Quiet and Rest

Well, this morning my leg was saying

TOO MUCH.

So I rested, used ice and within an hour or so, I was MUCH better.

So I guess I over did it yesterday!

I felt fine so it was hard to tell.

I rested lots today and am doing fine now.

I had so much fun looking at more of my cookbooks! 

It's going to be a question of what to bake first! 

So DV we have groceries coming on Saturday and 

grass-fed ground lamb was on sale;

Mr Husband said I could stock up on it 

(it freezes well! and we saved about 12.00 total on it!)

and I am so excited to make Elie's lamb + lentil dish again!!!

We are hoping to have a staycation later, when I am better,

and I am thinking this would be a really fun thing to enjoy during that time....

I am excited for baking again.... so many things to make,

cookies, cakes, bars... 

maybe I will have some new things for Christmas! :)

Meanwhile, I had a simple dinner

of baked beans with bacon, baked potato with salted pop corn.

I know, the green veggies were missing, but well,

I'll do better again soon!

Today was rest and take it easy day! :)

Anyway, Mr Husband is on his way home,

so I will sign off for now!

Oh, wanted to mention though that my quilting friend ended up 

not being able to come today, but we talked

2x on the phone + video chat and so we still had our visit! :)

So that was really nice too!

How Much Is Too Much?

I cleaned the counter today.

Washed the dishes.

Made a green salad and a strawberry and banana salad.

I am walking on my crutches and using the 

knee scooter when I need it (Esp for the basket to transport things).

I am still resting... but I keep getting advice,

good advice, to not over do it. 

***

The thing is I have no idea,

how much is too much.

But I am icing my foot at night.

I seem to be doing well over all.

***

I am researching new recipes and having fun with that.

I hope to make a simple mainly pre-made

chicken and rice casserole for my husband

with cooked chicken, cream of mushroom soup (organic),

and rice and broccoli.  

It will be the first cooked meal I will have made since

my fall and ankle break on May 10th of this year. 

***

Meanwhile,

I am dreaming of sewing, cooking and baking.

***

My quilting friend comes DV tomorrow.

She and her Husband are moving to CA at the end of this month.

Tomorrow will be the second to last time I see her before she moves.

I will really miss her.

***

But, this is part of life and with God,

it will be OK, 

and I have hope for better and to stay in touch,

of course, even though it will not be the same...

***

May God help us all,

in every struggle...

Standing!

 \

Yesterday I journaled about how tired I felt

and realized that it is the tired that you feel when you 

are almost done with a part of a great difficulty...

which was encouraging and also realistic to realize....

***

So today my physical therapist came, probably for the last time,

as I will need to do out patient later for the actual ankle, 

and I now know how to go down the stairs using 1 crutch

and was actually OUTSIDE, briefly, today!!!!

So DV this weekend I can go to my local church for services!!! 

***

So you can imagine that I am pretty excited about that.

I can tell I have lost stamina and it will take some time

to recover, but with rest built into the day

and realistic goals, it will be wonderful, 

to get out again...

***

Tomorrow I plan on doing some real resting, as today

was busy and I need those intervals of rest...

***

We still have a real unbloggable concern

though and welcome all and any prayers

(thank God it is not something health related FYI).

***

I was looking through the cookbook I pictured above today

and it's fun with lots of ideas but also

I noticed a bit expensive for the ingredients.

Fun to get new ideas though and her writing is pretty clear.

I got the book at a library book sale, which is a fun

and affordable way to get books! :)

***

I've been looking through a few of my tea cookbooks,

thinking of new ideas to bake once I am back,

literally, on my feet!

***

My Husband was so excited at the idea of me 

being back in the kitchen cooking again!

Me too....

Time passes and we see the blessings....

Picture from last September at the 

monastery in Holland we stayed at. 

***

I was looking at pictures of the last months today

and seeing pictures of my cast that I don't have any longer,

it made me see how quickly it is going

and that soon at least, God willing, I will be walking again.

***

I wrote the following reflection after seeing these pictures...

***

2 weeks, 2 days until I see the doctor again. 

It's wonderful that I no longer have a cast. 

I can walk with crutches if I want to and put my hurt foot down a little bit as I do so. 

Next week is partial weight bearing and 

the week after is FULL weight bearing but with crutches. Then after that, I will see the doctor, who I hope to then not see again....

and have that chapter closed, though I will still need some physical therapy. 

It's been a hard road in many ways. 

I've been blessed with a lot of support in terms of emails, cards, even care packages! 

I've had visitors and help. My Husband has been so valiant,

 I could write a very LONG post just about all the things he did for me and is still doing.

 I can see first hand how hard it would be to never be independent again. 

To not be able to walk or have the ability to prepare one's own breakfast 

or to put just the amount of yogurt one wants with granola. 

Or to make one's own tea. 

Or go to the pantry or cupboard and get a cookie or chocolate, the exact one that is wanted.

 Or to get food on one's own timeline.

 Or be able to take a bath (still waiting for this one myself!) or to go to the CD player in another room, change the CD and turn it on, with the volume where you want it.

 I can see, for instance, how hard it would be to either be ill 

or be elderly and unable to live alone anymore. 

