Update:
Since my weigh-in last week, I’ve lost over 6½ pounds. Wow! I
am so grateful! I was really concerned
that after all the effort that I’ve made in the last week that I would not show
any change; that would have been a terrible disappointment. Getting the news about my weight loss has
renewed my determination to continue what I’ve been doing. I like getting these kinds of results! As my body adjusts to my smaller portion
size, I’ll probably won’t lose that much again; but I’m glad how encouraging my
start has proven to be.
I was informed by the doctor that I’ve been given permission to walk my
block on a daily basis. Yeah! So as a means of celebrating the good news,
guess what I did! I went for a walk on
my block on Thursday evening. It felt
good to get the heart rate up and get the body moving a bit. I look forward to walking regularly again.
One of the things I have been pondering was whether I should sell one
of my ATVs. With the kids out of the
house and after my amputation, I just don’t have the desire to go riding like I
used to do. I also don’t have the time
that I used to have to devote to riding.
So I was thinking of selling the touring model (seating for two
people). I hadn’t quite decided mainly
because I hate to advertise and sell things.
That has always been a dislike of mine.
On Thursday, I was out to eat with a friend. While waiting for food I asked my friend what
he has been up to. He told me that he
has been looking to buy a used ATV. We
discussed about looking for one on Craig’s List, etc. Then he told me that he
was looking for a very specific one--a used Polaris 500 Touring ATV and he
wanted it green in color. I was
dumbstruck because that is EXACTLY the ATV that I was thinking about
selling. Wow! So now I need to give him a price and see if
we can come to an agreement.
I am not certain why, but all Friday afternoon my nerves were sending
messages of a very specific phantom pain.
Although my left foot is long gone; I kept getting messages telling me
that I had injured the outside of my left foot and it was badly bruised. It seemed like when I added more ply of socks
the pain diminished. By the evening, I
ended up with 6-ply of socks and had I been planning to walk more on it I would
have gone up to 7-ply.
Friday morning I slept in and forgot about an Elder’s meeting, so I
rushed out of the house to get there late and then spent the rest of the day at
church working. So here it is Friday
evening and I am just posting my Update/Thought. Ruth and Cody are coming in from Chicago
tonight and I’ll spend the day with Ruth on Saturday. So, with Sunday coming and then Memorial Day
on Monday, I don’t plan to post again until next Tuesday.
One thing that I really appreciate the small town where I live is that
they hold a Memorial Day parade through town and that ends at the cemetery where
we hold a Memorial Service. It is a big
deal in town. As the parade goes by, all
the townspeople who watched it, join behind the parade and walk to the cemetery
for the service. The High School band
plays, we have a speaker and someone sings a patriotic song or two, we have a
prayer and then everyone heads home to enjoy the rest of the day. This year, I am giving the prayer. My oldest daughter is accompanying the singer
(who is from my church) and my wife, Karen, is reading the narration for the
song. Our church supplies the sound
equipment and the technicians to run it.
However you can, please take time out and pause to offer a prayer of
thanks for those who have given their lives for our country. Pray for the families that they leave behind. Pray for the protection and blessing of all
those who are currently serving in our Armed Forces.
Thought for the Day:
Did you get a chance to get outside today? Here in west-central Wisconsin, it was
gorgeous. Beautiful sunshine, warm
temperatures (but not too hot), the birds singing, the leaves have just come
onto the trees, and the mosquitoes have yet to appear. It couldn’t have been much more perfect. At this time of year even hearing lawn mowers
is a blessing (compared to the sound of snow blowers all winter). I was out in the country at a friend’s house
for a meeting this morning. Just after
noon, I stood on the deck and listened to the birds for a few minutes before
getting on my motorcycle and riding home.
This evening when I took my walk up and down my block, I smelled the
sweet perfume of a lilac bush in full flower.
Springtime! How refreshing! Just being outside and taking a moment to
pause and take in the sights and smells is so rejuvenating. This is the time of year when I envy everyone
who has an outdoor job or who gets paid to be outside, even if it is just going
for a drive with the windows down.
It is a balm to my soul. I
cannot explain it better than that. That
is the way I’m wired and being outdoors recharges my emotional batteries. I love to read; but on days like this, I’d
rather be outside enjoying the weather.
What about you? Do you have
something that recharges your batteries and restores your soul? I guess a better way to word the question is
to ask, “Have you discovered how to recharge your batteries and restore your
soul yet?” Just like there are different
shaped plugs for different kinds of electronics to charge them; so it is with
us—different people have different ways.
Some are better for us than us—but there is probably a multitude of ways
to accomplish it.
Sleep and relaxation will recharge your physical batteries; but we also
have to recharge our mental and spiritual batteries as well. We need ways to offload stress and build up
some emotional reserves. If someone
comes into work all grouchy and angry, we might say that “they woke up on the
wrong side of the bed.” People can get a
good night’s sleep and still be like that.
I think what happened is that they came back to work the next morning carrying
the same burdens that they took home with them the night before. We all need a way to chillax even if it is
for a only a few minutes each day. We
need to cleanse our minds and souls of the stress and trouble that we
encountered that day. If we don’t that
stress just continues to build up and eventually we’ll crack under the
pressure.
So let some steam off this weekend. Hopefully you’ll do it in a healthy
manner and you’ll go back to work on Monday with your heart right and your head
on straight. Find what works for you
and get it done. Your family, friends,
workmates (and even you yourself) will thank you for it.
Maybe this wasn’t the most profound thing that I’ve written about; but
it is where I am at today. Hope that it
gave you some food for thought to chew on!
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