Likening the scriptures.

This is something we are encouraged to do: read the scriptures, ponder them, and see their application in our personal lives. This evening I was reading in Alma 43, and this verse jumped out at me.

Alma 43:8 "For behold, his designs were to stir up the Lamanites [historically the bad guys] to anger against the Nephites [historically the good guys]; this he did that he might usurp great power over them, and also that he might gain power over the Nephites by bringing them into bondage."

What popped into my mind next was the current political climate in this country and in many parts of the world. Evil men twisting their scriptures or dogma to incite hatred, whether it be ISIS among the Muslims, alt-right among ostensible Christians, or the worst element on the liberal side of the spectrum. Why do people do this? The desire for power over others. First they enslave their own people. Then they endeavor to use their slaves to conquer the Other.

Opposition is necessary in this life. Without struggle, failure, or heartache we cannot appreciate achievement, success, or joy. We need people who are tender-hearted, those who are tough-minded, people who can solve problems using logic and orderly progression, others who solve problems with compassion and education. Not all pegs are square; not all holes are round. We need inventors who create tools to free up people's time and other resources. We need dreamers who create art and music and literature with the time the inventors have freed up. We need prophets and scriptures and personal inspiration and revelation. We need to see the miraculous in one another. We need to see how our differences fit together like yin and yang to make a more interesting whole.

After the resurrected Savior visited the New World, several generations passed away in righteousness. 4 Nephi 1:17 "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God."

We are all children of the same Heavenly Parents, descendants of Adam and Eve, Noah and his sons, Father Abraham. Even those who do not consider themselves People of the Book are literally our brothers and sisters.

And we need to play nicely with one another, to spite the Devil.

Found objects.

First of all, I found that missing 4" DP. I don't remember if I mentioned it before, and I'm not inclined to go check. It was hanging out inside the ball of yarn that I'd checked three or four times. Best guess is that Beloved or one of the Three Nephites was having a bit of fun at my expense.

I also brought the bag of knitting inside after our Costco run yesterday, and I finished another tentacle (for lack of a better word) on the current project. I got maybe a quarter of the way along the sixth, penultimate one before falling into a book and coming out only to throw dinner together.

The January "Ensign" came yesterday, and I devoured it. I've been looking for the December issue, off and on, since I've been home with cellulitis, and I'd figured out all of the places it wasn't. This morning I found it in a stack by my computer desk. Where I've not been sitting since before Thanksgiving because my CPU was not speaking to its monitors. So I've spent some time reading that today but have not finished.

Right now I'm typing on the laptop at the dining room table while Middlest eats dinner. My toes are freezing. The rest of me is not far behind. I should probably put on a sweater or grab Beloved's sweatshirt and maybe think about putting on socks. It's supposed to be cold all weekend, which suits me fine. Far easier to put on layers than to peel through epidermis and let the wind whistle through my ribs in August.

Ankles are continuing to heal. The color is almost normal, and there's only a hint of swelling in the left one.

Time to stow the leftovers from dinner and set the taps to dripping. I would love to dive into a giant vat of hot chocolate and poach away this chill. Later, gators.

At the urging of my friends...

I went to the night clinic Wednesday night, and as it happened, the doctor who attended me was Beloved's (now mostly retired) PCP. He extended my Rx through Monday.

Both legs are looking better. I've mostly rested, except for the bit where we went to Costco yesterday and hit two Half Price Books on the way home, with a stop for a sit-down lunch. I now have the Shakespearean Star Wars episodes 4, 5, and 6 in hand, and I ordered 2, 3, and 7 from Amazon.

Since I did not need to go to the ER Wednesday night for IV antibiotics, or be admitted to the hospital, I came home and took advantage of the sale at Gudrun Sjödrén. Five new tops and a dress will show up on my doorstep in the next week or so. One of the tops has a loose and slouchy turtleneck, and I think it will be perfect with the necklace that my sister gave me for Christmas.

I cannot get in to see my doctor until Friday, unless she's scheduled to work the night clinic in Arlington before then. I've set a reminder to call her office on Tuesday (closed for New Year's Day, as is only right and proper) to see if they've gotten the schedule. They hadn't when I called late yesterday morning.

