Back from the beach with the crud!
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Yeah - so all this time I’ve dodged the bullet, my super spidy senses and lightning fast reflexes weren’t enough.
We had a great time at the beach, but day by day I felt the yuck coming on. A miserable cough that kept me from sleeping well most nights, despite that it was nice and warm in the trailer. By Sunday, I was just ready to go home. And it was 5 hours of driving!!! I had to stop and take a nap at a rest stop.
When I got home I pulled right into the drive, unloaded two horses and nothing else. Everything else could wait. I crawled straight into bed. Spiked a fever of 101 and stayed curled up in my bed.
Malcolm and my mom (who is the BEST by the way for helping with the trip and taking care of all of the critters while I was gone) went out and got me some Theraflu, made me some soup, took my temp and took care of dinner.
Top it off - Monday morning in addition to my feeling like ick - Taira woke up crying with her ear hurting. So as mom headed back to Angier, Taira and I headed off for Dr. Appointments. Ear infection for Taira complete with ear drops and Bronchitis for me complete with an inhaler, Avelox and some super thick miracle cough syrup.
I’m STILL recovering - but back at work today. But so much for dodging the bullet. At least I’ve dodged H1N1 for now.
Dear God…we need to talk!
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Isn’t that something we all need to do? Talk to God? I’m coming to terms that instead of doing all the talking…I really need to do some serious listening. Probably not just in my christian walk, but life in general. I’m so busy talkin’ that maybe I forget to listen.
There’s still time
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
To help us reach our goal!
http://www.horsebackbeachride.kintera.org/myrtlebeachsc/mduarte
Merry Monday
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Well I am counting down to getting ready to head off to the beach! SO much stuff to do! It’s amazing how we stress ourselves out to go…relax. HA HA! Packing, prepping, taking care of things that need to be taken care of while we are gone. We scurry around doing this and that pulling our hair out trying to remember what we know we’re going to forget. It’s crazy. And that’s just when we’re preparing to take ourselves. I’ve got to prepare to take HORSES too! LOL!
So here’s my to do list:
- Pick up the unexpected parts the truck needed Tuesday so I can have them put on Wednesday.
- Drop the truck off to get the parts put on, pick it up and shell out more $$$ for the work!
- Do laundry - and then pack it!
- Pack the horse trailer!
- Clean the horse trailer camping area (after packing it!)
- Make sure mom has everything she needs at the house.
- Make sure the horse sitter has everything needed to take care of the horses being left behind.
- Hit the road.
- Stop somewhere to pick up camping food.
- Make it to my destination in one piece with truck and trailer and horses still in tow. (ha ha).
- RELAX.
So yeah - I’m gonna try to get all that done without stressing out!
Anyway - that said - here’s the weekend in review.
Saturday it was raining - so my Saturday lesson got cancelled and rescheduled for Sunday. So not afraid to say that as should be tradition on a rainy day…all I did most of the day was lounge around. Waited for the rain to subside and at about 7:30PM and Malcolm took us to the State Fair. It was the last weekend for the fair, but the crowd was not too bad. The weather had subsided. Didn’t get searched on the way in. But decided that the best way to sneak a weapon into the fair is to sneak it in with a child. Not that I would - but children were waved through and adults were searched.
Rode a few rides, saw the fireworks, played a few games then got some fried okra, a funnel cake, a bloomin’ onion and some candy apples. Also did a lot of people watching. This was a STATE FAIR - so why were people dressed up like they were going to the club? Even saw a girl in HIGH HEELS. I can’t imagine trying to walk the Fairgrounds in heels. Saw people only half dressed. Do people think they’ll meet their soul mate A. If they are half nekked (yes I meant to spell it that way and B. At the STATE FAIR of all places???? Anyway - left at about 11:30PM and got home super late.
Slept in on Sunday and didn’t go to 1st service as planned (anxiously awaiting the media to be put on the NHC website so I can hear it because that’s a great feature at www.newhorizonchurch.tv). Then got up and did morning chores and got horses ready for lessons. My first lesson came at about 11:30AM and the 2nd came perfectly timed at 1:ooPM. All went well so now there are two new peeps set up for regular lessons. Time to put the horses back to work.
