third time's a charm!

So the big scary message from the doctor was - without going into gory details - basically that they needed to change my medication because the strain of infection was different from what she had thought and this other medicine should work better...

Can you hear my eyeroll? I mean... I'm just tired of this whole hairy deal. And... with all due respect... if ONE MORE PERSON tells me to drink cranberry juice I am going to vomit cranberry juice and my head is going to spin around. Yes. I know. Cranberry juice. Yogurt. I am trying. I guess it will help when I take twenty minutes to actually go to a grocery store. Austin and i have been surviving on the bounty of the pantry (which ain't so very bountiful). I have a turkey thawed to cook tomorrow evening. To tired to stay up that late tonight.

I'm watching the battle of the Nutcrackers again on Ovation TV. Tonight it's the Bolshoi Ballet which is a much more dramatic version than I've seen before. Have I mentioned that I love the Nutcracker? I hope to take Jamie and Sarabeth this year. I took Sarabeth pre-Michael when she was 3 and it was such a precious time for us. I had read her the story beforehand and explained that they were telling a story by dancing and pretending to be different things. During the snowflake dance she said, "Are they being birds?" OUT LOUD! It was the sweetest thing!

I think I've mentioned that I have been writing scripture on my hand to help memorize and meditate on certain uplifting passages. Today was Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer". I just wrote the J for joyful, P for patient and F for faithful on my hand. Sarabeth had to have a JFP on her hand too but she couldn't remember the scripture so she had me write it down for her to carry in her pocket! Affliction is a pretty tough concept for a child... but we talked about it as "things that are making your life harder". The really odd thing is that when I was thinking the verse over in my head on the way to work, I actually said to myself, "I don't really have any affliction..." DOINK! Oh yeah... there's that whole divorce thing... brokenheart... kidney infection... those sort of things. But I tell you... there are times that it's all so far removed that I almost forget. And when I remember it comes back like a cup of cold water poured over my head and takes my breath away.

Bible study tonight was awesome. We only have one more week in this study and I am SOOOO far behind! I've got a lot of catching up to do. But just being able to spend that time with women of my age who are seeking the same things in life that I am... it's wonderful.

Austin went back to school today and has a ton of makeup work. He is working on a science project tonight. I'm so glad that his science teacher goes to our church and that I've known her husband since he was in pre-k! She very kindly provided Austin with all the materials he needs plus taught him how to do some basic wiring and things that I would not have a CLUE how to do. That's the beauty of this little community... people are invested in the lives of others.

This is how small our world is here: Remember me telling you about the girl I ran into whose son had played ball with Cody in Clayton County - eleven years ago and two hours away... and I ran into her at the BP Station when I stopped to buy a biscuit one morning..? Well... I was telling my brother about this girl... and that she was involved in the White County Meth Task Force and he said, "Oh... yeah... the founder of that group owns the storage place where we took your stuff when you first moved here..." They were so incredible to us... gave me a storage place for half price and since they weren't going to be open when we got to Cleveland, went ahead and assigned us a spot without us even signing paperwork. When I went to move the stuff out they asked, "did you find a job already?" I mean... they knew my whole story. And this same lady... her sister-in-law was the nurse in the delivery room with Sarabeth. It makes you really think, though... that slow car in front of me on the way to church that is making me late... well, I don't want to tailgate them or be rude because they *just might* be heading to my church. And that person who cuts in line in front of me at the Taco Bell (which happened today) might be a client... or a parent of someone Sarabeth plays soccer with.... or one of Jim's counseling clients... or ... there are so many connections. Just like the lady who owns this place where we're living is friends with one of the ladies who serves dinner at church on Wednesday night... it's a small, small world!

One of the freaky side effects from this strain of infection that I have (and part of the reason the doctor checked) my left thumbnail is detaching. It started in the bottom left corner... and it hurts! This is what's causing the ulcers in my mouth as well. It's lovely, trust me. I would take any of these booboos as long as they didn't come with this overwhelming fatigure. And it seems like the cold makes me even tiredererer.

Haven't read emails or comments yet... not sure what's been happening in my cyberworld over the past 14 hours... time to catch up and then catch some zzzz's.

Love and hugs, y'all!