Oh... what a week!

This has been both a good and a challenging week (aren't most of them?). I did get a lot of decluttering and organizing finished. I know from the comments there are a lot of us who seem to get our "organization gene" revived this time of year. Since I tend to be a low energy person, it helps a great deal to have such a week every few months. Almost everything is looking good in the house so I can simply maintain what I have in place. The garage will have to wait until the temperatures warm up a bit... okay, a lot.

I only have the dishes to "declutter", giving my glass stemware to Goodwill (most were given to me and I haven't have never used them) and opening room to put some of my good dishes in their place. The area in the corner cabinet where I keep them is way too full. During the after Christmas clearance sales, I found gorgeous "Thanksgiving" bowls for a little over $1.00 each (originally $10.00) at Tuesday Morning. I'd had my eye on them since early November but they were way too expensive. I bought six of them at the clearance price, figuring I'd never serve soup to more than six people on Thanksgiving. With their sweet turkey painted in the bottom of the bowl and the muted autumn colors around the rim, they will look pretty sitting on my "Thanksgiving" plates I've been collecting. My daughter even liked them (and she doesn't usually appreciate dishes with poultry on them!). :)

On the more challenging front... my friend whom I've mentioned here a lot (Sheila) had a heart attack early this week. As I told her, it really rattled me because she eats mainly health foods and takes vacations with her husband where they park their van and then bicycle through entire states! Her doctor told her it would have been even worse if she wasn't in such good shape in her 50s. She is understandably upset and I have told her there are lots of Christian prayers going up on her behalf (she is Jewish).

Our "new old car" broke down as Christopher was leaving the college parking lot on Thursday. We had it towed to our mechanic and we haven't heard from him, yet. It's challenging being in the country with no car.

That night, close to Midnight, Christopher woke me from a very deep sleep. He was having very severe health symptoms. I suspect it was an allergic reaction to something but I'm not sure. He asked me to stay up with him until the severity of the symptoms decreased or we'd have to take him to the hospital (remembering we have no car and no insurance!).

Both his Dad and I prayed for him and then my husband went back to bed. Friday would be his last day of long hours at the bookstore (he was the first to work there, only working twice a year when the students came back for classes). Christopher asked if I'd make him a cup of tea and "read something". I returned with a cup of Breath Easy tea and pulled The Valley of Vision from my quiet time basket. He had never read any of their prayers before and as I ended each one, I had to comment on how much I appreciated the Puritans!

Now, I'm sure a few years from now I'll see it as a special moment between Mother and Son... reading Puritan prayers and both of us sipping tea. In reality, it was frightening as he had a severe headache and such chills that I had to bring a heavy comforter to put over him. I left him around 3:00 to go back to bed and try to get a little sleep before the alarm went off at 6:30. He was feeling a little better the next day and I had to take two naps!

We have noticed he hasn't been feeling well after eating fast food and he had brought home a bucket of chicken "meal" from KFC when he arrived home from classes (fortunately, a friend from church who lives close to us was still there and could give him a ride). It is beginning to look like he is sensitive or allergic to something found in some fast foods (perhaps his sensitivity to MSG has become worse, which is why he hasn't been able to go to a Chinese restaurant buffet in a long time). His sister and nephew both have such sensitivities/allergies. I have a feeling some restaurants are using less of the "good ingredients" and more fillers and MSG, too.

So... one of my few New Year's goals is to help him have a more healthy diet by making certain he has a good lunch packed each day so he doesn't have to eat fast food. It will help ADHD symptoms, too. My husband has had to do this for decades and my daughter has to pack a special meal for David when they go out to eat as he can't eat many foods... even those we would consider healthy.

I always have to remember... this isn't Heaven, yet. Life is taken one day at a time. His mercies are new every morning. :)