I was a good kid and used a handicap scooter while at Costco. The basket looked like something out of Grapes of Wrath by the time we were done buying the things we've been putting off. We still managed to get out of there in half an hour or so.

More progress on the current knitting project, which spent the night in the Tardis after our trip to the clinic, because I didn't want to bundle up and go back out to fetch it. Right now the fabric for the December quilt blocks is soaking or hung to dry in my shower. I'll take however many days are necessary to get it pressed, marked, cut out, and sewn together while honoring the need to rest and elevate my legs.

That's all I've got for you, poppets. I stayed up long enough for a half muffin and a mug of warm milk, and now I'm going to set the alarm for dark-thirty and call it a day.

There's been a lot of progress in the past week.

I was home again today, mostly resting. I've spent some time mucking off the fallow side of the bed, which tends to collect UFO's, books, mail to be read "later" that's more than junk mail but less than urgent. There is a rogue 4" DPN somewhere in my room. Best guess at this point, since I've searched my bag, my projects bags, the floor, and under everything that I've picked up (so far), is that it is lurking somewhere in the bedding, and I will find it (A) when I change the sheets or (B) when I roll over.

The first thank-you note is written.

Christmas was mostly wonderful. Mel and Squishy gave me the Shakespearean-inspired version of the first Star Wars movie (in the same vein as the Shakespearean version of A Christmas Carol, which I bought a few weeks ago and finished reading on Christmas Eve). And chocolate, of course.

My wonderful sister gave me a night light, with her usual impeccable timing, because the one that Middlest has been using in the middle loo has developed a glitch and needs to be replaced. Plus a bar of the most yummy lavender soap, which has pride of place in my loo, as both Middlest and Fourthborn are spectacularly allergic to lavender. And a boho necklace that I'm going to have to be creative in order to wear. It is massively heavy, and it pushes on the sides of my neck. I'm hoping that a loosely-fitted turtleneck top will provide just enough padding to eliminate the pressure without detracting from the lines of the necklace. It has three huge amethyst teardrops and lots of what looks like smoky quarts, and some hematite. It pleases me enormously. And it makes my neck scream that we're all gonna die. And I can't bear to give it away as I did the last necklace.

I cannot believe that I'm the same woman who wore chokers in the early 70's.

Secondborn and tribe gave me a refurbished Kindle, and I couldn't be more pleased with it. I went online last night and got it registered and figured out the basics of how to use it and what not to do. They also gave me some sugar-free chocolate that actually tastes quite good.

LittleBit and 5BDH (that will take some getting used to, as does seeing her new, married name on Facebook) gave me a Winnie the Pooh cookie jar that he found somewhere (the man is a highly creative shopper) and filled with the thinnest, crispest gingersnaps.

I am pretty much in foodie heaven.

I finally connected with the staff of the doctor who attended me at the night clinic. The culture came back negative for infection. Which does not explain the ache in my back and the blood in my urine. I've got two more days of the antibiotic for my cellulitis, and I need to figure out how to get a doctor's note from my doctor (who is on vacation this week) or her partners so that I can go back to work, but I'm not really feeling as if I'm ready, and I can't explain that.

There's minimal discoloration in either ankle, and the swelling has pretty much disappeared. And I'm just. flippin'. tired. Not depressed. Not angry. But wiped out. Definitely something to discuss with my doctor once she's back in the saddle.

I need to go put my feet up, take my evening meds, and wait half an hour for my last dose of antibiotic today. Then rinse and repeat tomorrow. My day revolves around my antibiotics and fitting in sustenance around them.

The morning and the afternoon of the worse leg

This does not look as Technicolor as it did on Facebook. And it's significantly better looking than yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that. Taken about 7:00am.

This was taken about 6:00pm. I've spent most of the day sitting up in bed. One short nap, but mostly I've been up, knitting, reading, or writing a handful of Christmas cards.

I've come up with ideas for the grands' Christmas ornaments. I'm only making them for my side of the family, because I only have an intermittent relationship with the twins and their kids. I haven't figured out anything for Christmas baskets for either side of the family. The heart is willing, but car repairs, three extra visits to the doctor for me plus our normal medical expenses, two visits from the plumber, etc., have wreaked havoc on what I laughingly call my budget. Everybody may just get a jar of honey from my food storage and a hug if they want one.

