October 2024 – Thankful Runner Girl

Today I am thankful for antibiotics! Somehow, apparently I caught strep throat, I’m guessing at school. I got sick the day before my birthday, October 15th. A friend of ours had told us awhile back if we had a sore throat to take some Advil, so I took Advil and figured since it felt better I was fine. After about a week I felt ok-ish, but then last week my daughter was complaining she was sick and her throat really hurt. I offered several times to make her a doctors appointment, however she wouldn’t agree to go to one until the third day she was sick. Off we went to the Urgent Care because her doctor was booked and surprised she was when she tested positive for strep! Fast forward to this week and my husband starts feeling sick yesterday. Since our daughter has strep I convinced him not to wait and to go in to check, Bingo! He tested positive for strep. We went to go get some soup after his test and he asked how I was feeling and I said that I was still feeling tired and on the sick side and then he said, “Maybe we should get you checked to”, so off I went back to the Urgent Care and viola after telling the doctor I just wanted to make sure I didn’t have it, he said, “Well I’m sorry but you tested positive.” I said, “Are you sure, I got sick two weeks ago and I feel mostly better.” He said, ” You might have gotten better but then since you never took antibiotics, you probably re-infected yourself with your toothbrush or it just came back around to you after your daughter got sick.” So today, I’m thankful for something called a z-pack, because I’m actually allergic to the antibiotic most commonly given to treat strep, penicillin and all it’s relatives.

I’m also thankful to report that our family member actually woke up from her coma! Praise be Jesus Christ, she woke up! She is home and recovering from her ordeal, a little on the wobbly side but it is a far cry from being on life support and being declared basically brain dead. Miracles still happen and I’m glad one happened for her, it makes me happy. Though sometimes, part of me wonders why for some people and not others, not us, but that is not for us to “reason why” it would just drive me crazy if I even tried. So I’m thankful for big miracles today!

Nice weather. The weather has been so nice, not too hot, not too cold. I can still wear a t-shirt if I want to or put on a sweatshirt if I want to and it’s crisp and chilly in the morning for our runs, my favorite weather for running. The sky is blue with little white wisps of cloud floating around. There may be something blowing in our way and this time of year, rain is always nice too!

So today for antibiotics, miracles, and nice weather…I Give Thanks!

Ran yesterday but not today, for some reason my body did not want to rise and go for a run, but hopefully tomorrow. Signing up for our annual Turkey Trot today, so that will be a fun run to look forward to, our long run Saturday was 5miles because I have been sick, but that’s ok, well get back to it…KOR

Phew…this has been an interesting fall so far….

Fall is not my favorite season, it’s not a hated season either, it just seems if something is going to go wrong in my world, it always goes wrong in Fall. Big things, little things…ALL the things.

Our good friend Emily, like a Great-Grandma to Laina, a Grandma to us is in hospice. She is 98 years old and just wish she would fall asleep and wake up in heaven, but she’s going through some suffering before she leaves this world of ours and it hurts my heart, especially for her daughter. Her daughter is Laina’s God-Mother, sweet lady who I met many years ago through my own mom and now she’s part of our family 🙂

My uncle, who is 82, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon and Liver cancer. The primary source was the Colon. He’s done one chemo treatment, ended up in rehab because he was in hospital so long he was weak and having trouble walking but he should be coming home this Wednesday and then back to Chemo. We will see how it goes. He was always kind to me and I hope he doesn’t suffer too much.

My sister-in-law’s mother is in ICU in a medically induced coma because she is having seizures that won’t stop. They had to move her up to Sacramento because they couldn’t help her at the hospital she was in. After just speaking with my brother, my sister-in-law’s Mama seems to be on her way from this world, please bring peace and comfort to her family.

My Dad passed away on September 19th, 2020. My Aunt, his sister, one of my very favorites, a big part of our family, passed away September 9th, 2022. Our baby daughter, Lauren Rose, went to heaven on October 23rd. As you can see Fall is not and has not been kind. I don’t look forward to Fall. I was even sick for my birthday this year! I should have stayed home sick but went to work because I only have so much sick leave and I want to save it so I can attend our daughter’s events. Sigh…

Despite all these sad things, I do try to look at the blessings. The weather is getting cooler and the mornings are like I like them, crisp and pleasant. My brother and sister called to wish me a Happy Birthday, and so did my Mom, and while my students did not know it was my birthday they were good taht day! Pumpkins! I love pumpkins, they are fun to decorate with and look for in a pumpkin patch which we’ve done a few times. Fairs, I enjoy the fairs, in the Fall, visiting the exhibits and seeing the animals, eating the food! Cross Country! My daughter is on her school team and I enjoy watching her run, going to meets, and cheering her on to be her best. Fall concerts for choir. My daughter is in her school’s Chamber Choir and man they are a beautiful choir, so nice to sit and listen to them sing God’s praises on a weekday night. Sunday brunch with family, a long-standing tradition, continues. What a blessing to see my brother, sister, nieces, and nephews almost every Sunday! Time spent with family is a treasure to be sure. We were able to drive down to the coast this past Saturday and it was a beautiful day. Playing frisbee on the beach with my love so fun! Attending Mass at St. Angela’s in PG is always a treat, even if we can never manage to attend their SAMDAG fundraiser, it’s fun to hear about it every year around this time.

I’m not really sure if the good things outweigh the bad things or if I’m seeing it all wrong. I’m sure it’s the latter. Do you ever wish God would just give you a little glimpse to see how it’s all going to turn out? I do, a lot. So I try to turn to his word, it doesn’t always help but I try to remind myself of all His promises and even though that doesn’t always work and it doesn’t always fix the sadness, it’s what I have.

Jesus prays for us in John, Chapter 17. In verse 26 he says, “I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” Jesus desires to be in us and with us, this is what He said. In verse 24 he says, “Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me. He called us his gift. In Mathew 28:20, Jesus says, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” He’s talking to his disciples in all these passages but He is also talking those who have been baptized in Christ, His beloved. One of my favorite passages in Matthew is Mathew 6:25 where Jesus talks about where to put our trust. He says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear.” Jesus doesn’t want us to worry, but to trust in Him, even when the outcome is uncertain and not what we ever wanted or hoped for.

“Oh my sweet Jesus, hear my prayer to you this day, that you would be with all our loved ones and lead them home to you. If they must suffer, may it be short, and may we unite it to your suffering on the cross as we remember the life you gave for us. We don’t understand this life or where it leads and even when we think we do, we don’t see it all, please guard us from the evil one and keep us close to you always. Sweet Jesus, my brother and God my Father, never leave our side and bring us home to you when our race is run. Amen.”

For Jesus, I can always give thanks….

I’ve been sick. Running was going pretty good until a few weeks back, getting back to it, the schedule got thrown off, but we are still doing what we can when we can. Our long run right now is a pretty solid 6 miles, so hopeful to increase this as the weeks go by. Hoping to run a 5k sometime soon. KOR

My favorite spot to relax in God’s love…