Wow! I didn’t know so many good things could happen in one day! God has just showered us with blessings today and I hardly know where to begin.
I guess I’ll start with Sassie. She got up today! Remember how she was just lying on the back porch all day and all night, and hardly moving at all? Well, when I got up this morning, she was lying in the hallway that goes back to the porch. After I brushed my teeth and all that, I coaxed her into the kitchen with a boiled egg. We’ve been just taking food back to her on the porch, but I thought since she had moved on her own, I would see how far she was willing to go. She came into the kitchen and ate the egg, then I decided to try one of her treats. They’re those hard crunchy bones, and of course she hasn’t been able to eat anything that needed much chewing. She was very careful and hesitant at first, but she eventually crunched the thing up and ate it.
After that I tried to coax her into the living room. Again, she was very hesitant at first, she kind of sat in the doorway between kitchen and living room for a little bit, but she finally came all the way in and lay down by the computer where Joni was sitting. After that she stayed in the house all day, lying around in her usual places. She was eating better, and drinking more water, and generally seemed in better spirits. When I had lunch today, she sat and whined for food for the first time since her accident. Joni took her out in the snow, which Sassie has always loved, and she wagged her tail and seemed happy. Sassie, I mean, not Joni. I could scarcely believe the turnaround from her condition of yesterday. I asked for a miracle, and I believe we got one.
Sassie is not 100% yet, she has trouble going up steps. She gets her front paws up, but has trouble getting her hindquarters up. Maybe she’s just sore still, but I guess she may have some lasting damage too. We’ll have to wait and see. I guess God does look after animals. I’m reminded of a line from the movie, “The Stand.” “All things serve the will of God, even big dumb dogs.”
Well, that made my day pretty awesome, but it gets even better. Today I got an email from an audiobook publisher, asking if I would like to review some of their books. That’s right, a publisher contacted ME! This is a brand new publisher that I’ve never heard of. Last Word Audio published their first book last August, and has only two books published, with a third on the way, but I think it’s awesome that when they went looking for a reviewer, they found me. I felt really honored. So anyway, this guy is going to be sending me a couple of books to review, and they don’t sound bad.
I’ve been wondering a lot lately if this whole audiobook thing is really what God wants me to be spending my time on. I truly have to believe that He is telling me to go for it. Too many great things have happened in such a short time for me to believe otherwise. I’ll take this thing as far as I can, which is pretty far with God pulling the strings, and if I get my sight back someday I’ll try to become an audiobook narrator. I’m already networking, making contacts with some publishers, so who knows where it could lead.
And to top off this really great day, our neighbor, Brett, came through this evening with a bobcat and cleared our driveway. We got quite a lot of snow over the weekend, and we were afraid that we might not be able to get out for a while, but God stepped in again and got our driveway cleaned. When Brett was out there, Sassie watched from the window and tried to bark at him, but all she could manage was kind of a little “huff!” Seeing her take interest in her surroundings again was an excellent way to top off this wonderful day.
Acts 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. NIV
Joshua 1:7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. NIV
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Blind Observations - Daily Life
Okay, ever since I did that “blind observations” post a while back I’ve been thinking about some other ways that my daily life has changed since I went blind. I tried to think of little ordinary things to kind of put things in perspective a little bit. Over the last week or so I've been jotting down ideas and I think I have enough to do a post now. Humm, I just thought of another one. Of course, I can’t really “jot things down.” Pen and paper are completely useless to me now. If I want to make notes to myself, I have to do it here, on the computer. I guess that’s another thing that makes screen readers so great.
Last time, I talked a little bit about walking through the house, how I have to use my hands to guide me, feeling for furniture or trailing a hand along a wall. Now that I’ve gotten used to that it’s no problem, but it does make it pretty hard to carry things. If I’m carrying something, like a glass of water, that only leaves me one hand to guide myself with, which is a little more difficult. I may need to switch the glass from one hand to the other depending on which hand I need to feel with. Walking through the living room, I need my right hand to trail along the wall, but once I get to the kitchen, I need my left hand to feel for the table. And, of course, carrying two things at the same time is out of the question. I just have to make two trips.
While I’m carrying or holding something, I try to be especially careful not to drop it. Well, I guess everybody tries not to drop things, right? For a blind person, however, it presents an even bigger problem because it can be hard to find something after you drop it. If it falls straight down and stays there, it’s no problem, but if it rolls or bounces away it can be very hard to find it again. Just a few days ago, I dropped something while I was in the basement. That was kind of gross because I ran into some cobwebs while I was looking for it. I’ve noticed that when I do drop something, my ears really perk up, listening to which way the item goes when it hits the floor. I suppose we’ve all heard about someone losing their eyesight, and their hearing becoming extra sensitive. My hearing hasn’t changed, but I do pay more attention to sounds, naturally. I suspect that’s the case with most blind people, it probably makes them feel like their hearing suddenly improved a lot, when in reality, they’re just paying more attention.
