Weekly Wrap-up: Dawn and the Absolutely, Positively, Horrible, Rotten, No-Good Week

Please visit WUHS for more weekly wrap-ups.

I'm late getting my wrap-up posted in part because this week has afforded very little time for writing, but also because I tried to write it a couple times yesterday and had to trash each draft.  It has been a week of difficulties, and I felt like every post I composed sounded like a big complaining session.  So, please allow me to try one more time, and as you read, know that though I am weary, I am not defeated.

It all started last Saturday....

I quickly moved a load of laundry from the washer to the drier and started a new load washing.  Then I left for the grocery store.  Not one minute after I pulled out of the driveway, the drier started smoking and then it died.  Thankfully, Michael was home and maneuvered quickly to prevent disaster (think house burning down).  Also, my mother graciously loaned me the use of her drier that evening so I could get those 2 wet loads dried.

By Saturday night, Mysterious Invalid Syndrome (MISy) struck.  This is what I call my chronic pain now since the doctors cannot come up with a diagnosis.  It was probably triggered by all the running I had to do that day, and I was aching from head to toe with stabbing pains in my back and shooting pains that ran from my hip to my ankle.  By Sunday, I needed my cane to walk because I could not put full pressure on my right leg without wanting to grab an ax and chop it off to make the pain stop.

Okay, a bit of hyperbole there.  But you get the point.

Monday morning MISy had subsided.  I know I should consider that a good thing.  I was glad not to have to suffer all week, but I still fought discouragement because I can never manage to get to the doctor when I'm really hurting.  I would like for a medical professional to see me at my worst, just once, so they will see that this is not all in my head, or depression, or just a vitamin D deficiency. 

On Tuesday, we received a call from our credit card issuer.  They wanted to know if we had donated $8.71 to the Blood and Leukemia Foundation.  No, we hadn't.  Then they asked if we had spent $800 at the local marina.

Um... no.

We hadn't spent $800 on anything, not even the new drier, and certainly not at the marina.  The next few hours were spent sorting through all our finances, closing accounts, changing passwords, filing reports to contest the charges, yada, yada, yada....

Eventually we had to break from it all to go teach English, which has continued to go very well and be a blessing to us and the Korean families.  In fact, I have been asked to continue tutoring two of my students through the school year, a financial blessing for us and an opportunity to continue to labor among the Korean community.  All good.

On the way home, however, Michael's car started chugging.  As he turned into our driveway, it started to stall and died just as he got to his parking spot.

On Wednesday morning, Orville woke up at 4 a.m. with a stomach virus.  I cried my eyes out when I woke up at 6:30 to find him in the bathroom miserable and found out that he had decided not to wake me up.  His explanation... "Mom, you hurt worse when you don't get the right amount of sleep.  I didn't think I was sick enough to make it harder on you.  I managed alright... I mean, I am almost 11."

He got the day off from school.

Thursday was Michael's first day back to work.  He managed to get his car started so we could take it to the mechanic, then I carted him to work.  I came back home to do make up work and normal school and then off to teach English.  Then I had to come home and prepare for Wilbur's BIG birthday party... make the cake, get the crafts together, etc.   Then back to the high school to get M and back home to fix dinner and finish party plans. 

Friday was actually the most relaxing day because of the party.  I was incredibly busy supervising crafts, handing out cake, keeping cups filled, and doing the work of a hostess.  But it was a break from headaches which I was thankful to have.  The party went really well, and everyone had a really good time, especially the birthday boy.  Posts are in the works.

Also, my dad underwent cardioversion this week in hopes of correcting arrhythmia.  It was unsuccessful.  He is okay, and we're waiting for reports from other specialists to determine what the next step is.  My mom saw her orthopedist about a persistant knee problem.  For those of you who don't already know, my mom had polio as a child and her left leg is paralyzed.   The problem is with the right knee and it is going to need surgery.  We are still waiting for details and feel a bit apprehensive about surgery on her "working" leg.  I appreciate your prayers for both my parents.

Oh, and somewhere in there we did school.  I know that's what these wrap-ups are supposed to focus on, but honestly, I don't really remember what we did this week school-wise.  I just know it got done.  By God's grace, it got done.

If you're still reading at this point, you've probably noticed that this week was the polar opposite of last week.  But what I have to say in summary is exactly the same.  God gives strength to the weary.  He is teaching us to live contently whether abased or abound for it is through Christ Jesus that we can do all things.  We give Him praise for the "unpleasant" times as well as the "good" and know that "It is of Jehovah's lovingkindness that we are not consumed, because His compassions they fail not.  They are new every morning.  Great is His faithfulness."  Lam 3:22-23  

Blessings,
Dawn