It must be a weekly thing right now to get an arctic blast. Today the temperature is 10° with a "real feel" of minus 5-14. Tomorrow's forecast says wind chills of -14. The guys went out and cut a load of firewood today. I guess they thought that would be a warmer job than door installation.
Plus Thomas is the man for the topic at Bible study this evening so he wanted some time to study for that.
Austin and Matthew went this late afternoon to unload doors at the shop. Eight doors came in on this load. Melvin is busy with his hatchet at the cow's water trough. That's a sheet of ice he's thrown that you see between the rails.
I've been doing housework, reading and writing today. Fighting a headache so am not very active. Laundry and kitchen work are all I'm getting done.
The boys feel certain that their time for ice skating has come this week. If it weren't for Bible study this evening they would likely be on a pond somewhere. But maybe tomorrow evening or the next. It doesn't appear as though it will warm up until Saturday.
On Monday Thomas made a second trip to his mom's place in southern WV, taking Melvin with him. They didn't have quite as long a day as they did last week and feel certain that the water lines are repaired in the house now. The water source is a spring in a cave so they traced the lines back to the source and saw that there is a good bit of work to be done there yet. There are whole sections of the line missing. Which means yet another trip.
Thomas was thankful to be able to send Austin and Matthew out for a three door installation on Monday. They can do it on their own now which is a tremendous blessing.
Last evening the guys were all gone to Romney for another evening of work on the Kid's Club building. They report good progress. Will it be ready for Kid's Club to begin in March?
A group from here, along with people from elsewhere, went to Honduras for a week of Bible school for the native children this week. This is the third year they've done it, I believe.
In my last post I mentioned Melvin's thirst for reading. He gathered up the books he's read recently so he could record them. I snapped a picture of the stack. The fat book on the bottom is a (well read or used) Sherlock Holmes collection.
We ate a late breakfast today and a very late lunch so I made a peach cobbler for a light "meal" before Bible study. It's something quick and good. I don't know what they'll want to eat when they get home. I'm not going but even if I did, I wouldn't want to eat again when I got home. But they do! Long, hollow legs. Lol
My nose is running a lot today. Don't know if I'm fighting a cold? Or is it because I read of another mother's miscarriage? (That DID make my nose run sorely. I know that kind of loss too well.) Or because I cut up onions? Or maybe all of the above.
I've been reading a lot. Free Kindle books. G. A. Henty books. The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. Also On Sunday a friend gave me a magazine called Above Rubies. Very interesting family type stories/testimonies. She says the magazine is free.
Tell me about life in your world. Is it cold? Do you have animals to care for? Is your house warm? What challenges are you facing?
When writing is what one does in one's head daily and with one's hand quite a lot less, sitting down to do it with one's hand is like pricking a squishy balloon. All you hear is a long sigh....
What to write first?
So I will write about my day and make the doldrums as interesting as I can.
I awoke this morning to the same throbbing head that gave me a less than desirable Sunday and a very restless night. It doesn't help the throbbing any to know that these men of mine need breakfast and a packed lunch.
A pack of waffles in the freezer is available for just such a time as this. Saturday was spent getting some easy freezer breakfast meals done. So they toasted waffles to be eaten with butter or peanut butter (the first choice of most), maple syrup and peaches or fried eggs, if they so desired.
Leftover chicken tortilla soup, some cheese slices and apples made lunch for the men- Thomas, Austin and Matthew. They all took care of themselves while I sat huddled on the couch with my feet tucked up under my skirt (because I did manage to get dressed as far as that).
I had nothing to eat since lunch yesterday and food still repulsed me. I slowly drank two glasses of water. That helped me feel a bit better. So I downed some calcium with a small glass of milk, hoping that would take care of that aching head.
After resting awhile longer with no relief, I decided to take a couple more Ibuprofen to add to the hundreds my body has dealt with over the last few decades, including the two I consumed yesterday. Then I worry about damaging my liver. And I eat a couple of waffles and drink a small cup of coffee, wondering if that might also damage my liver.
Why do I "worry" about my liver? Well, there IS a glob-by feel in the right side of my abdomen. It just never quite goes away. So I speculate many times about what it is. Sometimes it seems like an internal hernia.
I don't really worry but my brain tells me maybe I should research how to do a liver cleanse and see if I think it seems doable. Instead I just rest and let the drug and caffeine take my headache away.