I'm sick. I'm tired. (But I'm not sick and tired.) And while I am not feeling Bah Humbug, I have minimal energy to invest in giving at my usual level. I'm 99% fine with that, and everybody else is just gonna have to be as well.

We ate the last of the Costco muffins for breakfast this morning. I made a batch of smaller muffins from my Williams-Sonoma muffin cookbook after dinner tonight. I can't taste them until an hour after my next dose of antibiotic: i.e., midnight. I hope to be well and truly asleep by then.

Hoping that I'm well enough to go to work tomorrow, if only to pick up the Amazon delivery that came today and the one that will come tomorrow. Planning to slip a footstool under my desk so I can type with my feet up as much as possible. Wish me luck.

Further adventures, different antibiotic

The kidney has calmed down significantly. And I have cellulitis in both ankles. I called my doctor yesterday morning and was able to get in in the afternoon. I am now taking a variation of a medication that gave me hives after Firstborn was born, but with no hives this time, only gradually receding Technicolor. I'm supposed to keep my legs up as much as possible, so I stayed home again today. I have no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow.

This antibiotic is mercifully smaller than the Augmentin, but it needs to be taken every six hours, one hour before eating or two to three hours after eating. This is significantly interfering with my normal graze-all-day habit.

On the plus side, I've caught up the laundry over the past two days, and all four loads are folded and put away. I've properly decommissioned three garments. I've had a couple of brief naps and read today's section for our bishop's "4 Gospels in 40 Days" challenge and a couple of chapters in the Book of Mormon and a chapter in a book about (extra)ordinary women in Church history that my friend Cynthia re-homed to me.

I made better time than expected in driving to Arlington yesterday, so I went to both Half Price Books before my appointment and picked up three books for the Bitties as well as put a hold on a fourth at a store that was barely off the drive home. When I got home, I ordered two more books from Amazon and a Piano Guys CD for me. One package will arrive at the office tomorrow, and the other will be there on Thursday.

I'm feeling significantly better than I did when the adventure began on Friday afternoon. Signing off now in order to put my feet back up.

Another adventure, now with antibiotics!

So, ever since the food poisoning three weeks ago, I've been seeing what I couldn't decide was spotting from time to time. Just the faintest hint of pink, enough to notice and ponder but not enough to make me run screaming to my doctor.

Earlier this week, I began to have the gentlest of aches in my lower right back, roughly the place which inspired physical therapy from late April through early June. I would stretch carefully. It would ease. I would forget about it.

Yesterday started out weird and got weirder. I mislaid the key to my desk at work. Lifted every small stack on my desk, searched around under and through the unlocked drawers, checked my purse and my trash can and the recycling box. No key. Went to the IT person who has custody of the spare keys, found the other copy, and unlocked my desk.

Sometime later, nature called, and I grabbed for my phone and could not find it. Went to the loo, looked where I lean it when I'm washing my hands, no phone. Went back to my desk, emptied my purse, checked all the places I had checked when looking for my key. No phone. Went downstairs to the management office, asked if anyone had turned in my phone. No phone. Went back to my desk and sat down, then remembered where I'd sat while digging through the backup desk keys. Ta-daaa!

Went downstairs to the management office, but the manager was not at her desk. Went back to mine, googled the phone number, and called them. She was back at her desk. Told her I'd found my phone, and where. We both chuckled in relief.

Went back to work. Moved something that I'd already moved five or six times, and there was my original key. Went to give the backup key to our IT person, and she was gone for the day (to go play with her grandchildren). Went back to my desk, put the backup key in a drawer that would be locked when I closed up shop for the day, and rolled my eyes at the way my day was turning out.

About 3:00 nature called again. When I got to the loo, there was quite a bit of bright red blood, but it didn't exactly look or smell like menses. And the bowl of the commode looked like a tequila sunrise. Went back to my desk, much perplexed. Had there been a failure of my D&C three years ago, and I was going to have to go through menopause and possible surgery AGAIN??? Googled "signs of a kidney infection" on the Mayo Clinic's website.

