I was so sorry to miss Friday’s Fave Five last week. It’s the first time in ages I’ve missed. I wrote a family update to share that we’d had layers of sickness and happenings. Thankfully, we’re doing better, though we’re still not 100% healed.
I’m glad to share again with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.
1. Hot water. Our hot water heater died on Jan. 3. The new one didn’t arrive until Jan. 14. But with snow and ice that next week, Jim wanted to wait to start work on it until he was sure Home Depot would be open and accessible in case he needed anything while working on it. It was finally successfully installed last Friday, the 19th! I’m thankful we had a camp shower, but even more thankful to have a regular one back. Plus it’s nice to wash our hands in warm rather than freezing water.
2. Safety in snow and ice. It’s unusual for our area to get almost ten inches of snow. It’s even more unusual for it to stay around for more than a week. But single-digit temperatures not only kept the snow, it turned it into blocks of ice. We have trucks that put salt and sand on the main roads, but otherwise we’re not equipped to deal with ice and snow since we don’t often have it. School was out for more than a week (though they probably had online classes). Mail trucks didn’t run those days, either, at least not in neighborhoods like ours..
I was thankful that none of our family lost power or had pipes break. In fact, I didn’t hear of anyone we know of experiencing that.
3. Normalcy. I didn’t lose my sense of taste with Covid, but certain things regular things just didn’t have any appeal or hit wrong (that may have been due to illness or medicines as well). My taste is pretty much back to normal and my digestive system is getting there. It’s been nice to get back to normal energy levels and routines. Two of the four infected wounds that set off cellulitis are healed; the two biggest ones concern me because they still look infected. They are improving steadily, though, if slowly. (I’d appreciate your prayers for that to heal completely.)
4. My dear husband took care of me, did all the errands and grocery shopping, heated frozen entrees for himself when all I could eat was canned chicken soup, and figured out how to install a hot water heater, all while he wasn’t feeling well, himself. He’s doing better and tests negative for Covid now, but still has a lingering cough and congestion.
5. A picture of my grandmother. One of my cousins sent me some old photos this week. I asked if he had any of our grandmother, particularly one that looked like it was for a church directory. I’d seen it but somehow never had a copy. Within minutes he messaged it to me. That’s such a treasure. Previously, I’d only had one old blurry one of her on a beach and another about thirty years ago when we visited her on our way to see my family in TX.
I hope you’re staying warm and safe and well where you are
Stray Thoughts 
My friend, you have been through the wringer this month and I’m so thankful that things are improving. I’m glad that the leg wounds are healing and that you’re carefully watching the one that’s slow to heal. (my little bit of nurse advice!) lol.
My area had the same issue. It was like a skating rink except with snow and it made walking very unsafe for me. I couldn’t even get to the car to clean it off for a few days. I’m glad to see things cleared now. Our mail delivery just started back around Wednesday. But as you said, I’m so thankful for no power outages. It’s been quite an adventure.
I have several photos of family on my mother’s side. Such cherished things! I even have a couple tin types that I’m guessing are family but no one around anymore to ask.
Hopefully, we’re getting closer to our lunch out. It will take us 2 hours to just catch up on everything. Take care and have a good weekend.
Very glad to read you’re both on the upswing! I think the cough from covid (as well as from other ailments) can hang on a while. My friends who’ve had cellulitis also have taken a while for it to totally go away. I will continue praying! SO glad for your water heater! And wow — 10″ of snow is a lot for TN (it would also be a lot in northern IN!).
Hi Barbara, glad to hear you are getting better. Also that you have a working water heater again. I could not take a cold shower. I would have to heat water on the stove. We don’t get snow where I live. It will be up in the 70’s by Sunday and then we get rain on Thursday. Take care of yourself.
Hoping this will be a wonderful and blessed weekend for you and your family. 🙂
I’m so glad you are on the road toward more and more normalcy. Hoping the lingering symptoms will be over soon, that your digestive system recovers, and no more AFIB. Will keep praying for that cellulitis to heal completely.
Blessings on your family and especially that persistent, hard-working husband of yours.
im so glad that you have your hot water back again.
So glad to hear that you’re all much healthier now. I hope the remaining injuries heal quickly. I can only imagine how good it felt to have hot water again. We take so much for granted. How good it must be to feel that warm water. Your husband is a keeper.
I didn’t know that the Covid had made such damages, or rather I thought that people are exaggerating, but now I here more and more from people who lost their taste. It’s awful when the heating or hot water is out of work with these temperatures. We had 2 days of snow and that was it. Now it’s rather warm !
I’m so glad you are feeling better and I include Continued prayers for healing. That is a lot of snow! We have had practically none. I kind of wish we had more…don’t tell anyone I said that out loud though. 😉 I have a beautiful picture of my grandmother that I treasure.
I’m glad to hear you have your new water tank in and that you can enjoy a real shower once again!!that kind of stuff is what I tend to take for granted so thanks for the reminder about being grateful for our first world luxuries 🙂
I’m praying for you regarding your leg infections and will continue to do so. I covet your prayers too for my cervicogenic headaches. they are back with a vengeance. Sigh. But i’m trusting God for complete healing. Sometimes I feel like some ofthese attacks are spiritual in nature (meaning from Satan and his minions). Every day I pray healing scriptures over my self and my friends who have asked me to pray.
I hope you have a good week. YES Barbara…..I have an assortment of essential oils…mainly for things like sore throats and the DigestZen and let me tell you the DigestZen really works on those types of digestive issues that crop up from time to time. There’s also something by the same DoTerra company called Deep Blue and it’s a cream for backaches, knee aches, neck strain….very soothing and dulls the pain and safer than popping OTC Meds. I keep both on hand at all times. hahha
Enjoy the weekend and I’m glad you were all safe from the storm.
I’m sorry you have had so many sickness issues. Hopefully, you and Jim will be on the mend and completely well soon.
Yes, hot water is a true blessing and nothing we should ever take for granted. I’m glad your hot water heater is back up and running thanks to Jim. And of course, it happened when you had all that snow. You had way more than we did which was surprising.
Oh how sweet to have those photos of your grandmother! Your kids and grandkids will value them too.
Enjoy your week!
Willow
Sorry to hear you’ve all been unwell and that the cellulitis is taking a while to heal. Good that you are being vigilant about it though and I’m sure having your hot water restored has helped. It’s the same here in the UK with snow – we are just not equipped for it. I hope you and your hubby are soon feeling 100% better.
So glad you have a working hot water heater again! Our hot water heater is in the basement and on the opposite end of our kitchen, so when I first turn on the kitchen sink in the winter, the water is sometimes so cold that I can hardly bear to put my hands in it. We had the yucky ice and cold temps all week too. We were glad to finally be able to get out of our neighborhood after a week at home! 🙂 I hope your cellulitis will continue to heal.