Then I read awhile and decide it is really high time to do some writing. It really can't take second seat any longer. The windows will be dirty one more day. The apples must wait. The laundry, oh we'll still get some of it done. Besides I feel like a whipped puppy.
To be honest I don't know exactly how that feels. The feeling comes from drugs. You know, that Ibuprofen I spoke of earlier. It leaves one feeling lethargic but painless. Alive enough to write but hardly able to do laundry.
Yesterday I wasn't sure if I was getting the flu bug or a migraine. Today I'm concluding it was a migraine. Because of the cold hands and feet, hot head and nausea.
Enough about me.
Stephen is in Honduras with my brother Paul's family. He left here Saturday a week ago at 1:30 AM. The group he went with flew out of Dulles at 6:20 AM. Nine energetic people from our church went down to conduct a Bible school in the town of Cuyamel.
Only one of the group could speak Spanish. My brother's family met them at the airport and stayed with them for the week to help with interpreting. Most of the group came back Saturday and they report a hectic, enjoyable week with lots of children (80-200) and lots of rain (washing away roads and causing landslides).
On Saturday Stephen, and my niece Sylvia who also went with the group, headed back with Pauls to their home in the mountains, 8-9 hours away. We hear nothing from them so we assume no news is good news. They plan to return home on the 13th.
Thomas, Austin and Matthew are working on a drywall finishing job today. Something that Thomas and Austin enjoy and Matthew does not. He says, "HOW can someone enjoy mudding?!" It is interesting to see the boys' talents and interests develop.
Thomas has been working a lot for a garage door installer. It is the kind of work he enjoys, repetitive and yet needing a certain amount of precision. Matthew enjoys it also but it isn't creative enough for Austin's nature.
Thomas says everyone on the door job hates one certain thing that needs to be done at the end, though, except for Austin. He just jumps in there, does it with excellence and enjoys it.
Melvin and Christopher cleaned up the kitchen around 11 AM, eating a bit more as they did so. Then they created with LEGO's for a few hours. After spending some time reading, they headed out to work on their log cabin in the woods.
It is now 3:30 and none of us have eaten lunch. We will probably snack a little if we need something before supper. My nephews and niece are coming for supper and the evening. Sixteen yr old boy, three yr old boy and six year old girl.
Chicken chili is on the menu and they are bringing a few eats also. There are corn muffins in the freezer if we need more food.
There now. It helps to write about it. To be continued....
Today I am thankful for...
...Ibuprofen (of course!).
...smart phones (with Kindle books).
...eggs (from our very own chickens!).
Here's the book I am currently reading on Kindle.
This day begins early. Thomas, Stephen and Austin leave at 7:30 am and need their breakfast and lunch made and packed before they leave. This is something I struggle with- to do that much food in an hour and a half.
Chop a half pound of sliced ham and a bit of onion to fry together while I crack and mix 15 eggs. Fry it all together and shred cheese over the top. Mix a bowl of fruit and breakfast is made.
Lunch consists of leftover vegetable soup, apples, leftover pie, milk, cheese, and a bag of salty snack.
Then the younger boys come around and eat their breakfast and we leave for program practice at school taking a bunch of milk with us to send home with my nephew for the calves to drink.
While they practice I work on book work and get an ad placed in the paper for the donut fundraiser. Following practice we check out second hand stores, looking for black vests that they want the boys to wear for the school program. We found one.
While we're gone Grandpas leave for Winchester for a foot Dr appointment.
Today was so rainy and cool Matthew started a fire in the wood stove.
By the time we got home it was lunch time and I was exhausted. I was having some diarrhea but not really feeling too bad other than tired. This is embarrassing but I slept. All. Afternoon.
While I slept the boys found things to do. Like mowing their "ball field" and then using it.
After waking I started some laundry. Matthew and Christopher went to milk the cow.
With Melvin's help supper got made- gluten free pasta with sausage and Alfredo sauce, green beans and Caeser salad. Then I really crashed, running to the bathroom periodically. I took a couple doses of McNess aromatic compound but it didn't take hold like I wished.
Thomas went to men's meeting taking Grandpa along. The boys cleaned up the kitchen and another day is past.
When was the last time you were sick?
How do you cope with sickness?
