Gray Hair

Since it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve written, you probably are imagining how busy I’ve been. Not really, but I have been working hard at trying to feel better. I am still fighting off germs. When I get up every morning, I feel like the little kitty on the left. (OK, I admit it, I just threw that in to be able to insert this photo that I think is the cutest thing ever.)  Another cold and another round of a sinus infection have really taken me down for the count and I just haven’t felt up to snuff. I have been able to do what I need to do, but not much extra energy. Me, Peggy, actually went to see a doctor to receive the not so surprising news that I have a severe sinus infection. My x-ray of my head proves it is not empty. Unfortunately, it’s full of what it shouldn’t be full of. The medicine to heal, has been worse than the infection. The prednisone has really thrown me for a loop, but we are reducing the dosage and hoping the severe muscle pain will go away. And I am getting better as I can hear again and have no more headache and am sleeping at night. As proof, here I am writing on my blog. In addition my Bible study time has been quite rich yesterday and today, which is a sure sign that my head is beginning to clear. Yippee.

I had counted on getting a lot down over the last week, since my husband was at the Brazilian Baptist Convention. Usually when he is gone, I work like a fiend to fill up the hours. I have a book (writing a Vacation Bible School) to turn in in March and although it is thoroughly researched, I haven’t begun to write it and that is the tedious part. I love researching. I dread the nitty gritty writing process. Writing is pure discipline, something that doesn’t come natural to me. I like playing with ideas, but when I write them down, then they are “permanent”. In addition, writing a book for leaders of children requires a lot of detail that is not all that fun. Like explaining how to do a craft… copy this size, provide paper, pencil, etc. of this type. Details. But I am ready to tackle it and anxious to see it done.

I have been doing lots of reading these days. One of the books I read was very interesting to me, although not exactly the type of book I usually read. It is called  “Going Gray” (If you are interested, click on the picture and it should take you to its page on AMAZON.COM) and it was on special at Amazon (who can beat $1.99 for a book?). I chose it because I am trying to decide what to do with my hair. I’ve gone blonde and am now back as a brunette. But at least at my hairline, I am graying rapidly. Here in Brazil, white hair appears to be a great taboo. It is a more youthful culture than even the US. But I am growing tired to spending money and time on coloring my hair. Not to mention my concern about allergies (which means I can only use the most expensive hair salons) and long term effects to the exposure to such toxic chemicals. I’ve been thinking of going “natural”, but only after Elly’s wedding (let’s be honest I am more vain, than concerned with my health!!!). At any rate, this book really helped me think this through. If my hair were as gorgeous as my mom’s, I’d do it in a heartbeat.  By the way, that is no model on the right. That is my very beautiful 87 year old Mom. And it’s not photo-shopped. She is that gorgeous. I love this photo of her. It really captures her. That is real beauty to me. Not these plastic surgery travesties. And that’s what I ultimately aspire to, but it’s not so easy to go gray gradually when you’ve been hiding it with coloring. Sometimes I look at people with salt and pepper and think, why have they let themselves go like that? Stupid thought. Since I have had those thoughts, I know others will think likewise. In addition, I’ll have to hear lots I don’t want to hear from the people at my church. (The same folks who have suggested I have plastic surgery on my stomach, that I let my hair grow longer, that I should have stayed blonde, etc.). So this book helped me think through how I’ll transition through this. I may change my mind by next June or July, but that’s where I am on the subject right now.

In addition to reading, I’ve also been able to keep up on my church commitments. I finished up my study of the book of Esther in my Sunday School class and it was fun to end the study by having a Purim celebration. I even made hamantaschen, a kind of traditional jelly filled cookie eaten at Purim. I have now begun a study of the “I AMS” of John. We began with “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE” this past Sunday and I am just loving this study. The last Sunday, I also preached at the morning worship. I wouldn’t want to preach every Sunday, but I openly confess I LOVE preaching. I spoke about “Golden Apples”, about the importance of encouragement. The neat thing is that I felt very encouraged by the whole experience. Hope you receive an encouraging word this week too!

I’m a Grandma

Well sort of. I have a new grandson, or shall I say “grand-kitty”. His name is Galileo (yes, like the scientist!) and Elly adopted him this week. He is a special needs kitty and I am very proud of her adoption. He was found on the street, paralyzed and almost dead and he was eventually nursed back to health. He is a young adult, about 18 months and a beautiful domestic short hair. He is also profoundly deaf, as sometimes happens with white cats. He is a real sweetie, affectionate and very loveable. He seems to have adjusted to his new home, happy to be out of a cage and away from other animals. It’s taken him a few days to adjust to his new home, but now he is eating well and wanders all around. He requires a little more effort to be stimulated to play, but I took over a feather toy and after getting used to the idea that he won’t respond to noise, we figured out how to get him to play and soon he was rolling and biting and jumping. I don’t think he’ll ever be an active cat, but I do think he will be a big cat. He is already double the size of Mia!

Shu-u-u-u-u! Don’t you dare mention to her that we spent the evening visiting another cat, even if it is her nephew. I think it would be hysterical to see the two of them together – big and little, male and female, black and white, shorthair and longhair. Never were there such opposites! Maybe someday we can socialize them. I think they are two very happy “only” children, but we’ll see.

I have a lot to write about, and am aware I have written for two weeks. I haven’t been well. It’s been a rough two weeks for me. Started off with a horrendous cold that left me in bed for two days. I didn’t even make it to church on the 1st Sunday of the New Year. I seemed to be getting over that, although it did seem to want to hang on, but I was feeling better and starting to resume my life when I was attacked by a severe gastoenteritis. I was sick enough to think I heading to a hospital, but decided I was too sick to face sitting up and waiting to be seen. Fortunately we were finally able to get me rehydrated and get some meds for the pain. When the fever subsided, then I knew I might possibly live, which I did. That took the stuffings out of me for a few days. When I am off my feed, you can be sure I am really sick. I mean I came out of the anesthesia from gall bladder surgery complaining I was hungry. Somehow all of this must of knocked out my immunities, because the cold turned into a sinus infection and I have a humdinger of a cough and earache left over.  I am absolutely allergic to doctors and antibiotics, but I considered that option and decided to give it one more day. Today I seem to have a little energy back and I accomplished a number of things, so since I felt I was on the upswing, decided to forego a doctor! I know exactly what the routine is and in fact I could have just gone out and got the antibiotic and prednisone I knew that would be prescribed (as it’s easy to get medicine without a prescription here), but I hate to go that route. I felt like a witch doctor as I breathed in my garlic oil fumes in boiling water, drank apple vinegar, used a cinnamon poultice and drank gallons of water, did a regular sinus cleanse with a neti pot,  but you know what? From what I read, those are just about as effective as the big guns. As long as I can ward off bronchitis, I’ll live without the nasty meds.

Today I felt a hankering toward creativity and so I dug out a project I started before Christmas and decided to finish it. It is a watercolor portrait of Sissy when she was about 6, I think. We all love this photo of her with her missing teeth, sweet smile and mischievous eyes. It seemed to go smoothly and before I knew it, I had virtually finished. I showed it to her and she liked it, so I am going to give it to her.

So finally I’ve said hello in 2010. I hope to later catch up some more on the news around here. Have a good one!