Also on the subject of walking, I’ve discovered that it can be a little tricky walking on uneven ground. It’s a little harder to get your footing when you can’t see the shape of the ground. I live on a farm so there’s very little pavement to walk on, just a short little stretch of sidewalk. This became even more evident to me recently with all the snow we’ve had. I've considered that maybe I would have been better off in town where there’s more concrete to walk on, but I suppose even then you can have cracked or uneven sidewalks and streets. Or kids leaving toys lying around. Canes are a great tool for the blind, but they can only tell you so much about the terrain. They’re designed more for getting you around major obstacles.
Okay, enough about walking, let’s talk about talking. Hahaha! Did you ever notice how much you pay attention to a person's facial expressions or body language when you're talking to them? If you did notice, then you’re a step ahead of me, because I never did. Now that I’m blind, I notice it a great deal. I was never very good at talking to people anyway, but now that I can't see their reactions to what I’m saying, it’s a little harder. Maybe that will work to my advantage over the long run. Not seeing their reactions might make me less self-concious when I’m talking. I’ll have to give that some thought.
Well, there’s a few more ideas about what it’s like to be blind, in case you were wondering. It’s not that I’m looking for sympathy or anything, this is just for anyone who might be curious. It’s like I said before, I can still do most of the things I did before, I just have to find new ways to do them. I haven’t yet discovered the best way to drive a car, but I’ll keep you posted on that.
Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Last time, I talked a little bit about walking through the house, how I have to use my hands to guide me, feeling for furniture or trailing a hand along a wall. Now that I’ve gotten used to that it’s no problem, but it does make it pretty hard to carry things. If I’m carrying something, like a glass of water, that only leaves me one hand to guide myself with, which is a little more difficult. I may need to switch the glass from one hand to the other depending on which hand I need to feel with. Walking through the living room, I need my right hand to trail along the wall, but once I get to the kitchen, I need my left hand to feel for the table. And, of course, carrying two things at the same time is out of the question. I just have to make two trips.
While I’m carrying or holding something, I try to be especially careful not to drop it. Well, I guess everybody tries not to drop things, right? For a blind person, however, it presents an even bigger problem because it can be hard to find something after you drop it. If it falls straight down and stays there, it’s no problem, but if it rolls or bounces away it can be very hard to find it again. Just a few days ago, I dropped something while I was in the basement. That was kind of gross because I ran into some cobwebs while I was looking for it. I’ve noticed that when I do drop something, my ears really perk up, listening to which way the item goes when it hits the floor. I suppose we’ve all heard about someone losing their eyesight, and their hearing becoming extra sensitive. My hearing hasn’t changed, but I do pay more attention to sounds, naturally. I suspect that’s the case with most blind people, it probably makes them feel like their hearing suddenly improved a lot, when in reality, they’re just paying more attention.
Also on the subject of walking, I’ve discovered that it can be a little tricky walking on uneven ground. It’s a little harder to get your footing when you can’t see the shape of the ground. I live on a farm so there’s very little pavement to walk on, just a short little stretch of sidewalk. This became even more evident to me recently with all the snow we’ve had. I've considered that maybe I would have been better off in town where there’s more concrete to walk on, but I suppose even then you can have cracked or uneven sidewalks and streets. Or kids leaving toys lying around. Canes are a great tool for the blind, but they can only tell you so much about the terrain. They’re designed more for getting you around major obstacles.
Okay, enough about walking, let’s talk about talking. Hahaha! Did you ever notice how much you pay attention to a person's facial expressions or body language when you're talking to them? If you did notice, then you’re a step ahead of me, because I never did. Now that I’m blind, I notice it a great deal. I was never very good at talking to people anyway, but now that I can't see their reactions to what I’m saying, it’s a little harder. Maybe that will work to my advantage over the long run. Not seeing their reactions might make me less self-concious when I’m talking. I’ll have to give that some thought.
Well, there’s a few more ideas about what it’s like to be blind, in case you were wondering. It’s not that I’m looking for sympathy or anything, this is just for anyone who might be curious. It’s like I said before, I can still do most of the things I did before, I just have to find new ways to do them. I haven’t yet discovered the best way to drive a car, but I’ll keep you posted on that.
Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Journal - Year End
Well, the excitement of the holidays is subsiding, and just as I expected, I have nothing to write about. Or maybe I just haven’t been in the mood. I’m really not in the mood even now as I sit here typing, but I want the record to show what’s been going on the last few days. This probably won' be very interesting to anyone other than myself, just your basic "did this, saw that" kind of stuff.
We were supposed to go to my brother, Brad’s, house for Christmas, but we got another blizzard on Christmas Eve and got snowed in. That was okay, I kind of like spending Christmas at home. Since we had planned on being at Brad's for dinner, we hadn't bought anything to make a dinner of our own. Luckily, we had the ham and all that other food that the church gave us, so we had a nice ham dinner for Christmas. Okay, I guess luck didn't really have anything to do with it. It was just God looking out for us again. The three of us had a nice day. It's fun being snowed in when you don't have to worry about getting to work and stuff.
On Saturday, we were still snowed in because we live on a farm and there's no one to clean our driveway. We had some pretty big snow drifts. We really wanted to be able to get out on Sunday though, so Joni and I got in the Explorer and basically bashed our way through the drifts until we were out. We drove in and out of the driveway about six times to make sure we had a good path through the snow.
Sunday was Adam’s fourteenth birthday. He had mentioned that he would really like it if Brenna could come over for a while to have cake and ice cream with us. Apparently he likes having a sister. So we went to church Sunday morning, then picked up Brenna and we all had lunch at Runza. If you don’t live in Nebraska, you probably don’t know what Runza is and I pity you. After lunch, we went to Mom’s house for a little while. She made Adam’s favorite, a jello poke cake. Our plan after that was to come back home for more cake and just hang out for a while. We were supposed to meet Brenna's grandparents in Minden at five o'clock so they could take her home. But, well, we got stuck in the driveway as soon as we pulled in. Joni and I dug with the snow shovel for a while, which did absolutely no good because the snow was all packed up under the truck, until finally, one of our neighbors drove by. He saw we were having trouble and stopped to lend a hand. He had a tow chain and had us out of that drift in no time. By then it was time to go drop off Brenna, but she and Adam had a good time. They seem to get along really well with each other. They can just sit and jabber back and forth at each other, then 45 minutes later you come back and they’re still jabbering at each other. Anyway, Adam had a nice birthday, and I had a good day too even though we got stuck. This was the first time I got to spend some time with Brenna without a lot of people around and I discovered that she’s pretty funny. I also found out she has double-jointed thumbs just like me.
There hasn’t been much excitement this week. I have some sore muscles in my shoulders and back from shoveling snow, but I still got on the exercise bike. I haven’t been on it for a couple of weeks and decided it’s time to get back in the habit. Last week, Joni and I filled out that application for the BCBS insurance and mailed it in. This week they called and said they are forwarding it to the underwriters. That’s encouraging in a way because at least they didn’t just reject me offhand the way Aetna did. This morning I had an appointment with an eye doctor that the Commission for the Blind set up for me. There wasn't much point to it, except I found out there’s no infection in my left eye. That kind of surprised me and I was a little encouraged by that. Then we went to Brad’s for lunch. That was our Christmas make-up since everybody was snowed in.
So that’s what’s been going on. It’s the end of the year, and I feel like I should write something deep and meaningful, but it’s just not happening today. I’m not all sad and depressed anymore, like I was at Christmas, I’m just not in the mood to write. It has been an eventful year, I'll say that much. And I’m looking forward to the challenges that the new year will bring. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much, but I’m still hoping that I’ll be able to see again by next Christmas. If you’re listening, Santa, that’s all I want next year, and don't feel like you have to wait until December to deliver.
To you, faithful reader, I wish nothing but happiness and prosperity for you in the new year, and remember, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
Happy New Year 2010!
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
We were supposed to go to my brother, Brad’s, house for Christmas, but we got another blizzard on Christmas Eve and got snowed in. That was okay, I kind of like spending Christmas at home. Since we had planned on being at Brad's for dinner, we hadn't bought anything to make a dinner of our own. Luckily, we had the ham and all that other food that the church gave us, so we had a nice ham dinner for Christmas. Okay, I guess luck didn't really have anything to do with it. It was just God looking out for us again. The three of us had a nice day. It's fun being snowed in when you don't have to worry about getting to work and stuff.
