Grace

(To blog or not--it had become more complicated than it should have been, in my mind at least. And so I sat out for a while, deciding, reordering, fixing priorities and myself until I could either shut this down for good or continue without what other people thought or said (or didn't say) creating such problems for me that I couldn't write or think about the blog with any decisiveness. I am continuing.)

 When people ask me these days how I'm doing, I give one of two answers, depending on how the day is going. Either "ok" or "well."  "OK" is for those days when to say fine or great or anything else would be lying. I used to do that, but finally gave up the ruse. I am ok, no matter how I feel. At my core, I am doing ok but my body may not be following along. Some people will say, "Just ok?"  Their tone may be concerned or accusing. They may want to know more, or they can't believe that I'm not putting on the perfect face and pretending all is well.

But lately, more and more, my answer has been "well," or "really well." And some people want to know more. "A new medicine?" "What has changed?"

And the answer I give them? Grace. It's just grace. A reprieve, finally. Some time to breath in and out. There are things I do, things I've learned to do that I think help. But I do those same things on the bad days. And so I answer Grace. If they want to know more than that, then I tell them the rest.

I'm taking 4 mg of prednisone and plaquenil. I've added fish oil and turmeric. The turmeric definitely helps with pain, though it is a bit hard on my stomach so I don't take it daily. I've also added some magnesium citrate (a low dose), as I could no longer take any pain medicine without a rebound headache. Guess what? Can take a low dose of pain meds again when I need them! There's a lot being written now about magnesium and our body's need for it. Give it a google. Don't buy the cheap stuff--unless you want to spend your time in the bathroom.

I make sure I get enough rest. This is difficult for me--there is so much that needs to be done and getting extra sleep gets in the way of that! But the less I sleep the sicker I am. If I sleep I have less pain, more energy and I'm happier. I get more done when I am awake. For years I saw my kids off to school every morning, but two years ago, during my shingles bouts, I started sleeping in. I've never stopped. The kids at home are 16 and they get along just fine without me in the mornings. :) 

And, of course, I eat gluten free. I also jump into a paleo diet occasionally. Right now I've cut out dairy for a bit. Only the gf is permanent, but I try to feed my family fresh and organic. Some of them are happier about it than others!

My gp helps me stay on top of my anemia, which I find makes a huge difference in how much energy I have. I take B12 shots every month and make sure my iron stays up.

All of that doesn't mean I'm completely well, but I'm better. I feel good much of the time, even when I'm hurting. My hands won't stand much hard work and my feet won't walk even a mile without becoming really inflamed. But they'll get me through my days without complaining too much. I've gone to most of my kids' activities this year and am teaching a Wednesday night women's class at church for the first time in years!

Grace.

Yesterday morning I got up early and joined my family in downtown Oklahoma City at the OKC Memorial Marathon. I cheered while most of the fam completed the 5K and my son ran the Half Marathon.

Many wore red socks in honor of those in Boston. My oldest daughter ran in honor of a close friend who died last year.  We were all there together. Even Mom. Oklahoma City seems such a special place at Marathon time, remembering a horrible event but making something so good out of it. I was happy to be to be part of it, even in such a little way, proud to watch those of mine cross the finish line even if I couldn't.

Grace. And more than enough of it.

Sherry

Happenings at Home

I didn't want to leave that last post up too long! Thank you, everyone, for your sweet comments. On a more positive note--here are some highlights from our family life of late.  Counting my blessings is easy.


My husband had another birthday--and we surprised him with an at-home fiesta and some of his favorite foods. The kids helped cook and decorate and it was tons more laid back and fun than going out! (I first caught this guy with my homemade enchiladas, so I make them for him every year on his birthday.)

His mustache wasn't sticking any longer!

About that same time we hosted another Japanese student who was just here for about a week. It was her first trip to the United States, and we had such a great time getting to know her! We love you, Miyu!

At an OC basketball game with my girls.

For my son, basketball season ended--and baseball season began. He hasn't played baseball since sixth grade but decided to try it again this year. Their first game was just a few days ago. He's still a little rusty, but he hit an in-the-park-home-run! Of course I'm one proud Mom! 

A friend got this great picture! Look at the ball just leaving the bat!

No pic, but his twin sister, Miss Music, competed in District Solo competition on marimba this weekend. We won't know how she did until tomorrow. . .  But I know she did great!  


I'm really not one of those moms who believes every kid has to have a "thing," but I am glad my two youngest have found activities that they love. Every child is different. Their older sister tried lots of different things without narrowing it down--I think she loved people and socializing more than the activities themselves.


This weekend was Spring Sing at the University she attends (and where my husband works). I think this is one of the most fun and busiest weekends of the year for her and the other students. It's a variety show/competition between the social clubs on campus. It always leaves me smiling-singing-laughing!