The plan for my evening was to pick up Fourthborn to come spend the night so we could attend a family party this evening, but I texted her to say that (A) I'd discovered that a friend had passed away earlier this week, and the viewing was last night, so (B) I was going to the funeral home first and (C) picking her up if she were willing to go with me to the night clinic. After which (D) I would be taking her back home if I did indeed have a kidney infection (the discomfort was stronger by this time, but nowhere near the level of pain I experienced with gallstones, and conventional wisdom says that kidney stones hurt worse) and (E) cancelling all plans for this weekend.

Went to the funeral home and comforted my friend, who was the sealer who officiated when I was sealed to Mom and Dad and when I was sealed to Mert. Picked up Fourthborn, and we were almost to the turn for the night clinic when a woman in the lane to my left turned in front of me, clipping the Tardis' left front fender. I am not a honker. I think I might have yelled, "Hey! Why are you doing that?" as I followed her into a parking lot, where she pulled up alongside a shiny new black Toyota.

She spoke no English, was young and Hispanic and crying into her cell phone, but the two ladies from the Toyota filled me in. They had been stopped at a light. She had been stopped behind them. Someone rear-ended her and pushed her into them. She was following them into the parking lot when the Tardis got in her way.

The Tardis now has a crease along her left front fender where the other car's side mirror scraped along her. I also have a picture of the license plate, the damage to the other car, and the damage to mine. The other ladies gave me the driver's name and cell phone number and said that she either didn't have insurance, or the proof of it was at home.

We went on to the night clinic, got me signed in, and I quietly but politely insisted that I needed to give them a urine sample NOW because I'd just been in a minor accident and really needed to pee before I could wind down.

We finished up at the clinic, took my Rx to a 24 hour pharmacy because mine was an hour away and would be closing in ten minutes, and went to In N Out for sustenance. I took Fourthborn home, she texted Middlest (whom I'd put in the loop some hours before, but who was freaking out here at home) that I was on the way home and asked Middlest to text back when I got home safely, because of course my phone died pretty on in the course of the evening.

I was supposed to attend a temple wedding this morning, and the reception this afternoon, but instead I've been napping prodigiously, and my daughter-in-love ran to the store for us and brought four cases of bottled water, two half gallons of orange juice, and a pint of ice cream for Middlest. We had a great visit with her for a couple of hours. She and Squishy are just the best people!

I've had two doses of Augmentin and will have to set my alarm for the third one, because I didn't get home until midnight, and I slept through my noon dosage and took it at 2:00. Both ankles are swollen and fire engine red, and my shins are crabby and tender.

I'm not sure if this illness is entirely physiological, or if my subconscious was trying to protect me from some members of the extended family that I thought I had forgiven but maybe not entirely. Middlest says that when looking at my energy signature (with permission), there is a small shard of obsidian lodged squarely in my heart, and that when I think about these people, that shard makes a clean cut that needs time to heal; that it's obvious that I want to forgive them but I'm not quite ready to do so. I have begun making it a matter of prayer during my conscious moments today.

I think a good cry would help, but I can't summon one, and what I really need to do at the moment is pee, so this is all you get for tonight. I've got leading the music covered for church tomorrow, and I was supposed to substitute teach in RS, which I was looking forward to, and I'm already scheduled to be off on Monday for a surgery LittleBit is having, but she texted me yesterday to say it's being reset for next spring sometime.

Later, gators.

Yesterday was brutal, and weird from caffeine. Today was lots better.

After The Forgotten Carols on Monday night, I got home late and couldn't settle down. My legs were restless, on the cusp of breaking into hives. I have no idea why. And my appetite kept spiking. I went to bed at 11:30 and woke twice before 2:00. So I managed to get something like three hours of sleep. I had to resort to spiking my orange juice with Coke in order to stay awake until lunchtime.

Thankfully, I made it home safely and was able to get Fourthborn home to her place and me back here again in safety. I was in bed at 10:30 and slept soundly through the night.

The music on the classical station was delightful today, what I heard of it. Shortly after I awoke there was an arrangement of "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" in the style of Bach or Handel. Not ruffly enough to be Vivaldi. And on the drive home tonight there was a version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir when Gerald Ottley was the director, with each verse in a different style, from Wagner to Tchaikovsky to Handel. It was hilarious. Here. Don't just take my word for it.