On Saturday, we were still snowed in because we live on a farm and there's no one to clean our driveway. We had some pretty big snow drifts. We really wanted to be able to get out on Sunday though, so Joni and I got in the Explorer and basically bashed our way through the drifts until we were out. We drove in and out of the driveway about six times to make sure we had a good path through the snow.
Sunday was Adam’s fourteenth birthday. He had mentioned that he would really like it if Brenna could come over for a while to have cake and ice cream with us. Apparently he likes having a sister. So we went to church Sunday morning, then picked up Brenna and we all had lunch at Runza. If you don’t live in Nebraska, you probably don’t know what Runza is and I pity you. After lunch, we went to Mom’s house for a little while. She made Adam’s favorite, a jello poke cake. Our plan after that was to come back home for more cake and just hang out for a while. We were supposed to meet Brenna's grandparents in Minden at five o'clock so they could take her home. But, well, we got stuck in the driveway as soon as we pulled in. Joni and I dug with the snow shovel for a while, which did absolutely no good because the snow was all packed up under the truck, until finally, one of our neighbors drove by. He saw we were having trouble and stopped to lend a hand. He had a tow chain and had us out of that drift in no time. By then it was time to go drop off Brenna, but she and Adam had a good time. They seem to get along really well with each other. They can just sit and jabber back and forth at each other, then 45 minutes later you come back and they’re still jabbering at each other. Anyway, Adam had a nice birthday, and I had a good day too even though we got stuck. This was the first time I got to spend some time with Brenna without a lot of people around and I discovered that she’s pretty funny. I also found out she has double-jointed thumbs just like me.
There hasn’t been much excitement this week. I have some sore muscles in my shoulders and back from shoveling snow, but I still got on the exercise bike. I haven’t been on it for a couple of weeks and decided it’s time to get back in the habit. Last week, Joni and I filled out that application for the BCBS insurance and mailed it in. This week they called and said they are forwarding it to the underwriters. That’s encouraging in a way because at least they didn’t just reject me offhand the way Aetna did. This morning I had an appointment with an eye doctor that the Commission for the Blind set up for me. There wasn't much point to it, except I found out there’s no infection in my left eye. That kind of surprised me and I was a little encouraged by that. Then we went to Brad’s for lunch. That was our Christmas make-up since everybody was snowed in.
So that’s what’s been going on. It’s the end of the year, and I feel like I should write something deep and meaningful, but it’s just not happening today. I’m not all sad and depressed anymore, like I was at Christmas, I’m just not in the mood to write. It has been an eventful year, I'll say that much. And I’m looking forward to the challenges that the new year will bring. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much, but I’m still hoping that I’ll be able to see again by next Christmas. If you’re listening, Santa, that’s all I want next year, and don't feel like you have to wait until December to deliver.
To you, faithful reader, I wish nothing but happiness and prosperity for you in the new year, and remember, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
Happy New Year 2010!
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
I Still Have
Well, here I am again, still feeling blue. I shouldn’t say 'still', it's not like I’ve been in a constant state of depression all week. I actually felt pretty normal today, but when I go to bed at night, all those thoughts that I keep suppressed during the day start bobbing to the surface.
Earlier in the week, I was looking at my sadness as just the normal let-down after a big event; such as our party on Saturday, but as I lay in bed earlier tonight, I began to realize that it goes a little deeper than that. I think what it all comes down to is that this is my first Christmas blind. I guess that should have been pretty obvious, but it honestly didn’t occur to me before.
Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. More than that, it’s always felt magical to me. The music, the decorations, the lights, people’s attitudes toward one another. The whole world just feels different at Christmas time.
I used to love going out on a cold evening after work to find presents for my loved ones. Hustling from the car into a warm store, seeing the beautiful Christmas displays, the corny music on the muzak system. Then hustling back to the car, maybe with packages, maybe not, and cranking up the heater. And if it was snowy and a little slippery, so much the better! I always loved a white Christmas.
And the lights! Lights and lights, everywhere! In my small home town, there was one little street where every single house would be totally outlined in colorful strings of lights. And we always knew the good neighborhoods to visit in nearby Kearney as well. In Texas, there’s a place called Santa Land. It’s a wooded area, just off the interstate, where they have cut a path through the trees, wide enough to drive through. And there are thousands and thousands of Christmas lights strung everywhere. Not just lights, either, but little displays set up here and there; wooden cut-outs of elves in workshops, children ice- skating, Santa and his reindeer. At one point, you pass by a small pond, and there are three crosses outlined in white lights on the other side. You can see the crosses, and also the reflections in the still water, and it’s so beautiful. In another place, they put the strings of lights high in the trees and just let them hang straight down all around you as you drive through. You cannot possibly visit this place and leave feeling unhappy.
