Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from Northern Iowa where there is a chill in the air. It seems we're heading down below zero with wind chills around 30 below for tomorrow and Monday. It's January in the Midwest! It's very odd that we don't have any snow on the ground and I'm sure that will not help farmers come spring. Still, there's plenty of time for snow to come. Speaking of chilly weather, we traveled last Tuesday in -25 wind chills to Rochester Minnesota to see the lymphedema specialist at Mayo Clinic. She was able to tell us that my arm looks the best it has since I first saw her 3 years ago. We're being diligent with what we do and it's paying off. And I say we because even though I'm the one putting the glove and sleeve on and using the pump on my arm to circulate fluid every day, Joel is the one that has to wrap my arm twice a week to keep it tight. In regards to that we have been given 6 months off of wrapping! This was good news and we're all for good news! And speaking of cold weather my artificial eye has been acting up with matting and watering ao we head back over to Rochester tomorrow to see them and find out if it's okay. On a Sunday! On a very bitterly cold windy Sunday! Thank heavens for heated seats and good cars! 

I have been walking 15 minutes a day building back up after covid. Every healthcare provider and professional that we have talked to has said it takes a long time for your energy to completely return. So we're grateful that we feel as well as we do......we take an extra nap or two if we need to. Joel has done some woodworking but not very much because his finger is still healing from that saw cut. He's been working in the office and we've gotten some cleaning done. We finally got the tree put away!  We don't really miss the tree but we miss the lights. This past week we watched the movie Six Triple Eight on Netflix. It was an excellent movie and I would highly recommend it to everyone. We also started our scavenger hunt monthly adventures that are oldest daughter set up for us as part of our Christmas gift. We headed down to the local bookstore, Three Bells Bookstore,  to pick up our gift card and to look around this special little place. It was fun and we were required to take a picture of ourselves on one of the sofas and send it back to our daughter and son-in-law! We look forward to more local Adventures every month. We also spoke to each of our kids this week which was nice! We're grateful for their wisdom and insights and their desire to do life well. It has really been a January kind of week here in our corner of the world. Not very boring if I look back at everything that's happened but definitely January. 

I have noticed that the light sticks around till 5:00 now and for that I will add my first thing I'm grateful for! More Daylight! Grateful for a warm car that gets us where we need to go with the luxury of heated seats. How did I ever live without them! Grateful for good news from the lymphedema specialist. Grateful for a fun trip to a local bookstore provided by our oldest daughter and son-in-law. Grateful for all the texts and phone calls this week filled with insights, wisdom and joy. Grateful for a movie that makes us think and helps us learn about history. Grateful that we're at least 90% back to normal from covid. Grateful Joel's finger is healing.  Grateful that I can write a blog post from my phone! Such great technology! Grateful for sunshine on a cold day. Grateful for all this and so much more.

 Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Good Saturday to you from our corner of Iowa where there's no snow but plenty of cold weather. It has been another week of staying close to home as we finish up recovering from covid. No porch sitting going on! No animals to enjoy! A quiet week.  

Speaking of Covid, we quarantined ourselves for 14 days for me and 10 days for Joel. He felt good after 5 days, actually, and spent quite a bit of time in the shop. Until Thursday when  the wood that he was cutting jumped and the saw caught his finger putting a deep, short cut through the nail and the end of his finger. For about 3 hours he had terrible pain but then it settled down.  It bled continually Thursday and Friday but now it is healing.  This is the second accident where wood has jumped while cutting it. The first time a board hit his chest and left a good bruise, this time we took a little chunk of finger and nail so we're thinking that he needs to get some kind of a tool to hold things down so this won't happen again! He's been lucky twice and we're not going to test it. Post covid he is back to his normal routines ... like heading off to Gabby Grandpa's this morning, and preaching at two churches tomorrow

We've managed to do some cleaning in the house especially getting the sheets washed,  opening the windows up in the bedrooms and airing things out. There's nothing quite like fresh air and  clean sheets when you climb into bed at night!

I have been getting back to walking slowly and building up again to 15 minutes. I can do things like clean bathrooms etc but it takes all the energy for a while. It's not surprising that I'm slower to recover than Joel but I am recovered! Mainly we rested a lot, ,slept when we needed to, took our vitamins,etc., drank plenty of fluids and we ate plenty of homemade chicken soup while we were sick.  There are just certain foods that seem to comfort when you're not feeling well and one of your them for us is homemade chicken and rice soup. 

On Wednesday I saw my retina doctor and that went pretty well. Yesterday I saw the oncologist and had a good report! Very happy about that! Now if we can just get into Mayo Clinic before the end of March!