After lessons set off to Home Depot and got some stuff for trailer improvement. Finally getting around to getting some insulation and panelling in the dressing room to make it more comfortable to camp in.
As for the evening…set off for just a fun hang out night with the small group. We ate, we laughed, we chatted and just had a warm and fuzzy night of fellowship.
Well now…here we are at MONDAY! Sigh…is it FRIDAY yet? Cuz hopefully by Friday I will be RELAXING safely at Myrtle Beach!!!
As life gets hectic…
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
It’s okay- life is hectic. But at least I’m blessed with a life to live! Ha ha!
My physical therapy sessions and home exercises for my back seem to be having a positive effect. No constant back pain for most of the week. And I’ve been back to riding regularly this week - so PT can stand for, as my friend put it, “Pony Therapy!” Ha ha!
Tomorrow we hope to venture and brave the weekend crowd at the State Fair. I am going to try my hardest not to eat anything that comes in the form of a $7 heart attack…but I’m not making any promises. Ha ha! I’m thinking I can draw the line at a sausage and a funnel cake! Really….I can do it!
Trying to get geared up for the beach ride coming up. There have been all kinds of obstacles in the way! The awning issue - resolved. Truck brakes issue - costing more than anticipated and not going to be resolved until the night before we’re scheduled to hit the road. But safety comes first and when it comes to hauling horses down the road we really can’t take any chances!
And if you feel so inclined - here’s my one last plea to make a donation to the American Heart Association on my on-line donation page. Click on the link below - even if you can only give $1.oo your tax deductible donation goes towards helping the American Heart Association make important advances against heart disease and stroke.
http://www.horsebackbeachride.kintera.org/myrtlebeachsc/mduarte
I’m nowhere near my goal of rundraising $1000 - but at least I’m above my minimum requirement of $130.00 so I’ve gone above and beyond. I know - times are tough to be asking for money and donations. But it’s for a good cause so think about it.
Change is coming…
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Change is coming. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is not so good. Either way - change requires some getting used to. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the past couple of years in my life. Some were overdue, some were unexpected, some were a long time coming. But the point is…I had to accept and live with the changes…even if I wasn’t in favor of them. God changes things in our lives as he sees fit. Sometimes they are for his own glorification…and sometimes they are meant to glorify him in the long run.
Change is a hidden blessing sometimes. You know…it hits you and you don’t quite understand it. You wonder what good could possibly come of it. But rest assured…at some point - even if not right away - you will recognize the blessing in the change.
You just have to have faith in what’s to come when there’s change. Brings me back to one of my favorite passages…
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Managed to dodge the bullet…
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
And haven’t caught the cooties despite Malcolm being sick last week, a coworker having confirmed H1N1 and several shelter staff being out with the same. Been taking that generic immune booster stuff EVERY day. So as of today so far I have dodged the bullet.
Went to visit a friend Saturday at her new house. Spent some time floating around in her pond on a boat while Malcolm did some fishing. It was uber-peaceful and I could have stayed there all day. We grilled out on on her deck overlooking her pastures , played pool and just caught up. She found her own little slice of Heaven. But since I can go visit whenever I want…I am not a tad bit jealous! LOL!
Had a great small group meeting last night. Loving the new relationships and as Leah would say …authentic sharing. It’s pretty inspring. Are you in a group? If not - get in one! The end! 
Family is coming to visit from Massachusettes in a couple of weeks. 1 year dating anniversary mark with Malcolm is coming this Friday (what to do?) and life is just overall good! Hope you had a great weekend!
The lowdown on my back
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
quote:Spondylolisthesis (spon-dee-low-lis-thee-sis) occurs when one vertebrae slips forward in relation to an adjacent vertebrae, usually in the lumbar spine.