This year, I have none of that. No driving on snowy streets, no decorations, no lights. We have snow, our first white Christmas in years, but I can’t see it. I can’t even see my own Christmas tree. And I’m sad.
I know those things are not what Christmas is about, but how do I cope with the loss of all that beauty? Well, I guess I have to focus on the things I still have.
Sounds. There are still the sounds. It was windy when I went to bed earlier. I mentioned once before how I always liked listening to the wind on a cold snowy night. And I could hear Grandpa's wind chime outside too. I wonder if Uncle Butch knew what a blessing that would be to me.
Sounds. I still have music, and thank God for that. I think going deaf would have been much more devastating to me than going blind. I still have music. And that reminds me, I was listening to a Trans Siberian Orchestra cd today and noticed something a little bit amazing. I’ve had the cd for a couple of years, but since I only listen to it at Christmas, I don’t know every song by heart yet. I noticed one song today that slipped by me before. It sounded like a boys’ choir and a lot of the words were hard to make out, but I caught a repeating phrase at the end; falling snow, falling snow, falling snow. It made me think of my friend Ro and the choir concert she had not too long ago. She mentioned a song called “Falling Snow" and I couldn't help but wonder if this was the same song. I really think it is because it sounds just the way she described it in her blog. And it was just as beautiful as she said it was.
So I still have music. Did God know how much that would mean to me, when he gave it to me? Well, of course He did. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating; God knew exactly what I would need to get me through this part of mylife. What an amazing God He is.
And, speaking of things God gave me, I have the most wonderful family a person could ask for. Some of them I’ve known all my life, some just a few years, but they are all precious to me, and I’m so thankful that we will all be together on Christmas day. Thanks again, God.
Well, what do you know, I’m feeling a little better. I guess maybe God knew I would need this blog too. I started it with grand visions of God using it to help people. I didn’t know that one of those people would be me.
Thank you for reading, whoever you may be. Thank you for being witness to what God is doing in my life. To you and yours, I wish all the peace and good will that God may bring. Merry Christmas!
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Earlier in the week, I was looking at my sadness as just the normal let-down after a big event; such as our party on Saturday, but as I lay in bed earlier tonight, I began to realize that it goes a little deeper than that. I think what it all comes down to is that this is my first Christmas blind. I guess that should have been pretty obvious, but it honestly didn’t occur to me before.
Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. More than that, it’s always felt magical to me. The music, the decorations, the lights, people’s attitudes toward one another. The whole world just feels different at Christmas time.
I used to love going out on a cold evening after work to find presents for my loved ones. Hustling from the car into a warm store, seeing the beautiful Christmas displays, the corny music on the muzak system. Then hustling back to the car, maybe with packages, maybe not, and cranking up the heater. And if it was snowy and a little slippery, so much the better! I always loved a white Christmas.
And the lights! Lights and lights, everywhere! In my small home town, there was one little street where every single house would be totally outlined in colorful strings of lights. And we always knew the good neighborhoods to visit in nearby Kearney as well. In Texas, there’s a place called Santa Land. It’s a wooded area, just off the interstate, where they have cut a path through the trees, wide enough to drive through. And there are thousands and thousands of Christmas lights strung everywhere. Not just lights, either, but little displays set up here and there; wooden cut-outs of elves in workshops, children ice- skating, Santa and his reindeer. At one point, you pass by a small pond, and there are three crosses outlined in white lights on the other side. You can see the crosses, and also the reflections in the still water, and it’s so beautiful. In another place, they put the strings of lights high in the trees and just let them hang straight down all around you as you drive through. You cannot possibly visit this place and leave feeling unhappy.
This year, I have none of that. No driving on snowy streets, no decorations, no lights. We have snow, our first white Christmas in years, but I can’t see it. I can’t even see my own Christmas tree. And I’m sad.
I know those things are not what Christmas is about, but how do I cope with the loss of all that beauty? Well, I guess I have to focus on the things I still have.
Sounds. There are still the sounds. It was windy when I went to bed earlier. I mentioned once before how I always liked listening to the wind on a cold snowy night. And I could hear Grandpa's wind chime outside too. I wonder if Uncle Butch knew what a blessing that would be to me.
