Saturday, January 7, 2017

I Wish I Could Say...

I think I've discovered the secret of life — you just hang around until you get used to it. ~Charles Schulz

I wish I could say that I am not missing my husband so much that I am not sleeping in his comfy top, but in the last four weeks I have only seen him for three days.

I wish I could say that today's ice storm missed us, but we are still in it. I can hear the sleet hitting the window of my bedroom. I am hoping we will not lose power and I will not be driving for at least a day. I was hoping for fluffy snow rather than a wintry mix of most sleet, but the night is not over yet. Trying to get a 50-pound puppy to take it slow and careful on the steps so we do not break our necks is like trying to stop a race car with an oil slick. However, I salted the steps so they were more slushy than icy. My husband suggested the only flat entrance, the garage door onto the driveway, but the driveway was actually even more slippery and we have to walk on it farther to get to the grass.

I wish I could say that my 20-something frost-free refrigerator did not need the freezer to be defrosted again, but it did this week. This time I went for an overnight thawing out in hopes that whatever ice in the door or walls that I cannot see completely melted as I could feel the cold when I touched them. Even with the new gasket, I felt the seal when shutting the door was soft lacking good negative pressure to keep it completely sealed. This time it feels as if it is sealing better. We shall see.

I wish I could say that my mother-in-law recovering quickly, but she is not really. She still has not had the strength to get out of the bed and walk. Today is supposed to be her last on the strong antibiotics, but we have not heard what her blood count is yet to know if the infection is truly over. She is doing therapy every morning for a week, but we have not heard much about her progress. In fact, we do not hear much from her at all as she does not answer her phone. Right after my husband left there, we were not able to talk with her for three days.

Oh, yes. I can say that after the second day of settling his mother in the rehabilitation center, my husband did come and spend the weekend with us. We opened our Christmas presents on New Year's Eve...kind of a rip and bang day. I was so excited because I had bought the Princess a lot of art supplies for really great prices. Beginners quality most of it, but it was an impressive haul. I am hoping she will share with me...but then I doubt if I will have much time for doing artwork in the next months.

I wish I could say that my online search for a home that will work for us has given us so many good choices that I can hardly pick one, but no. I have learned that "designer home" actually translates to meaning "quirky layout" or "funky, clunky features." I found beautiful home that is in an ideal location because it is closer to our church, but being further east it about the same distance to the health food store and piano lessons. Of the few houses that fit our criteria, I really like the layout and it has a master suite on the main floor, which is a must for my mother-in-law. It has about five acres cleared in the middle but thickly surrounded by trees for privacy. It probably is at the top of what we can afford with the sale of our houses combined, but it is also priced a bit lower than it should be because of one flaw...it is on a two lane highway that will be in the process of being made into a four lane divided highway. Phase Four of this project, which is the one that will affect the property the most is scheduled to take two years and I think they are nearing the finish of Phase One. The house has been on the market for six months and we are in a hot market for homes now. If it is still available when we are ready to buy and we can put up with the road construction, the property will be worth more on the backside of all that.

I wish I could say that I have a clue about the future, but I do not. There is some question now as to how much mobility my mother-in-law will regain so she may need more care, but we have looked into home care services and it seems far more afford than assisted living.

My Lord, thank you for letting me lean on You.