This Week

Although I've been a lousy conversationalist these past few months, I try to make sure to visit here at least once a week. So... hey! What's up? 

Yesterday my nieces spent the afternoon with me watching movies and making these really cool/fun/easy to assemble ornaments that Mawmaw bought them. There is a fine new dusting of glitter in the Whine Cellar. We're fancy.

Today Grandbaby Mama #1 came and hung out and helped me with a cross stitch project. Girlfriend is soooo slow but it was good to have another hand on the plow. 

I'm close to being finished sewing - there are four projects that each have about an hour or two worth of stitching to go. I'm cross stitching names for all of the stockings and got 2 1/2 names - out of thirteen - done today. I wish I had two more months left to sew instead of two weeks. We celebrate on December 24th. 

Tomorrow me, my mom and Grandbaby Mama #1 are making a Walmart run for pillow stuffing and frames for my finished projects. That's the next level of construction and then my little efforts will be ready to be wrapped and placed under the tree. One of the four we have here. 

Grandbaby Mama #2 has Princess Kate level morning sickness. She has been really, really sick and has already had an Urgent Care visit and an ER visit to replenish fluids. The baby is fine. She is notsomuch. They put her on a new nausea med and I think that's helping some. She's 7 weeks, 5 days pregnant. 

Grandbaby Mama #1 is 19 weeks, 1 day pregnant and she is doing really well except for some sciatica and some wardrobe problems. She felt a burst of cold air on her lower belly the other day and realized her shirts are having to cover a little bit more real estate these days. 

I've had a discouraging pain level since Thanksgiving. I was hurting for the first few days after Thanksgiving and attributed it to "sitting up" for a few hours then. I didn't cook, clean or participate in any way on Thanksgiving except for sitting in a normal dining room chair while we ate and sitting up on the couch afterwards. 

Do you watch The Little Couple? He's having problems due to herniated discs in his back, which is also part of my problem. The way his doctor explained things made the most sense of every explanation I've gotten in the past (almost) four years since my pain started. I can't quote him exactly but basically you have discs that get out of kilter and start pressing against your spinal cord. Over time, with repeated contact between disc and spinal cord, the damage increases. This is why certain positions create more pressure/discomfort than others. This is why sitting at the table  for one measly lunch puts me in excruciating pain for several days afterwards. This is why having two little ole bulging discs four years ago has made me almost home bound now. It's cumulative damage. 

So back up two paragraphs - I am having longer and longer episodes of pain in my back. The cumulative pain is not just in my spine - but also in my spirit. There are so few things I can do without repercussions. I thank God that He had already prepared a way for me for this time in my life. So much makes sense now, why relationships didn't work out, why I wasn't meant to be with this guy or that guy, why I went from social butterfly to homebody. This would be so, so much worse if I wasn't content to be at home or felt like I was a dead weight in a relationship. 

Anyways. There are still good days to be had and I take none of them for granted. I'm just painfully aware of the progression of this issue and beg God daily that my disability claim will be approved because I just can't imagine trying to consistently work. 

Hope you're all well and enjoying all the fun things that come with this season of the year... and I hope those of you who are dealing with grief and hurt and illness and a less than Norman Rockwell Christmas will find joy and comfort and peace. 

Pictures next time, I promise. 

Love and hugs, y'all!