Up, Down but not around town

Well, I guess I can say I made it through today,

as the day is done.

This morning was a harder day,

swelling under cast, worries and doctor not being in.

I did see my nurse in person

and was reassured.

I am having swelling by my toe for the third night in a row.

Hopefully, in time, I can fall asleep.

The best way I can describe the swelling is that it feels

like a strong thread is wrapped around my toe and it 

is being pulled tighter and tighter as the swelling increases.

I can move my toes, no discolouration,

just discomfort. 

I will call the doctor again tomorrow.

My Husband is understandably stressed by all of this,

plus lots of other life stuff.

I can say that this has been the hardest year we have faced 

together but I know that everyone has years like this;

I guess that is the advantage of being 40.

One has already been through some hard times

and knows that there is a time for everything.

I just hope that this time of severe toe

discomfort will end soon...

but I must remember to practice 

repentance like Job,

at least pretend to be patient :)

and remember these words:

Glory To God For All Things

and that all works for the good of those who

love God and I pray that I love God!!

Up again...

Icing my swollen toe foot. 

We think we got help for June.

Feeling a bit better

but this toe, it needs to get less swollen! 

But thank God

thanks for all your encouragement! 

Hope to write again soon, here...

Life is not for the faint of heart, and yet...

It's been 18 days.

My Husband and I are weary and fighting

faintheartedness. 

But yet in Christ we have hope.

Lord have mercy on us all. 

Being thankful when one needs patience....

As I wrote elsewhere.... 

background - we are back to square one with finding full time help for 

the month of June.... :( 

Not a lot of time, so here's what I wrote earlier.... 

Well, I am in need of another happy list! We are still scrambling to find new help and I've been a bit worried today. But telling you all what was wonderful in today will help with that! 

1. I got cards in the mail again! I am saving them to open over the weekend to have a little 'cheer me up'! 

2. I got a tower of chocolate from my Husband's family today. I seriously should have a party here that is just to eat my chocolate. :) 

3. I got the most wonderful gift in the mail, so surprising ... I did not have it, had heard of it but never thought I would have a copy - a small pamphlet written by Elizabeth Goudge of what I would call the Lady's Chapel in my mind but is more accurately thought of as THE Lady's Chapel, as in the Mother of God's. I love Elizabeth Goudge's books very much so this was a very dear small book to receive (I read it already, it's lovely!!!)...

 4. My Husband. He does so much to help me, even gets me plain yogurt for me with just dollop of jam dropped in and not stirred, just the way I like it! 

5. My Husband got another thing of milk and some bananas for me after vespers and a surprise too - a smoothie drink for me to enjoy later... since I can't make smoothies myself at present. So kind and thoughtful!

 6. I had a really nice short talk on the phone with my Mom and that was so nice. ...

 7. I finished another wash cloth, as in I knitted it, a pink one :). 

8. I have been reading about CS Lewis and how George MacDonald's book Phantastes was such a big book for him. (Picture included of this book). 

9. I listened to parts of vigil via Holy Transfiguration Monastery tonight and heard them sing 'O Gladsome Light' to the tune my church in Ottawa sang it when I was there. 

There, lots of things to rejoice in while we deal with the casted foot and help-search! 

Also the Gospel was about Christ and fishermen being given lots of fish.

 Surely the Lord will also provide for me!

From the last days

Wrote this yesterday:

Christ is Ascended! Ascended in Glory! 

I was not able to be in church (Husband went for us both!) but I was able to watch much of the liturgy today from Holy Transfiguration Monastery and it was lovely, as was the small talk by Mother Christophora where she spoke of this as a restful time of waiting (for the Holy Spirit) and of joy... that Christ as He went into Heaven will one day come back to Earth... and that we are to wait for the day of Pentecost when we will be given the Holy Spirit and clothed from on High in this way.

I watched the wedding I was at again too! :)

From the book on Fr Seraphim Rose...

Made the other day by the lovely lady who helped us

this week!

