loose interest after a short time. It may not be a good idea when choosing a church. Who knows, it may also turn out that we don't need a church. What fascinates me though, is the sense of security and belonging churches seem to offer here in the US.
Remember soft seats automatically go on the plus list!
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Queen of excuses
I am sure that at some point in your life, most of you have experienced a dip in your level of motivation, I definitely have, and I am going through one right now. I have not forgotten the blog, actually quite the opposite, I have tried to write entries several times, and nothing happens, my fingers don't walk anywhere, they just sit.
I am not exactly sure how to explain what is going on, I have stayed busy, very busy actually, but yet I have also spent a lot of time just moseying around at home. I am definitely going through a period where going to the pool just does not appeal to me at all, I love going there, and I know I need to go, just like I know I need to eat my vegetables. But sometimes vegetables just don't cut it, you want something different, or even something more. I really really wish I could graduate from the pool to a regular gym so I could change things up a little, spend a couple of days a week in the pool, and a couple of days in the gym.
The Albuterol is definitely still helping, I still feel strong. As mentioned, I have been using my strength moseying around at home. You probably wonder what I mean by that, well my dears it is quite simple. I love cooking and baking etc, so I have literally spent days cooking and baking, I have been happy just spending time alone and have had no desire to be around people. I have branched out a lot and some of you have benefited from it. I have learned how to make mini pumpkin pies from scratch, I made mini pecan pies, and my pride and joy, pumpernickel rye on the grill. I challenged myself to use up things we already had in the pantry and the fridge, it is possible to make an excellent cauliflower soup with very few ingredients, you can make great hummus with chili peppers, chick peas, garlic, and artichokes! While my food has been cooking or baking, I have managed to keep the house clean, so I will no longer need to take you to McD if you show up unannounced. We have had to spend less time cleaning on the weekends! Hey that's a good thing isn't it?
To me, moseying feels good, but in reality it is just a way for me to get out of eating my vegetables.
I am still traveling down my path of experiencing Christianity, Tom and I finally decided that we were going to try to go to church, hey, we could always just sneak in the back door, and never come back if we didn't like it. Tom is Catholic, and technically I am Lutheran. As mentioned in a previous post, I don't like labels, I don't like being labeled disabled. Denominations are also a form of labels. We decided to check out a Presbyterian church, we had heard good things about it. Those of you who know us personally, know that we are NEVER late. Well, we got out of bed Sunday morning, we had plenty of time to drink our coffee, read the paper and still shower and get ready. Once we were done showering we both noticed that we did not have any church appropriate clothes, so after some grumbling etc, we found some nice'ish jeans and shirts, and off we went. We arrived at the church three minutes before the service, and ended up getting a parking spot really far away. There was no way for us (me) to make it inside in time, so there went my plan of sneaking unnoticed in the backdoor. I would be the one coming in late, the one everybody turns around to look at. Everybody would wonder who we are, we would be wearing jeans, I enter walking like a duck! This Saturday we will put our clothes out before we go to bed and give it another shot Sunday morning.
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
I am not exactly sure how to explain what is going on, I have stayed busy, very busy actually, but yet I have also spent a lot of time just moseying around at home. I am definitely going through a period where going to the pool just does not appeal to me at all, I love going there, and I know I need to go, just like I know I need to eat my vegetables. But sometimes vegetables just don't cut it, you want something different, or even something more. I really really wish I could graduate from the pool to a regular gym so I could change things up a little, spend a couple of days a week in the pool, and a couple of days in the gym.
The Albuterol is definitely still helping, I still feel strong. As mentioned, I have been using my strength moseying around at home. You probably wonder what I mean by that, well my dears it is quite simple. I love cooking and baking etc, so I have literally spent days cooking and baking, I have been happy just spending time alone and have had no desire to be around people. I have branched out a lot and some of you have benefited from it. I have learned how to make mini pumpkin pies from scratch, I made mini pecan pies, and my pride and joy, pumpernickel rye on the grill. I challenged myself to use up things we already had in the pantry and the fridge, it is possible to make an excellent cauliflower soup with very few ingredients, you can make great hummus with chili peppers, chick peas, garlic, and artichokes! While my food has been cooking or baking, I have managed to keep the house clean, so I will no longer need to take you to McD if you show up unannounced. We have had to spend less time cleaning on the weekends! Hey that's a good thing isn't it?
To me, moseying feels good, but in reality it is just a way for me to get out of eating my vegetables.
I am still traveling down my path of experiencing Christianity, Tom and I finally decided that we were going to try to go to church, hey, we could always just sneak in the back door, and never come back if we didn't like it. Tom is Catholic, and technically I am Lutheran. As mentioned in a previous post, I don't like labels, I don't like being labeled disabled. Denominations are also a form of labels. We decided to check out a Presbyterian church, we had heard good things about it. Those of you who know us personally, know that we are NEVER late. Well, we got out of bed Sunday morning, we had plenty of time to drink our coffee, read the paper and still shower and get ready. Once we were done showering we both noticed that we did not have any church appropriate clothes, so after some grumbling etc, we found some nice'ish jeans and shirts, and off we went. We arrived at the church three minutes before the service, and ended up getting a parking spot really far away. There was no way for us (me) to make it inside in time, so there went my plan of sneaking unnoticed in the backdoor. I would be the one coming in late, the one everybody turns around to look at. Everybody would wonder who we are, we would be wearing jeans, I enter walking like a duck! This Saturday we will put our clothes out before we go to bed and give it another shot Sunday morning.
P
Contact email keepinghopejourney@gmail.com
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