Amazing how different each day is...

Well, here we are again! 

So, I ended up sleeping soundly (after a late start to sleeping) till 10 AM.

I think the cold + 4 NYC trips in 7 days + lots of work at home caught up with me! 

Today was a quiet day... I heard that taking a decongestant over a week could be 

not the thing to do, so I did not take my cold med this morning and of course

felt worse... and worse... a hot bath, netipot, hot tea, diffuser with eucalyptus,

steam, more tea... nothing was helping... until I put on thieves, RC and eucalyptus oil

with olive oil as a base, like you would put on vicks.  That really surprised me,

how it put a dent in the pain and sinus issues.  I was running low on the first 2 of those oils

so I ordered more tonight (after consulting with Mr Husband of course!) and also

an inexpensive ointment a friend suggested... 

We sure got a case of the sinus here, as author +Anne George described it in her delightful

mysteries that I read in my 20s... (should think of getting these again, maybe in the new

year, since I kinda ordered some more DE Stevenson this week 

(and on that note, more of her books are being reprinted!!! including the Mrs Tim books!!!

Coming in January as per Amazon info! so excited!)

It's funny, every time I look up +Anne George, of whom there is not tons to find online,

I am sad she has died.  I think she understood sickness and suffering

and her mystery books were a hoot, as they say.

It's amazing how beautiful the world is but how much suffering is in it.

I am thinking of various friends suffering, 

I am thinking of our own suffering,

but also the world, past, present, sadly future...

so much...

yet, there is beauty and people creating beauty.

I can't tell you how much this song is giving me comfort

and making me feel like I am being pierced with the REALITY of beauty

Found that video today (above), it's beautiful too, along with the music.

Alexis Ffrench is new to me composer but I sure appreciate this music of his.

I texted it to my cousin H today and that was so nice, that connection with her,

sharing the music, she immediately wanted to play it on the piano! :) 

I found this piece later which I like nearly as well (which since I love

Bluebird a LOT) is saying something, and this video of it I found really lovely:

It's beautiful.

I think it is beauty that God is bringing my way that,

with prayer of course, and tea, books, classical music, 

that is keeping me afloat in all of our personal current suffering.

It's incredible how music can do that... 

I read a quote from Elizabeth Goudge's Dean's Watch and I think I need

to read this book again... 

Well, today was good but kind of difficult too

but thank God we had all we need and chicken soup is the meal of the hour!

So so glad I made a big pot of it! 

I am also glad for grocery delivery services and that today was sunny.

I did not get out today but that is how it is...

Looks like we may be a nor'easter on Saturday...

I hope all will be well with that! 

God bless and protect us all, may He pour out His mercy! 

10th day of Christmas

Yesterday was the 10th day of Christmas

and the 16th day since I really have been 

anywhere except at home.

I think both of us were feeling a bit discouraged 

yesterday morning, I admit.

The meds Mr Husband are on to help his lungs

heal have kept him up at night, 

and make him feel unwell in general.

Soon those meds will be done.

I understand why my Grandma is always so positive,

your outlook makes a big difference on how you

experience your day at hand.

***

We got our YL oils a day early; we 

have hopes that it can help with the respiratory issues

we both are trying to heal from.

I started coughing, but I remember that from the flu

last March; it comes and it stays a while and then is gone. 

We are waiting for some things from the doctor's appointment

my Husband had on Friday.

A dear FB, blog and IG friend helped me know how to

make an oil to put directly on our skin

to help healing.

After I put it on, I felt like something had loosened

and that I could breath a bit easier.

Mr. Husband felt that he was at the best he was 

at that afternoon since he got sick.

So we are really really hoping that this 

will help us turn a corner.

My Husband has never been so sick; 

when I had mono in our first year of marriage, ,

I was weak for months; so I know about it;

but I can tell that my Husband is feeling 

a great deal of pressure about being sick

and the fact that he is not able to work yet.

***

We opened the unexpected presents yesterday

and got such lovely things,

the best of books, a beautiful decorative *red* rooster,

it glows with the twinkly lights,

I have dubbed it my Christmas Rooster.

My Husband told me how the French have loved 

Roosters for centuries, even had a Rooster on their money

a long time ago... 

We also got a beautiful bottle of soap...

And a fleece for my Husband!

I washed it and hope today that he will wear it!

Will do him good, I think.

We took pictures of each other with all the beautiful sparkles

from the wrapping paper; Mr Husband found it amusing

in the best kind of way!

***

I am so so thankful not only for dear friends

but for grocery delivery service.

Today we are going to get paper towels,

more distilled water for our new difusers,

and other odds and ends.

It's wonderful to know that we can get things

we need on a daily basis this way.

And Wednesday I am going to get an amazon shipment,

and that is really nice too.

***

And Saturday is my belated birthday party.

I have people to come on Friday to help me prepare, 

and I really hope that it will go well and

that it will be a blessing to everyone who comes.

And I am hoping that by then Mr Husband and I

will be even stronger.

We are really hoping to continue to turn the corner

that we sensed yesterday.

And so that was the 10th day of Christmas for us.

Lent is super early this year and the beginning signs of it are only

2 weeks or so away.

I knew coming into this year, for various reasons,

that it would be a challenging year for us,

I did not know it would start with illness but I pray that God is

doing something inwardly speaking for us,

building I hope and pray a bit more inward strength

and endurance, so that while we lack

physical strenth, we will be given,

by God's mercy,

the grace to bear it.

***

Christ is born!

Glorify Him!

***

Pray for us as we will be missing

 the Theophany services this year.

Never have we missed them since we were Orthodox Christians

and we have to trust God for His ways

and always for His mercy.