Husband's vintage 'purell'! and a washcloth I restarted 

as the seed stitch was making it feel too flat and already used up! 

Such a pretty pink!

Well, overall lots of good progress this week.

Full time help DV starting next week Tuesday.

I am reading another lovely book, 

The Four Graces by DE Stevenson,

it's delightful!

Husband gave me a full prosphora today,

from the Feast of the Ascension of Christ into Heaven

and that was really nice, with my 'shot glass of Holy Water' :)

I have 4 appointments today for things related to my ankle. 

It was tiring but went well thanks to people's prayers 

and God's mercy.

I still get uncomfortable at times.

Nights are getting a bit harder.

But every night and every day is different and 

I am trying to just be where I am,

with God.

I have read over 100 pages of the Fr Seraphim Rose book,

it's quite good.... 

I did not read any today, as I had so many meetings and such.

I am knitting some.

I got some really nice cards today.

I got cards today from my Aunt K,

My Great Aunt P,

and my Munchkin and his Mom! 

That was really nice!

Mr Husband is putting all of my cards on this shelf for me to see!

The big one that is blue and opens up is from my far away church!

Lots of people signed it! Really cheered me up when I got it 

the other day!

God's been so good to me in this,

I am so thankful for so many prayers.

***

My Husband is being so valiant, 

making sure I am ok, helping me, doing the

the daily work grind, and so much more...

***

I am excited for along weekend with Mr Husband!

He has a lot to do tomorrow but at least he will be around,

which is nice.

And I have books to read and movies to watch.

***

I hope everyone who has a long weekend this weekend

will have a blessed, safe and peaceful one! 

Briefly here...

Pictures from yesterday...

yesterday as a nice peaceful day, 

I was feeling pretty good, Husband was happy,

I was happy, enjoyed reading a lot of my new Miss Buncle book.

I managed to put the chicken pot pie in the toaster oven, carefully,

this time! :)

My priest came in the morning and gave me Holy Communion and Confessed me also.

That was a HUGE blessing and great way to start the day!!!

***

Today my quilting friend came today,

she gave me a bag of cotton yarn!

And candied ginger (I still get nausea at times)

and more movies to borrow.

***

I have a lot of moving parts right now,
different people to help me do various things,
from helping me personally to doing housekeeping things
that I can't really do right now.
***
My Husband went to vespers tonight and
lit candles for me and 1 for my healing!
I was so glad that he was able to both
go to work and church tonight.
He needs to get out + have encouragement too.
It's been a lot for him to try to help me,
be involved in getting help for me, doing his work,
and the many other things he does.
I think he is doing such a good job,
but it is very taxing for him.
***
Well, tomorrow is another day.
I hope it is peaceful for us all!

13th day of broken ankle....

We had some fun putting Cleo in

Fietsje's basket today ;)

***

So, today had some real ups and downs.

Downs first:

I had another opps and lost my balance and stepped on my

casted foot for the second time.

the area where the break is did not get hurt, that I can tell thus far.

It did jar the foot however.

That was so discouraging/frustrating.

This whole I can't walk thing gets old fast and my Husband and I 

are both weary from it.

I have been struggling with more crankiness at the whole situation...

***

The ups:

Finally, at the end of the day, after 6:30, we got a call that

I should be getting some help soon.

I ordered some more books on Miss Buncle.

I am reading a fun vintage Tom Swift from 1910.

On a totally different type of read, I finally began the huge

biography on Fr Seraphim Rose.

It's well written, readable and very accessible.  I must say, 

if anyone in Orthodoxy has surprised me on how 

approachable his letters and thus far his biography,

it's Fr. Seraphim Rose.

He withdrew from the world in such a hard core way

and I used to find his very name to be something I, well,

kinda ran from to be honest - I knew some 

people who seemed super zealous Orthodox converts

when I was a very new Orthodox Christian and 

my experience of them got mixed up with my perception of

Fr Seraphim Rose, which I am more than happy to say

I was very very wrong about. 