Sounds. I still have music, and thank God for that. I think going deaf would have been much more devastating to me than going blind. I still have music. And that reminds me, I was listening to a Trans Siberian Orchestra cd today and noticed something a little bit amazing. I’ve had the cd for a couple of years, but since I only listen to it at Christmas, I don’t know every song by heart yet. I noticed one song today that slipped by me before. It sounded like a boys’ choir and a lot of the words were hard to make out, but I caught a repeating phrase at the end; falling snow, falling snow, falling snow. It made me think of my friend Ro and the choir concert she had not too long ago. She mentioned a song called “Falling Snow" and I couldn't help but wonder if this was the same song. I really think it is because it sounds just the way she described it in her blog. And it was just as beautiful as she said it was.
So I still have music. Did God know how much that would mean to me, when he gave it to me? Well, of course He did. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating; God knew exactly what I would need to get me through this part of mylife. What an amazing God He is.
And, speaking of things God gave me, I have the most wonderful family a person could ask for. Some of them I’ve known all my life, some just a few years, but they are all precious to me, and I’m so thankful that we will all be together on Christmas day. Thanks again, God.
Well, what do you know, I’m feeling a little better. I guess maybe God knew I would need this blog too. I started it with grand visions of God using it to help people. I didn’t know that one of those people would be me.
Thank you for reading, whoever you may be. Thank you for being witness to what God is doing in my life. To you and yours, I wish all the peace and good will that God may bring. Merry Christmas!
Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Journal - Party Countdown
Well, here it is, the 19th already! This will be a busy day for us so I hope I have time to post this. Of course, if you're reading it, then obviously I posted it haha! Okay, I'll be honest with you. I'm really writing this on Friday because I know I won’t have time to sit down and write on Saturday. It’ll only take a couple of minutes to copy and paste it into my blog on Saturday so I think I can handle that.
So, let me see, what’s been going on this week. Joni has been cleaning house like crazy since we’re having company tonight. And I’ve been practicing like crazy. The songs are sounding pretty good, but I’m still having trouble with two of them. “O Holy Night" is proving to be extremely challenging, and even after four weeks, I still haven’t had a perfect run on it, although I’m getting close. I’m also having trouble with “Where Are You Christmas.” I've always had trouble with key changes, and that one has two of them at the end. If I can get through those two songs, the show should be pretty good.
On the insurance thing: I had called the BCBS agent last Monday, the 8th I think, just as the blizzard was bearing down. I didn’t hear from him all week, but I chalked it up to the blizzard. So I waited until the following Monday to call him again. Still, I didn’t get a call back, so I called Aetna. Aetna turned me down right away. On Tuesday, the 15th, I call the main office for Blue Cross in Nebraska and complained about the agent that wouldn’t call me back. Lo and behold, he called me about 10 minutes later. He took my basic info over the phone and emailed me an application. Joni and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and fill it out yet, but at least we made a little progress this week.
My asthma and everything is holding up pretty good. I still have the free sample of Advair my doctor gave me. I’m only using it every other day and I'm getting along just fine with that. In the meantime, my doctor found some program where she was able to get me another Advair, completely free. I think that one has 50 doses in it, so I can stretch that one out for a long time. She also sent me an application to see if I would qualify to get them on a regular basis, either free or discounted. Don’t know if I will because they want to see last year’s tax form. I was still working last year, so I’ll be surprised if that works. Anyway, I'm hoping to have insurance before much longer so that's all moot.
Let me see; I did call Ken Thursday night, but he didn’t answer so I left a message. I’ll see if he calls back.
I think that’s about it. Other than my blog. You probably noticed that I’ve been writing a lot this week. I don’t know if that’s because we really have been busier than normal lately, or if I’m just getting a little more comfortable with the whole blog thing. We’ll see what happens after the holidays.
Okay, on to today. A deaconess from our church approached us a couple of weeks ago. She said that every year, the deacons and deaconesses put together Christmas baskets for needy families, and they wanted us to have one. So early this morning we went to the church to pick that up. It is basically everything for a Christmas dinner. There’s a ham, canned fruit and frozen vegetables, as well as fresh carrots, celery, and potatoes, and a cherry pie and whipped cream. What a blessing! It’s hard sometimes to admit that you need help, but if it hadn’t been for all the help we’ve received from lots of different people over the last year, my family and I would be living on the streets right now. If you ever wondered how people end up like that, this is it. They hit one of those stumbling blocks, like I have, but they don’t have any family to fall back on. Or maybe they're just too proud to ask. I hope someday, God will put us in a position where we will be able to help someone out, the way we have been helped.
Okay, I got sidetracked a little. We did that early this morning. This afternoon, we’re going to Brenna's violin recital at 2 o'clock. Stacy said they only play two songs, so that should be a short program. Then we come home and start getting things ready for our company. And somewhere in there, I need a little last minute practice time. Busy day, but I'm looking forward to all of it! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Wish us luck!