Wasn't that a great twelve minutes of your time?

Adventure!

We had our doll Christmas party yesterday, and it was lovely and fun. Fourthborn made a diorama in American Girl scale from cardboard, paper, bamboo barbeque skewers, paint, hot glue, felt, and found materials. It is amazing.

I rose early and did the grocery shopping, primarily for what we would be taking to the ward party later in the day. A dozen cans of cranberry sauce (half of which are back on my shelf), six dozen dinner rolls, a Costco pumpkin pie, and another can of spray whipped cream. Getting those ingredients to the meetinghouse was a comedy of errors.

I hopped in the Tardis with the pie and the rolls, drove around the block, dropped that off, then remembered that I'd forgotten to grab the cream. Back home, back to the church, park in the no-parking zone by the kitchen door with my flashers on, drop off the cream, go home. Pull into the driveway, straighten the seat belt before closing the door, and discover the three bags of cranberry sauce in the rear footwell. Back to the church, parking in the fire lane again, without flashers this time. Come out to the Tardis. Won't start. Nothing. Not even clicking. Go back in the church, get a missionary and a high priest, who push the Tardis into a proper parking spot. Attempt to lock the truck. Nothing. Walk home.

Let the kids know that we will be walking to church and that I will attempt to get us a ride home. Call the mechanic. He says he doesn't know if the wrecker service is operating any more that day, but he will call. Call from Wrecker Dude. We agree that he will come pick up the Tardis this afternoon.

I've run out of time for a proper shower, so I rearrange my bun, wipe down any potentially stinky bits, and exchange my jeans for a skirt. We walk to church, taking a slight detour down the alley behind the house, where we discover that the number sign has fallen off the back fence and two of the numbers have fallen off of the sign. Middlest makes a note to deal with that in the next day or two. We make a course correction and arrive at church shortly after the opening prayer.

While there, I get into the library and make two sticky notes for the side windows of the Tardis so that nobody in the other ward will have a hissy fit to find my truck parked there overnight. I let my bishop know what's up. I arrange a ride home for us and a ride to church for me today. Also a ride tomorrow night to see The Forgotten Carols.

Still on my list: call a coworker who lives about a mile away to ask for a ride to work tomorrow. She normally rides the train in, but tomorrow she's guaranteed a parking spot (mine) if she drives in.

I'm hoping that the mechanical problem is a one-day fix and that it will cost less than the remaining wiggle room in my line of credit. If so, then this little speed bump is only an adventure. As my doctor remarked to me a couple of weeks ago, if something can be fixed with money, it's not really a problem. My tithes and offerings are current, so the Lord is free to bless me however and whenever He chooses.

I miss the days when I had two working vehicles. The Tardis is a 2003 and has been well maintained. Nevertheless, a second vehicle is now one or two notches higher on my honey-do list. I'm feeling peaceful about this situation and curious about how it will play out, but I can honestly say that I'm not worried. I'm just a little footsore and achy this morning.

Another in a string of good days.

I got so much accomplished at work today, largely because SemperFi and TheKid were busy elsewhere. Here at home, the first load is almost ready to come out of the dryer. I think I will wait until tomorrow morning to wash the third load, because I'm almost ready to go to bed.

Dinner tonight was party tacos.

Middlest came out to warn me that a tsunami of a migraine is on the horizon. So if you would spare a prayer for my kid, I'd very much appreciate it.

Tomorrow we have mandatory fun at the office (the last couple of times have been actual fun as well) and then whatever work I can squeeze into the rest of the morning and afternoon, after which I will pick up Fourthborn for Saturday. And I need to do some grocery shopping for our party and the ward party and a food donation at the stake musical event on Sunday.

I'm sleepy, so this is all you're getting tonight. My goal is to stay awake long enough to savor my Book of Mormon reading and not just read for the sake of being obedient. So, no more words from Ms. Ravelled tonight.

And ... it's Tuesday?

On my way home last night, I stopped at the fabric store and picked up some sports-themed fleece to make a blanket as my "big" gift for the coworker whose Secret Santa I am. I looked all over the internet at the official websites and was less than thrilled with the variety and prices of items that were available. So I did what I (usually) do best: I made something. I hope she has as much fun with the finished item as I did while creating it.

