Feeling Rather Tired

            The last two weeks have passed in a whirlwind of sleepiness.  Ibuprofen seems to have a groggy effect, even on those days when I only take two capsules all day.  So besides that side effect, I thought I would give an update on my gum graft surgery since my post early last week.

            Last Monday, after work, I had to do some much-needed grocery shopping for liquid and soft foods.  I found quite a few decent things and besides my brother’s smoothies, my favorites have been some various flavors of Greek yogurt, mashed potatoes, and the surprisingly-soft Oscar Meyer Carving Board Chicken.  The first couple days back at work were pretty tough, my mouth would start getting pretty irritated halfway through the day, and then I was starting to worry that being at work would cause too much stress and that the graft might not take.  I tried to take it extra easy in the evenings and I would just read and relax.  I felt much better by last Thursday on my day off, and I was able to get a few things checked off my to do list.  I spent that evening with my good friend Lauren and helped with her children, including Victoria (click here to read about the power of prayer in Victoria’s life).  Tori is doing well, she still has to work with a speech therapist, but other than that, she acts like a normal two-year-old.

            Last Saturday, I participated in Conquer the Gauntlet, which was quite a challenging experience.  I searched online to check that it was ok to exercise after my surgery, and the general consensus seemed to be between 24 hours to 4 days after surgery that it is fine.  Since it had been 9 days and my mouth was feeling almost normal, I figured I was alright.  Conquer the Gauntlet is a 4 mile course with 29 highly challenging obstacles most of which involved climbing.  I would not have made it through without the help of the team I was with.  We had to push and pull each other up on some of the obstacles and it was a great lesson on community and endurance.  Some people from my church participated and we talked about how it relates to our walk with Christ at Sunday school the next day.  I was sore and bruised afterwards, but I’m glad I decided to still do it despite my surgery.

            Let’s fast forward to this Thursday, I had my post-op appointment to get my stitches removed.  It was surprisingly short and my doctor said that everything looked good and that the graft was taking well.  Praise the Lord!  I still have to be gentle with the gums on my lower front teeth, but I am just grateful that the mental stress of work and the physical stress of the Gauntlet did not have negative consequences on my mouth.  It is amazing what our bodies can endure!  Besides having to eat with more delicacy, I think I should be getting back into my normal routine of trying to balance everything in my life, lol!

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6 (NIV)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

          I thought I would try out something new today.   The Simple Women's Daybook  is hosted by Peggy, and she includes the Daybook prompts for August on her page for those who would like to link-up.

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For Today...  August 17, 2015


Outside my window... It's already kind of sticky outside and with a high of 99°F, it will probably be another hot, summer day.  Other than that, it is quite peaceful and quiet outside.

I am thinking... I am not ready to go back to work after having gum graft surgery on Thursday.  My lower front gumline was receding, so I had to go to a periodontist to have this surgery done.  They said it would be a quick recovery, which it has been recovering well, but it's hard to eat and the pain pills make me a bit dizzy.   I thought taking a four-day weekend would be enough, but now, I'm not so sure.  As you will see in the rest of this post, this is definitely occupying my thoughts today.

I am thankful... My brother makes some really good smoothies with peanut butter powder for protein. So, I am thankful that he has made me some this weekend :)

I am wearing... Work clothes :( Wal-Mart blue shirt and khaki pants, and when I get to the pharmacy, I put on my blue smock.

I am creating... Nothing, besides this blog post.

I am going... I think you get the picture, but if not, I am about to leave for work.

I am wondering... What I should pack for lunch today, not many options when most foods stick to my retainer.

I am reading... I just started Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, the second in his Uglies series.

I am hoping... I hope to get some things marked off my to do list this Thursday (my next day off) since I was resting most of the time these last few days.

I am learning... I am still working on Chinese with Rosetta Stone, which I started in October. I can't believe it has nearly been a year!

In my kitchen... Smoothies :) and lots of soft foods.

A favorite quote for today...

imgarcade.com

 

 

A peek into one of my days... Just another day at home with my cats, which is also...