Her club's show was about astronauts. She danced on the side
because her foot is still sore from breaking it in China!
Mom's prejudiced but I think she was the cutest Space Shuttle ever!

With the BF, whose club's show was about Mario Brothers.
They placed fourth overall!

The girls--tired and happy!

So you see, as usual, life is going on around here! Wishing you all many blessings--


Sherry


Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

The End of My Girl's Trip--New Zealand and Australia

I promised I'd be back with the rest of my oldest daughter's semester abroad, and though it's taken me a while, here it is! January must be the most difficult month of the year to keep up a blog--I notice many of my blogging friends taking breaks also. I'd rather cozy up to the fire with a book, fold laundry (really?), just about anything else than sit down with my computer and write! But I want to wind up telling you all about her trip to the Pacific Rim, so here goes:

After her wonderful time in Japan, the group moved on to New Zealand. She says now that though Japan was one of her favorite parts because of the home stay, she really loved New Zealand and Australia.  She was surrounded by so much beauty there, and it was so good to hear English spoken again.

In NZ they began their time with a few days in a Marae, sleeping on the floor and experiencing life as the original peoples of New Zealand would have.

From there, they moved on to a family's home on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.  Eating gluten- and dairy free in NZ was relatively easy. The mom where they stayed first kept her spoiled with gluten-free pancakes each morning--

And she had no problem finding cafes and restaurants with gf offerings!

GF Pasta on Waiheke Island

GF Cappacino Muffin

But she was most excited about the pizza! A few years ago we read that Dominoes had gluten-free pizza in New Zealand and Australia, and she couldn't wait to try it. Sure enough, as soon as she could, she ordered a Dominoes gf, cheese-free pizza. And ate the whole thing. Not just once, but over and over again. Here's the first one: (And I know, only someone who is pizza-deprived would really understand how excited she was at this point in the trip!)

Her first pizza in months!

Notice the Gluten-Free sticker on the mid-right of the box

In Australia, it rained much of the time she was there, which delayed and changed many of the group's plans. But they continued on in spite of the rain.

In the harbor near the Sydney Opera House

On the beach, but not swimming because of the rain!

Seeing a kangaroo at the zoo!

And eating a kangaroo burger for Thanksgiving Dinner.

She easily found gluten-free/dairy free food,

A cafe near her youth hostel in Sydney.

while she explored the beautiful countryside.

Blue Mountains

I think it may have been easier for her there than it is here at home. My sweet girl has always been a teensy thing, and in the earlier posts I told you how she lost weight in China but began to gain in Japan. By the time she came home, she had gained over 20 (needed) pounds! Never in my wildest dreams did I hope that she would gain weight on this trip, but she did--thanks to the great care of the wonderful people in other countries. And, I think, because it is, in fact, probably easier to eat gluten free in New Zealand and Australia where people are more health conscious, and there are more options.

She finished up her trip with a couple of days in Hawaii before coming home just in time to help get ready for Christmas. Finally she got some time on the beach in the sun!

On the beach on Hawaii

I'll end, again, with my girl's own words from her statement of learning about the semester. I am so proud of her! She is so glad she went. She felt really well the whole time she was gone. Can travel to difficult places be done on a restricted diet? It sure can! She learned a lot and so did we. And she's already talking about going back.

 Looking back over the semester, I do not even begin to know where to start. Do I start in Beijing, the logical place, where it all began? In Japan, where I fell in love with the people? In New Zealand, where I was surrounded by some of God’s most glorious creation? Or in Australia, where I was surrounded by the familiar and unfamiliar simultaneously?

In each place, I struggled to find God there, and in each place, there He was, right there with me.

Also in this series China, At Last!  My Traveler. . .An Update  More from Travelin' Girl! Japan 

Now on Facebook!

Just for ease of communication with my fellow RAers--I created a facebook page. Join me there if you'd like. It lets me keep a little anonymity on the www and communicate more freely with you all.

A final post about my darlin' girl's travels to come soon, I promise! She is home now, to my relief and joy.

I am still having difficulty breathing, and my rheumatologist thinks methotrexate is to blame. Bronchoscopy with lavage and biopsies last week to check the status of my lungs. I am hoping to get at least some of those test results tomorrow--and I am, quite naturally, nervous.

A higher dose of prednisone and relief, finally, from the shingles post-viral fatigue, and I am feeling unusually well after over two months of illness!  If you can take the shingles vaccine, please do. I am trying to put together a post on this topic soon.

Joy and peace to you.

And those are not the idle words of this harried season, but rather a prayer from someone who knows what it means to be both with them and without them. And definitely prefers the with.

