Good Saturday to you from our corner of the world where warmer fall like weather has returned after some chilly days. This morning as I lay in bed I heard a squirrel running across our roof which reminded me of the busy little rodent we saw gathering leaves this past week. We were trying to see where he was making a nest, and discovered it was in the tree we see from our living room window. Winter is coming and he was getting ready.
Speaking of winter, we have avoided most of the snow that covered the Midwest, having only a half inch that lasted a couple of days. Joel has been busy mulching and raking leaves lately~ an endless project in our yard. He keeps up the job usually until the snow comes because our one Maple drops leaves very late in the season.
It has been a crazy week here. Joel is still "recovering" from his bike accident which really left just a few scraps and bruises. Unfortunately it seems that the physical trauma from that has triggered Shingles. The NP said she felt it was the cause but also a major component can be stress. The immune system is unable to keep the virus dormant. She asked if Joel had any added stress lately? Seriously? Doesn't everybody?!?! It was caught early and he is on antivirals to help keep his immune system up to par. It is a crazy world when I looked at the red pus-filled rash and wondered if it was a Covid rash or Shingles. In my head I am thinking, I hope it is Shingles. Now, at any other time in our world I would be worried to hear it was Shingles, right? But in the world of Covid.......well..........
Yesterday we were having our morning devotions and I was reading from our Guideposts "All God's Creatures" daily devotional for animal lovers. A story was shared about Water Buffalo. It seems you can milk Water Buffalos and the high buttermilk content can be used to make the best gelato! What a delightful bit of knowledge to learn. Who knew they could be milked! And gelato? Wow!
This story had us thinking about our time in The Philippines. We saw Water Buffalo everywhere and we called them, "Filipino Tractors" because that is what they were. Big lumbering animals with wide horns that farmers used for planting and carrying. Sometimes we miss The Philippines. The people we knew, the experiences we had. We don't miss the heat and humidity, but we have always enjoyed new adventures! It was not the safest country and still isn't. We used to go to a Serviceman's Christian Center off the base and talk with missionaries who came there. One family came to stay awhile because they were warned that guerillas were coming to kill them so they had to flee. They were called guerillas then, but now we would call them terrorists I expect. Often at night we would hear gunfire up in the hills and our planes were shot at once in awhile as they left or landed on the base. We were under Marshall Law so we could not leave our homes after 10 pm. We hired 24/7 guards for the area where we lived off base, and had big yard lights, cement block walls with barbed wire or broken glass on top with steel gates that we locked. We also had bars on all our windows. It was the way it was in the 70's. Living in a third world country shaped the rest of our lives. So much of the two years we were there gave us experiences and great memories, including that of the Water Buffalo.
This past Wednesday was hair cutting day here. I have been cutting Joel's hair for decades, but with Covid on a big upward climb in our county, I decided not to call my hairdresser who always comes to the house. She is a gem, but works out in the world so Joel and I cut my hair again and I am still thinking we do a pretty good job considering!! It is just nice to have hair again....very thin on top and mostly white, but it is hair.
Today is Halloween. We have decided not to pass out candy due to Covid. Halloween is not my favorite time of year but we always enjoy when the kids come to the house. Not this year. I follow and read the books of Ana Werner and she shared a story this week that made us laugh out loud. She had taken he 5 year old son to Target and evidently some of the Halloween stuff there scared him. All of a sudden at the top of his lungs he yelled, "I rebuke you Halloween!" Funny.........so cute. Our middle daughter sent us this picture that made us chuckle.......My reply was, "Yes, we will take two please."
I saw a video on Facebook where a nursing home had some kind of contraption created that made it possible for people there to hug their loved ones. It brought tears to my eyes to see the one woman hold her son and hug and hug on him. We all need human touch, we need to connect with those we love. It reminds me of another story I watched about a nurse in Billings MT who was in tears as he shared how his first Covid patient to die, did so alone and he vowed then not to let that happen again. Twenty three of his patients have died from Covid and he has been holding the hand of everyone as they took their last breath, so they would not die alone. There are so many beautiful stories of beautiful people out there.
Speaking of beautiful people, this past week our middle daughter had a birthday and we were able to visit with her on the phone the day before for two hours. It was wonderful! We treasure the time spent with our children, and sure do miss seeing them. We enjoy texting of course and love the pictures that come across our phones, but hearing the voices of those we love makes such a difference to us. I have shared this before, but I used to call my mom once a week for many years and it would cost us for every minute spent on the phone. It was expensive! Just to call on our cells anytime and nearly any place is really a gift!
There are lots of gifts to be thankful for this week. The Shingles not being Covid, the antivirals to help the Shingles, the hair cuts, sunshine for Joel and cloudy days for me, laughter, the antics of animals, Joel's book soon in our hands, texting, phone calls, pictures, people helping people, homemade cookies, an online Bible Study, walks in the park and our association, the "full armor of God"!
Enjoy your weekend, people!
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