One of my favorite things...

 

August IWSG

Welcome to my August post with the Insecure Writer's Support Group!  For those of you who don't know, the IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh as a place for writers to express their worries and doubts and to encourage one another.  We post the first Wednesday of every month.  Feeling insecure? Join us!

This month I'm still feeling insecure about time, and I don't think that insecurity ever goes away.  In relation to that, I feel insecure about networking and keeping in touch with people.  Time has not always been the underlying issue.  As far back as my teen years, when I had plenty of time to squander, I have never been very good at correspondence.  When I moved from Arizona to Oklahoma at the age of 13, I had a lot friends' addresses (back in the age of snail mail) and I only managed to keep up with one friend for about two years.  I email my closest cousin about once a year.  I sometimes manage to call or text one of my best friends who lives far away once a month if she doesn't contact me first.  The only people I keep up with properly are those I see in person on a regular basis.  This "problem" does seem to be spreading into my blogging and social media habits and I feel bad for not responding as quickly as technology would allow me to.  I think it's a mixture of time, procrastination, and perfectionism that hinders me in this area.  I do want to make kind, informed comments on the blog posts I read, so I feel the need to read others' posts thoroughly, which takes time on some of the longer posts.  I don't allot myself much time beyond writing my posts and there are certain times of the days when it's easier to concentrate on what I'm reading.  As I look back at what I'm writing today, it does look like one big, long excuse, ha ha.  But really, this is more of a self-evaluating psychoanalysis.  If I could just get to the root of this problem, I could better myself and my relations with other people, and ultimately, be better prepared for networking and marketing my own books someday!

FYI: This has been more of a rant on myself and my own habits.  It's not exactly an insecurity as much as it is an annoying habit that I want to work on changing.  I will strive to utilize my time more wisely and stay a bit more caught up this month.  I will tell you how it goes in next month's IWSG post :)

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What are you insecure about this month?  Do you ever have a hard time keeping up with people?

Weekend Coffee Share

If we were having coffee...

          If we were having coffee together, first of all I would have to say that I've never tried this before, so I'm making up the format as I go :)  Secondly, this is the first time I've attempted to write and post from my phone, so we shall see how this goes.

          You asked me why I'm posting from my phone?  Good question!  I am currently at a single ladies' retreat on an afternoon break and  my computer is 4 & 1/2 hours away!  I was wondering what I'd do with this time.  I could have taken a nap, but then I thought about you, my readers :)

          This retreat has been amazing so far.  It is a blessing in and of itself just to be surrounded by women who are in the same state as I am, and I don't mean Texas, I mean the state of singleness.  It is a privilege to be able to hear from these women who understand what I'm going through.  There have been so many great points brought up, but so far there seems to be an overall theme being brought out through each speaker's words: Joy and contentment.  No matter where you are in life, you must learn to trust God and allow Him to be your fulfillment.  A spouse, children, career, or riches will not bring fulfillment, only Christ can fill whatever void you may have in your life.  Also, if you are a believer in Christ, you can experience joy.  Do you know the acronym for J.O.Y.? It's Jesus first, then others, then you.  If we follow God's will for our lives and think of others before we think of ourselves, we can experience joy!  Yes, it is hard to die to ourselves daily, but we are not alone.  God is our strength and our refuge; He will handle everything for us if we just hand it over to Him!  That's just a few of the things I've been reminded of this weekend.  I have heard these things before and I have probably written about some of it, but I still need a constant reminder.  I hope reminders in my life will be helpful to you as well.

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." 1 Peter 1:7-8 (KJV)

          Before you go, I would like to tell you more  about this single ladies' retreat.  It is hosted by Biblical Discipleship Ministries and this is the second one they have done.
Dr. Jobe Martin has a lot if great material on creationism and since his two daughters are both single and in their 30s, they have had many opportunities for ministry with young women and singles.  I highly recommend looking at their site linked above and books if you have an interest in science and creation.