The Lady in (more, again) Pred
Facebook: The Lady in Pred

More from Travelin' Girl! Japan

Less than a week until she's home, today I'll start catching up on what she's done since China. It will take a couple of posts.
Japan
Her group traveled for about a week then settled into a month-long home stay and took classes at Ibaraki Christian University. (Japanese, Japanese Lit, Intercultural Communication, and Bible). Her Okaasan and Otoosan (Japanese Mama and Papa) were absolutely wonderful, and she had two Vietnamese "sisters" as well. She knew several students at the university from their stay in Oklahoma last year (we had even had some to dinner at our house.) She loved Japan, the people, the countryside--and there were only minor earthquakes while she was there. She took thousands of photos, some of them even while she was shopping--one of her favorites in any country! No post of mine will do her time there justice, but  I'll let these few pictures tell some of her stories.

Okaasan and Otoosan with another of their foreign students.
I can not thank them enough for their sweet care of my daughter.
They were wonderful!

Worship at the Omika church.
She worshiped with people from so many different countries.
What amazing experiences!

Ikebana--Japanese flower arranging class. 

Fukishema Aquarium on an outing with Ayaka and Misato,
friends from OC last year.

The group visited Tokyo Disney

On a beach in Japan--the sand is black

Corn soup in a bottle--she bought this on a train.
GF, of course. She gained weight in Japan--a good thing
since she'd lost nearly 10 pounds in China!

Fresh shrimp, right from the sea near the
home where she was staying.

Octopus, fresh and uncooked. Also from the sea
nearby. Okasaan served it for dinner one evening.
She said the little suction cups still sucked a bit :)

Sweet potatoes made the "American way"
for her family. One evening each student made a dish
from home and this was Hannah's contribution.

The students participated in an arts festival on the University campus.
They came up with a show with singing and dancing--looks pretty good, huh?

Okasaan and Otoosan gave her a kimono as a
going away present.  

And now a few words from my girl herself:

The gift-givingness of the Japanese people is overwhelming to me. I have received more gifts since coming here to Ibaraki than I could have ever expected! And actually, I am meaning literal gifts, as well as intangible ones. Friendship, love and care abound, and the gift of time. But also warmer clothes for the impending autumn, cute accessories to wear, delicious meals, even money! I have received again and again. Today my host mom mentioned (at least I think- the language barrier sometimes does me wrong and I misunderstand) that they will be giving me a yakata, a kimono. That is a very nice and often expensive gift. I don't deserve these things!
The Japanese habit of gift giving reminds me of my duty to share God's gifts, the best gifts of all. Service, friendship, love, and most of all the message of His son. If the Japanese are called by Buddha to give, how much more am I called to give by the living God?!

More posts in this series: China, at Last!   My Traveler. . .an Update   The End of My Girl's Trip--New Zealand and Austrailia 

My Traveler. . .an Update

Today's post is for those of you wondering about my traveling girl!

Goodbye America!

She is a college sophomore and her adventures began in Beijing, China just over a month ago. I don't have many pics--just a few from her iPhone or those someone has posted on facebook occasionally. China has pretty tough restrictions on the internet, so the group was limited to scattered internet cafes.

But from what I've heard so far, she had a wonderful time there--two weeks at Capital Normal University and then two more weeks of travel in the country, and now she is in Japan.

The group at Capital Normal University

At the Terra Cotta Warrior Museum in Xi'an Province

And how did she eat, since she can't eat gluten or dairy, and she's allergic to a few other things as well (strawberries, apples, peanuts, and shrimp)? I know she'll have tons of stories to tell when she gets back, but it sounds like in China she ate a lot of. . .rice. There were places where her dining cards worked well, and places where they didn't. She took packets of tuna and lots of gf snack bars with her, so I know she supplemented with those. She told me her group has been so kind to find places where she can eat, too-- they feel like family.

Hot Pot lunch--She said this was one of her favorites!

I'm so proud of her for going on this adventure, even knowing eating and getting gf food would be hard. I'm glad she didn't let the difficulty of eating in China stop her--that she just took it in stride. I'm proud of her for having a good attitude about it--and for being brave! She fell down some stairs at a farmer's house in Xi'an and sprained her ankle--but as far as I know, she didn't get sick from anything she ate.

She's in Japan now and says eating is much easier. They traveled for a week and now she's settled in with a family where she'll be for a month. More about that in another post.

Thanks again to Jen at Gluten Free Kids Travel for some of the best advice we found about gluten free eating in China. Thanks to her we knew Hannah COULD drink the Coke, should look for sushi for something safe to eat, needed to be careful about the salt shakers (they add msg there, which usually contains gluten in China), and in general should be aware of everything else! Keep blogging, Jen!

And tomorrow--look for my post about World Arthritis Day!

More posts in this series: China, at Last!   More from Travelin' Girl! Japan  The End of My Girl's Trip! New Zealand and Australia