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
So, let me see, what’s been going on this week. Joni has been cleaning house like crazy since we’re having company tonight. And I’ve been practicing like crazy. The songs are sounding pretty good, but I’m still having trouble with two of them. “O Holy Night" is proving to be extremely challenging, and even after four weeks, I still haven’t had a perfect run on it, although I’m getting close. I’m also having trouble with “Where Are You Christmas.” I've always had trouble with key changes, and that one has two of them at the end. If I can get through those two songs, the show should be pretty good.
On the insurance thing: I had called the BCBS agent last Monday, the 8th I think, just as the blizzard was bearing down. I didn’t hear from him all week, but I chalked it up to the blizzard. So I waited until the following Monday to call him again. Still, I didn’t get a call back, so I called Aetna. Aetna turned me down right away. On Tuesday, the 15th, I call the main office for Blue Cross in Nebraska and complained about the agent that wouldn’t call me back. Lo and behold, he called me about 10 minutes later. He took my basic info over the phone and emailed me an application. Joni and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and fill it out yet, but at least we made a little progress this week.
My asthma and everything is holding up pretty good. I still have the free sample of Advair my doctor gave me. I’m only using it every other day and I'm getting along just fine with that. In the meantime, my doctor found some program where she was able to get me another Advair, completely free. I think that one has 50 doses in it, so I can stretch that one out for a long time. She also sent me an application to see if I would qualify to get them on a regular basis, either free or discounted. Don’t know if I will because they want to see last year’s tax form. I was still working last year, so I’ll be surprised if that works. Anyway, I'm hoping to have insurance before much longer so that's all moot.
Let me see; I did call Ken Thursday night, but he didn’t answer so I left a message. I’ll see if he calls back.
I think that’s about it. Other than my blog. You probably noticed that I’ve been writing a lot this week. I don’t know if that’s because we really have been busier than normal lately, or if I’m just getting a little more comfortable with the whole blog thing. We’ll see what happens after the holidays.
Okay, on to today. A deaconess from our church approached us a couple of weeks ago. She said that every year, the deacons and deaconesses put together Christmas baskets for needy families, and they wanted us to have one. So early this morning we went to the church to pick that up. It is basically everything for a Christmas dinner. There’s a ham, canned fruit and frozen vegetables, as well as fresh carrots, celery, and potatoes, and a cherry pie and whipped cream. What a blessing! It’s hard sometimes to admit that you need help, but if it hadn’t been for all the help we’ve received from lots of different people over the last year, my family and I would be living on the streets right now. If you ever wondered how people end up like that, this is it. They hit one of those stumbling blocks, like I have, but they don’t have any family to fall back on. Or maybe they're just too proud to ask. I hope someday, God will put us in a position where we will be able to help someone out, the way we have been helped.
Okay, I got sidetracked a little. We did that early this morning. This afternoon, we’re going to Brenna's violin recital at 2 o'clock. Stacy said they only play two songs, so that should be a short program. Then we come home and start getting things ready for our company. And somewhere in there, I need a little last minute practice time. Busy day, but I'm looking forward to all of it! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Wish us luck!
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Journal, Birthday Wrap-up
Sooo, what’s been happening since my birthday? I’m glad you asked! It seems like all kinds of things are going on.
First, let me wrap up the birthday thing. I got my new socks and am enjoying them a great deal! Also, from Adam I got a Husker t-shirt that I am told looks very cool. From Joni, I got a pair of Husker lounge pants. This is mainly what I wear around the house and I definitely needed a new pair. Oh, and the angus burger was good, but not, THAT, good. I still like the Whopper better. The Coke glasses from McDonald's are nice though, they feel much heavier and sturdier than the ones they had years ago.
Okay, on to my health. I talked about the bad time I was having with my asthma. I had gone to the doctor the day before my birthday. She gave me some medicine that was very affordable, even without insurance, and I’ve been feeling very good since. The pills she gave me, however, are a steroid and you can’t take them for very long. I took my last one on Wednesday so we’ll see what happens. Actually I should be okay for a while yet; she also gave me a free sample of Advair, and now that the steroids are gone I’ll start using that. I’m still working on the insurance thing, but the blizzard kind of shut things down for a couple of days and I'm still waiting for a call back. I called a Blue Cross, Blue Shield agent because I heard they don’t deny for pre-existing conditions. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Did someone say blizzard? Yep, I guess I did. It snowed pretty heavily for most of Monday and Tuesday. Lots of gusty wind too. I'm not sure what the final tally was, but they were calling for 12 to 15 inches of snow and I'm pretty sure we got at least that much. I loved blizzards when I was a kid. Laying in my nice warm bed at night, listening to the wind whoop and holler outside, knowing the snow was really piling up. That kind of stuff loses its magic a little when you get older, but this one came close. Tuesday night I lay in bed listening to my first blizzard in about 15 years. I think I got a little of the magic back because I knew I didn’t have to leave the house the next day. Also, I could hear my wind chime. I didn’t talk about my wind chime yet, but let's just say it's a very special chime that I hadn't heard since I was a child.
