Clarification / Update

Clarification. Spaghetti did NOT contribute to my migraine on Friday. In fact, I hadn't eaten spaghetti in many, many days. It is just the food I think of when I'm feeling really sick.

Update. I actually did eat spaghetti today! The youth group had a spaghetti dinner fundraiser after church. Yum!

Bonus Update. Still feeling tired from Friday's "adventure." Lew is on vacation this coming week, so I'm planning on some days filled with fun and relaxation. Both are much needed!

The Spaghetti Test

Some may think that "the spaghetti test" is when one throws cooked spaghetti against the wall to determine its doneness.

I am here to set the record straight.

This test is really a mental exercise to determine the extent of one's illness. "Do I ever want to eat spaghetti again?" If the answer is "no" (followed by violent barfing), then the level of illness is great.

Such was my test result last night. (Lew's vacation started last night, too, so we were off to a great start.)

I had not experienced a migraine headache that bad in a long time. When I was finally done upchucking, Lew put a cool, damp washcloth across my eyes. I eventually was able to sleep.

Today is a new day. I believe that I will indeed eat spaghetti again.... But not until tomorrow.

Session 7 of 7

I am about to head to the church for our last session of the "One in a Million" study. (This is a great video/workbook study by Priscilla Shirer.)

The gals met at my house for the first six sessions, but tonight we are meeting at the church building because it's our group's week to clean!

Will I get to vacuum? Dust? Pick up leftover bulletins in the sanctuary? The possibilities are endless....

Actually, I hope they are not endless. I'm sure all of the women in our study would like to get home at a decent hour tonight! Smile!

Dad 155: Thunderous Stormy Nights

(Note to weathervane: Please start turning... and soon. Enjoy Dad's post! -- Tracy)

Derf Here! Another warm, humid day in the Northeast. It seems every day brings a thunderstorm. Predictions remain the same throughout the remainder of the week. Certainly lights up the night sky and causes real loud noises. Last night even caused a two hour power outage. Luckily I have a battery-powered radio and was able to listen to the Red Sox thump the Colorado Rockies. Missed the television coverage. Hope tonight will be better. Last two days in the 90s. Today only in the 80s. We are on a cooling trend. Thanks!

Sister Deb should arrive today to spend the summer at her cottage in Old Orchard Beach. Have a feeling she will be spending time with us the next few days as she is not a fan of thunderstorms. Her trip from Florida via Indianapolis and Pittsburgh will be completed today.

Sister Jean is still struggling as she attempts to improve her lifestyle. A scheduled operation is set for July 22. Please keep the prayers coming. This will be a critical step in her rehab. I'll keep you posted. Thanks!

Hope to get the walk-behind mower back in the next couple days. The trimming need is growing quickly, caused by the frequent showers. Must get my weed whacker running. Can't afford to let the meadow get ahead of me.

Front yard garden is growing. Some plants are good, others not so good. Lew has some radishes to eat.

Noticed this week my weathervane seems to be not turning in the wind as it is supposed to do. It looks like I'll have to structure my engineered ladder mechanism to get on the roof to repair it once again. I'll plan on spending my birthday for the third year in a row repairing my weathervane. Hoping it starts turning on its own. Probably not going to happen! Shucks!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Something's Missing

Today is my niece Kaelen's birthday.

Lew and I mailed her a card, I e-mailed a giftcard to her, and I wished her "Happy Birthday" on Facebook.

But I don't feel like the day is totally complete yet, and I finally figured out why....

This is the first time in five years that Kaelen hasn't been here -- in Maine -- on her birthday!

So I didn't get to wish her "Happy Birthday" in person.

And there is no birthday cake nor ice cream to eat. (Bummer!)

I Explain Something for My Husband

Lew went to the grocery store yesterday and bought a gift for me because he knew I was suffering from a cold.

The gift was a package of Oreo cookies.

"Now don't eat these all at once, Baby," Lew said to me.

"Okay.  I won't."

Did you ever hear the story about the frog and the scorpion?  The scorpion needs to cross the river, so he  asks the frog to carry him across.  "I promise not to sting you," says the scorpion.  Halfway across he stings the frog anyway and they both end up drowning.  With his dying breath the scorpion explains, "It's in my nature."

And that's why all of the Oreo cookies are already gone.

Experiencing "Blessings"

As I continue to recover from "the plague" (feeling a little better today), I find myself humming Laura Story's song "Blessings."

Before Laura sang this song at the concert on Friday, she spoke of her husband's battle with a brain tumor. I, of course, began to think of Suzy. By the end of the song, I was more than a little teary-eyed.

I wasn't the only one there with wet eyes. It's a powerful song.

The audience was singing along for most of it.

Well, all of it.

Ordinarily this would annoy me because I would prefer to hear just the artist. But this time was quite different. It was the sweetness of the atmosphere. The Spirit's presence. Haunting, in the most beautiful sense of the word....

I really can't fully describe it.

But I'm so glad I experienced it.

(Postscript: Barry's blog post of a week ago, Defining 'Holy', quotes a few lines from "Blessings.")

(Post-postscript: To hear this powerfully-moving song, click on the following YouTube link: Laura Story - Blessings.)