The first pages of his biography go into his early childhood in California

and then his years in high school and college and 

how much of a loner, really, he was, while he had a always a group of 

friends, he had very very few he felt he connected with 

and he felt life was so futile because he was seeking so much

for something MORE in life, really, looking for the 

fullness of life in Christ, that he eventually found and in a way

deeper and more profound than I feel I have the hope of 

personally finding, though I have been told that I should not have

such despairing thoughts about myself, 

which rather surprised me, but it was a very trustworthy Nun who told me this

and so I have not forgotten. 

Anyway, it's over 1000 pages and I am on page 42. 

I think I have a book that I can really chew on while I 

convalesce and well, that's really exciting! 

Esp. since I was so wrong about him...I really should write an essay 

about this someday, if God so allows.

***

I also got to talk with my Mom and Aunt J. today

and well, my foot is feeling better from my earlier 'opps' 

and I ordered something that I hope will help 

with the itching.

***

And I am able to get up more and more by myself

and am in general progressing, though not without out

incident... 

***

Also, this card from my Grandma...

isn't it just so perfect?

Various Points Along the Way

Pictures from the last few days.

I got the perfect basket for all my things

(books, movies, art supplies, stationary, chocolate!, knitting)

to do while I am on bed rest with a cast for 6 weeks....

we are hoping that when I get the boot that it means

I can begin walking, but the doctor did say 3 months,

so that may be some uneducated wishful thinking at this point.

*** 

About the 'troublemaker' snickers picture...It's a 

funny thing from the other day...

So.... when I broke my ankle, I was fasting for Holy Communion 

(i.e. I had nothing to eat or drink). 

So by the time I was at urgent care, I was super shaky feeling. I told my Husband I needed chocolate and he got me some. 

It helped, but then I knew I needed something with more substance and quick.

So I asked for a Snickers Bar. It helped. 

I asked Mr Husband to buy me another, he did and it got me through the wedding and reception (before we had food). 

So I kinda ordered a box of 48 of them. !!! From Amazon. 

The outside of the box got goo on it so Mr Husband 

transferred them to the shipping box, showed me the box, 

picked out the bar you see here and told me (in jest) that is what I am: trouble! 😉 

the ludicrous amount of them in the box made me laugh! 😂😄

***

I got some more fun cards,

wrote some letters with my pretty 

rummage sale find stationary from a few years ago,

***

This morning I was awake early and I could tell Mr Husband

was really tired... I am getting more confident of myself

on my fietsje (Dutch word for 'little bike", that a dear

social media friend suggested I name my knee scooter when I put out

a call for name ideas)... anyway, I got up this morning

by myself and made myself breakfast

(granola and yogurt) and sat on my white arm chair with 

my leg on the knee part of fietsje! 

Cleo hung out with me and I gave her part of the top of the

yogurt foil seal to lick off, so she was happy too.

***

I still need to have my foot elevated a lot for healing,

my orthopedic doctor said I need total bed rest,

with my food elevated above my heart,

so I have a lot of pillows in use!

***

I watched a really sweet movie the other day,

lent to me by my quilting friend,

and I am still thinking of it

and how it showed so many good and fine 

things and such beauty in a tale

of two children being helped while

their Mother is sick in the hospital. 

It's a very noble beautiful film.

***

The painting I did, as simple as it is, is of a beautiful big

tree with a swing and a boy swinging.

I made it for the Munchkin and hope we get to mail it soon!

***

About the picture of stationary and the table it is on,

that I wrote about the other day on social media: 

This stationary set was one of my VNA finds from years ago! I am slowly using it up! The backs of the envelopes all sealed shut, so I have to open them by hand but the paper is great and it's cute,so I call it a win! Also, this table is the best! Tilts for writing, reading and computer work but goes upright for eating and painting! ♡

***

I am feeling really blessed with this table and my basket next to me.

I know things could be so much worse.

***

I am hoping to find help very soon,

I have some good leads but nothing conclusive yet.

Praying about this very much.

***

And I am trying to pray for others too,

as they are praying for me...