Aside from that, I’ve been spending my time listening to books and exercising. I’ve been putting in about 30 minutes a day on the bike, although I took a few days off when I wasn’t feeling well. Also I’ve been practicing my Christmas music a lot. Some of the songs I got turned out to be kind of difficult so I’ve been working hard on them. I think they’re coming along pretty well though, and I should be ready for the 19th. Which reminds me, Stacy, (Brenna's mom), told me that Brenna has a violin recital on the 19th. Wouldn't you know it? The recital is at 2pm though, and supper here at the house isn't until 5:30, so I think we can make it. Frankly, if I had to choose, I'd probably go to the recital. Our party could always be rescheduled.
Busy, busy, busy! And still a lot to look forward to. The 19th will be a fun day and, of course, Christmas is almost here. In the meantime I’ve got my exercise bike, and my blog, and my saxophone. Not to mention an insurance policy to track down. With any luck, this will be my only Christmas as a blind man. But I can’t get too far ahead of myself. One day at a time, one day at a time.
Psalm 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
First, let me wrap up the birthday thing. I got my new socks and am enjoying them a great deal! Also, from Adam I got a Husker t-shirt that I am told looks very cool. From Joni, I got a pair of Husker lounge pants. This is mainly what I wear around the house and I definitely needed a new pair. Oh, and the angus burger was good, but not, THAT, good. I still like the Whopper better. The Coke glasses from McDonald's are nice though, they feel much heavier and sturdier than the ones they had years ago.
Okay, on to my health. I talked about the bad time I was having with my asthma. I had gone to the doctor the day before my birthday. She gave me some medicine that was very affordable, even without insurance, and I’ve been feeling very good since. The pills she gave me, however, are a steroid and you can’t take them for very long. I took my last one on Wednesday so we’ll see what happens. Actually I should be okay for a while yet; she also gave me a free sample of Advair, and now that the steroids are gone I’ll start using that. I’m still working on the insurance thing, but the blizzard kind of shut things down for a couple of days and I'm still waiting for a call back. I called a Blue Cross, Blue Shield agent because I heard they don’t deny for pre-existing conditions. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Did someone say blizzard? Yep, I guess I did. It snowed pretty heavily for most of Monday and Tuesday. Lots of gusty wind too. I'm not sure what the final tally was, but they were calling for 12 to 15 inches of snow and I'm pretty sure we got at least that much. I loved blizzards when I was a kid. Laying in my nice warm bed at night, listening to the wind whoop and holler outside, knowing the snow was really piling up. That kind of stuff loses its magic a little when you get older, but this one came close. Tuesday night I lay in bed listening to my first blizzard in about 15 years. I think I got a little of the magic back because I knew I didn’t have to leave the house the next day. Also, I could hear my wind chime. I didn’t talk about my wind chime yet, but let's just say it's a very special chime that I hadn't heard since I was a child.
Aside from that, I’ve been spending my time listening to books and exercising. I’ve been putting in about 30 minutes a day on the bike, although I took a few days off when I wasn’t feeling well. Also I’ve been practicing my Christmas music a lot. Some of the songs I got turned out to be kind of difficult so I’ve been working hard on them. I think they’re coming along pretty well though, and I should be ready for the 19th. Which reminds me, Stacy, (Brenna's mom), told me that Brenna has a violin recital on the 19th. Wouldn't you know it? The recital is at 2pm though, and supper here at the house isn't until 5:30, so I think we can make it. Frankly, if I had to choose, I'd probably go to the recital. Our party could always be rescheduled.
Busy, busy, busy! And still a lot to look forward to. The 19th will be a fun day and, of course, Christmas is almost here. In the meantime I’ve got my exercise bike, and my blog, and my saxophone. Not to mention an insurance policy to track down. With any luck, this will be my only Christmas as a blind man. But I can’t get too far ahead of myself. One day at a time, one day at a time.
Psalm 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
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