I cannot help but mention the fires in California. Such utter devastation. It's hard to imagine and I know the TV does not do it justice. Thousands of people lost everything. Certainly at the least they need our prayers and our compassion. 

I wrote a short post about former president Jimmy Carter this week on Facebook.  He was a man of integrity, honesty, and faith.  His faith permeated everything he did,  I am sure Jesus welcomed him home when he died...."Well done good and faithful servant".   

So I start today's gratitude list with Thanksgiving for all the firefighters from California from the states and from Canada that are fighting to eliminate these fires. Grateful for those who are risking their own lives to save others. Grateful for the life and legacy of Jimmy Carter and Roselyn.  Grateful that covid is behind us and so far we're doing pretty good. Grateful for homemade chicken soup, blankets and throws to snuggle under while we rested, the prayers and thoughts of others, the text and phone calls, and so much more. Grateful the house is clean again and germs have left the building! Grateful for all of this and so much more. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Saturday's Scribbles

Hope you are staying warm on this first weekend of January 2025. The Dahlen household has been staying inside dealing with Covid since December 26 for me and New Year's Day for Joel . We haven't seen too much of nature inside our four walls,  but we were blessed to observe a young buck in the neighbor's yard and see a few squirrels running around..... but the bitter cold has most everyone and all animals staying tucked inside their winter homes. 

Speaking of homes, we had  had a wonderful Christmas at our son's and were able to spend time with the three grandchildren. On Monday night Matt took us shopping at the Boot Barn and bought his dad a new cowboy hat and cowboy boots for Christmas. What a wonderful gift and surprise! Tuesday afternoon we went to Lutheran Church of Hope and attended one of their 11 Christmas services. Over 33,000 people attended in person at West Des Moines. We watch them every Saturday night so it was great fun to be there worshiping. Christmas Eve was quiet with a nice meal prepared by Matt. Christmas morning we open gifts at 8:00 and the girls left to be with their mom. Matt fixed Grant, Joel and me a ham dinner and by 3:00 we were on the road because our plan was to get rested before going to Mayo Ophthalmology appointments on Friday the 27th. Life had other plans and by the 26th I was very sick so we ended up having to cancel my appointments which was such a disappointment. I had to reschedule my appointments and they're way to the end of March which doesn't say much for helping my vision. The Covid Crud had us spending a lot of time sleeping...between 2-5 naps a day. . The body needs what the body needs. 

It has been  difficult to accept I could not get to the glaucoma specialist. It is been difficult to accept we were sick with covid. It has been difficult to accept that we've had insurance issues.  It has been difficult to start 2025 with more challenges and no answers regarding health. I have struggled with finding much to be grateful for I confess,  and yet I know deep in my heart there is much to be grateful for. 

So let me begin...

No one can take away the good time we had with our son and his children. No one can take away the worship experience we had at Lutheran Church of Hope. Nothing can take away the connection and bond that Joel and I are blessed to have in our 56th year of marriage. No one can take away the miracles that have occurred in our lives in the past and the ones we hope for for the future. Nothing can get in the way and by nothing I mean Satan because he is the enemy that has come to kill steal and destroy. As my energy slowly returns so does my desire to give thanks no matter what the circumstances. I don't give thanks for the circumstances I give thanks in the circumstances because we know who wins the war. Jesus.  I am giving thanks for the reminders of how blessed we are . Giving thanks for people in our lives like Kendra who fights such a difficult battle but does it so well . Giving thanks in our life for people like the family member who had a 1% chance to live and now is discharged from the hospital and in a rehab center with more miracles than we can count ! Giving thanks for people who encourage who stand firm who rejoice who are richly blessed and who serve God Faithfully like Mary Lou and Keith and Jane . The list goes on and on of people and places and memories and blessings . We pray that your 2025 is filled joy we give thanks that we are still here to lift ourv voices and to lift our hearts in 2025.

And more....I am so grateful that we did not have severe cases of covid even though it feels like it's dragging on and on it is not settled in our lungs and we are doing okay. Grateful that homemade soup is helping, grateful for homeopathic remedies for over the counter medications for the power of Prayer. Grateful for all the sleep we've accumulated! A good way to heal. Grateful for family who have reached out to us during this covid battle. Grateful for Herbal cough drops grateful for white grape juice when water tastes bitter. Grateful for recliners and sofas that make our lives comfortable. Grateful for baggy clothes and comfortable bathrobes. Grateful for a warm house and a fireplace. Grateful for distracting TV or music.  Grateful for audio books. Grateful for each other. Grateful, oh so very grateful that this too shall pass! 

Enjoy your weekend and give thanks to God above for 2025!