I remembered on the drive home tonight that I hadn't done my usual end of month balance sheet entries, but that's done now. I'm trying to figure out what I want to do next, but I think the best thing would be to grab my Bible and read today's section of Luke, then bang out notes to the sisters I visit teach so I can get the envelopes in tomorrow's mail while the handouts would still be useful. We are having our ward Christmas party on Saturday.

I'm missing Knit Night tonight, but I'm not missing the traffic around the two malls we'd pass between Fourthborn's and the Panera where we meet. I'm also missing a nice balanced meal at Panera, and my kid, not necessarily in that order.

Knitting is semi-stalled at the moment. I'm strangely fine with that. Or maybe just finely strange.

Am waiting to hear back from an online vendor who shall currently remain nameless. I wore my new item of clothing to work yesterday, and the abrasion of my shoulder belt while driving to work roughed up the fabric slightly and rubbed off some of the print. I had faint little diagonal racing stripes from my left shoulder over my right boob heading down to my waist. I sent them two pictures. There were more little lines after the drive home. We are not amused.

I figure that I'll give them a week or so to get back to me, as busy as they're likely to be during the holidays, and if I don't hear back I'll post a query on their Facebook page.

I need to go do something useful, even if it's just folding laundry. Later, gators.

Stuff got done. Sortof.

Woke up a few minutes before I needed to be at church to help clean the chapel. Threw on clothes, ate a few bites of cottage cheese, grabbed a quarter of a muffin, and went.

Came home, added the border strips to finish the quilt blocks, and created a new budget-ish spreadsheet, since my other one is locked up on the big computer.

I'm getting used to typing on this laptop. It helps that there is a full-size keyboard and not one of those bitty keyboard-esque nightmares. Middlest has rigged up a mouse and my backup drive, so I can access most of my documents if not all. The laptop has Open Office rather than Microsoft, and everything I'm copying from the backup drive is now a pseudo-document saved on my desktop until 2BDH and I can get the big computer talking to the monitors again. I need to remember to ask him for help, but I keep getting distracted.

We met the other kids at the quilt shop this afternoon, picked up our new blocks, hugged all around, and came home. I took a long nap, waking just before I should take my evening meds, which was an hour and a half ago. Have I taken them? Nope. But I've eaten a PBJ because I couldn't figure out where Middlest had put the skillet during the prednisone-fueled kitchen purge. And I've played too many computer games.

I'm going to read my scriptures and go back to bed. I didn't get much accomplished today, but at least I wasn't sick, so I'm going to be grateful for that and call it a day.

Lincolnshire Posy

What I heard was "Lincoln sherpozie" which of course made me wonder what a sherpozie is, and why Lincoln had one. And then I thought of "Shipoopi" from The Music Man. And, belatedly, shar peis. I don't think Lincoln would have had a shar pei, either. (I have more fun with misheard words and lyrics than anybody has a right to, and I'm fine with that.)

Today is Day One of #lighttheworld. I have been hash-tagging all over Facebook today, and Tan's post reminded me of a widow's-mite opportunity to consider.

If you want to see what others are doing, here's another link. I loved the picture of somebody giving blood, and I wish I could do that, but Hepatitis 1979 put paid to that.

I took my folk art tree to work and put it in TheKid's office. I have one huge tree and a smaller one, plus some miniatures that will (eventually) get redecorated. And I've reclaimed another square foot of floor space in my studio.

I also took a bag of stuff with which to festoon my cubicle. Three framed cross stitch pieces, the ceramic disk I gave Beloved that first Christmas which proclaims "I'll get my elves right on that", the N-O-E-L that I made three(?) years ago to go on the shelf above the queen chair in the living room.

Middlest has pulled a small tabletop tree out of a bin that came from Virginia which is the perfect size for MSDs and American Girl dolls.

I am full of random thoughts tonight. And water, lots of water. And a little mashed potatoes. I'm waiting for my phone to finish charging so that I may finish assembling the quilt squares for tomorrow.

It was a really good day at work. My desk is momentarily under control. That is such an amazing feeling, especially since I've been staying one step ahead of the-sky-is-falling since I had that respiratory ick last month.