The disc bulge is a result of the vertebrae slipping forward (because the bone that is broken has caused an instability in the spine so at that point it is not “holding together” because the bone that braces the disc by bracing with the other vertebrae is broken so there is nothing bracing the vertebrae from slipping forward.)I have a photo of today’s additional x-rays. But here’s pretty much what it looks like:
Turns out the cyst is not in any way associated with the pain. It is on the opposite side where there is no pain and is associated with the arthritis…which is also a result of the pars defect because of the extra stress. I’m in the 6% of the population that has a true genetic pars defect, born with it and the result inevitable. Through time and stress on the defect the bone at some time during growth breaks due to the abnormailty as a result of not being able to handle the every day function of the spine. Pretty much a stress fracture. You can go for quite a long time with no pain. My body has decided now is the time for some pain and complication. I’m at grade 1 slippage which does not mandate surgery and surgery will be the absolute LAST resort when quality of every day life becomes unmanageable without surgical repair. I have quite a few options to choose from. PT, heat/cold, massage, pain meds, TENS unit (nerve stimulation through electronic pulses), injections, back brace.
We are starting with physical therapy at the orthopaedic center and most likely utilize a TENS unit during therapy. Then I will probably opt for the chiro. Meds and injections…last.
Good news is that we discussed riding and he said I can continue riding. Of course I will still be very careful. But this is not a trauma induced injury that is going to worsen because of any particular activity (makes sense because if so, some of my days of riding fractious horses would have put me out of commission a long time ago). I’ve been riding with it for years obviously.
So there you have it. My doctor was great, very descriptive, gave me a copy of an x-ray and drew it out for me so I could see as he explained. I didn’t leave with any questions and he about answered most of them before I had a chance to ask.
The perfect storm!
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
That’s my new slogan! HA HA! Today we talk about this perfect storm of things that have brewed. Got off work yesterday and headed home through the band of severe storms that came through to find the awning off of my horse trailer torn up and laying over the top of the horse trailer. It looked like all heck broke loose (well judging by all the water and the debris on the roads…it did). Broke the arms off the awning…it was a mess. Once I assessed the damage I really did stand in the middle of the yard…look up and ask God out loud what was next!
Luckily I had the awning insured when I had the trailer insured so the insurance adjuster will be out tomorrow! It was funny becase when the claims agent asked if anyone witnessed it I told her nobody was home, but I am sure the horses saw the whole thing! LOL!
Tomorrow morning will be in interesting day, too. I pick up my MRI CD and head to the Orthopaedic to see the spine surgeon to discuss course of treatment from here. Not looking forward to that and am looking forward to it at the same time if that makes any sense at all. I know what’s wrong…now what are we going to do about it? I’m hoping we can go conservative…but sources say that in the long run this is a surgical issue. I’m not excited about that idea.
Malcolm got sent home from work yesterday sick. The Fire Department kicked him out for being sick. And how about one of my coworkers has confirmed H1N1 and 2 workers at APS are confirmed, though 5 are out sick. Hopefully Taira and I will dodge the bullet. I have plenty of sick leave…but if I’m going to have time off of work I definitely don’t want it to be because I am sick or because my child is sick!
So there’s a good triplicate of storm watch issues. Yeah…yeah…after every storm the skies clear, the sun comes out and shines again. But right about now I’d prefer to in the clear already.
“Are You In a Group?”
Posted by Melinda | Filed under Life
Do you know those 5 little words have the potential to lead someone into a whole new relationship with other christians?
Another new member joined our small group this weekend and it’s just inspiring how it all came to be. Our group has done nothing but grow and grow through the weeks and it’s just amazing how God makes things happen. The new member has been attending NHC for 10 years. Our host home “hostest” has known her for nearly as many. And just by randomly asking her the question “Are you in a group?” she opened another door and her friend showed up for group tonight. Everything fell right into play from there. Our group turned out to be at a comfortable location for her AND on a night that was good for her, too! Voila. Now…she’s in a group.
Know anybody who’s not in a small group? Maybe know someone you aren’t sure if they are in a small group or not? Well maybe you should just ask those 5 little words and possibly open the door to whole nutha level of relationship! And if you are lucky like we are…there’s a whole lotta good grubbin’ goin’ on while sharing God, life experiences, healing and just doing life together.
And if you aren’t in a group the answer is easy - get in one. Go to the NHC website and follow the CLICK TO FIND A GROUP link to find a group in a location and on a day of the week that is convenient for you! You’ll be glad you did. And if there’s not…think about it. Maybe YOU could start a group. Talk to Leah Rade at NHC to find out how.