I lived through over 2 months of never having more than an hour

 or so of just being alone in the house. 

In the end, that was one of the hardest things. 

That and having to have everything done by someone else

. I still have a bit of time yet before I can do everything

 but even being able to do a lot of what I used to do before I broke my ankle

 is a real blessing and for that I am so thankful. 

I told my Husband a few weeks ago that I could not wait to just wash dishes, 

standing on two feet....

the blessing of tea and cookies

Husband worked from home today.

We had tea and cookies.

And a delicious chocolate! 

For lunch we had chicken and beef and cheese

and cheese and chicken for dinner.

The fast is OVER. 

I am so relieved.

I was running out of things I wanted to eat,

since I can't quite cook everything yet...

***

We are still having various unbloggable challenges.

One made things easier but made me really upset and sad.

Another is on-going and exhausting.

I wish I could tell you about them but I just can't,

you know how it is... 

***

My foot seems to be doing well.

Swelling and bruising is down. 

***

I am not sure when I will be able to leave the house quite yet;

I've only been out of the house 3 times since the accident on 

Mid-Pentecost (May 10th this year)....

but God has been helping me with that,

and I am doing one thing at a time...

***

Tomorrow I hope to make cards again....

I've been journaling more often and that is a blessing. 

***

I was able to (while my hurt ankle is up on my knee scooter)

reorganize many things this week, 

cupboards, the linen closet, the pantry.

***

It was so wonderful to have pots of tea with milk

and non-fasting foods, chicken and beef,

today! I am so glad for this.

The Apostles Fast was long this year.

It was funny, I had gotten used cookbooks that are

vegetarian and vegan that I was so glad to have

because the Apostles Fast was going to be long this year,

having no idea that I would break my ankle and not even 

be able to think about these cookbooks and making 

fast-friendly foods for us to eat. 

***

I can't wait till I can walk again.

I hope, by August, that I will be walking.

Meanwhile, one day at a time...

***

May God have mercy on us all! 

onward we go...

Today one of the things I did was

watch the Sound of Music!

What a delightful movie! 

***

Today ended up being a better day 

than yesterday for us.

***

We are so thankful for this.

Challenges, part of life...

I had such a good visit with my quilting friend today!

She is moving soon to the West Coast. 

I am really going to miss her.

We hope to have tea in NYC before she leaves,

soon I will be able to do this!

***

We had such good tea, vegan chocolate and take out for lunch!

It was fun to visit with her!

***

So, some new challenges have arisen for us.

I can't write about them here yet,

but one we are able to fix soon and the other,

well, we will see what happens.

***

My foot still is continuing to heal.

I have been so very grateful for all the love, 

support, prayers, cards and care packages I have 

received! Such blessings!!!

***

Please do pray for my 'unbloggable' prayer request. 

God is with us and that is what matters.

***

I have been watching this short video again today,

it's so beautiful. 

This one encouraged me years ago in Ottawa

and I am appreciating it again now.

I've watched this video a few times now

https://vimeo.com/224390260

it's really beautiful and encouraging. 

***

There are so many of us who are in such difficulties. 

But God IS with us and will help us.

Lord have mercy on us small ones! 

Many blessings

Well, what a few days it has been. 

We had some real stress recently, some worries

and then suddenly after asking for prayer on Friday,

and calling my main monastery, 

feeling heavy all day, all of a sudden,

I had this feeling of happiness;

and indeed some things had turned around, I was soon to see.

***

We are still in the midst of various challenges but 

we are trying to see how to deal with them

and what we can learn about them.

***

I was telling Mr Husband again how I felt inspired to do more

research on a topic that has stayed with me since about 2009...

when I took that class on the 16th century and did more research on

John Milton... and he challenged / encouraged me to write a 

2 paragraph summary of what I want to research

and I did that today.

***

I felt so excited about it, finally, an articulation of what

I want to write about.

I still need to edit it but am glad for it.

The music I post below inspired me to get back to it,

and later I realized that much of this choral music is

requiems and prayers for the departed, etc.

***

But this made sense, as much of my writing for the topic

I am thinking of (and not writing about yet as I need more time),

in ways it is a lament, a mourning of what is lost

and so much is lost today.

***

But yet so much can be found and still is.

***

So in the midst of everything, 

these interest come again and I hope to be able to do something about it.

***

Meanwhile, I must tell you about the visits I had on Sunday.

Two ladies from church;

the first gave me the beautiful tea strainer! 

The second gave me a small plant and the chocolates.

So lovely.

***

Today I got a beautiful care package from England!

With fabric, bath soap, lovely lovely little cookbooks, a journal

and little St Gianna picture and medal; she is a special Catholic Saint,

very brave, a doctor who gave up her life so her child could live.

Thank you Ann Marie, for such a thoughtful perfect gift.

***

One thing I can say through this time of illness is that

God has given me such an showering of gifts,

cards and signs of the care of others and thus of God.

***

I got yarn recently too from a dear friend!

***

Please continue to pray for us,

we are having so many challenges right now,

but we are praying that by August/September that we can

begin to have more calm and I hope better health and 

general conditions.... 

***

Meanwhile, here is the music I was referring to: