Our Great Girlie-Time With An Odd Ending

I'm here. Been lookin' up lots of blogs enjoyin' everything I see! Lots of sweet ideas and gettin' more ideas for Christmas presents. I have a family quandary for Christmas every year and it's always the same... what to get the people who 'need' nothin' and want for nothin'? So this year, I'm gettin' creative. I'd much rather give people experiences and somethin' homemade than somethin' they don't need just to 'put a check in the box'. So, Buglette's takin' her nap and I'm sittin' here.

You may remember a few blogs ago (or have no recollection at all!) I wrote about medication I was taking and said that 'that was a story for another time' well, here's "the other time". And here's the story...

I took Bug up to Solvang, CA which is a small Danish town full of pretty shops and eateries and beautiful scenery and the drive up there is just too beautiful for words. I took her there because she had had a different sort of summer (she got to do lots of great stuff including summer Christian camp) with no real family vacation. I was getting cabin fever and Hubby suggested we go somewhere for a few days... just the my nine-year-old and I, her proud and grateful Mama. We got online and searched for a room in Solvang (Bug had never been and I knew she'd love it) and found an adorable room at the Wine Valley Inn; a loft room with a soft king-size bed and separate living room downstairs. The manager gave us a great price so Hubby said to go stay two nights instead! So off we went.

We had a wonderful two days filled with shopping (there is a perfect charity shop in Atterdag Square as well as a women's clothing consignment shop... love them both!) and we bought books at the bookstore (yep, several books, she has my love of reading) and we ate at some yummy places. We would shop, get tired, go back to our loft, nap, read, go eat, shop, read, you get the delicious idea. Well, the first night was restless for me. My arms and hands were awfully achy for some reason and I woke up all stiff and swollen for some reason. "Hmm, must've had something with too much salt yesterday". We got up and repeated the day before's events to our delight and I "just knew my body would bounce back after some walking and movin' around". Nope. Next night was even worse. Next morning was even worse than that. I was very stiff, now achy, swollen all over and could feel it getting worse. Long story short, after much debate with Hubby and then Mom and Dad I went to the emergency room there in the Santa Ynez Valley. Hubby stayed with Buglette and Mom and Dad drove up to be with me and especially Bug since we had no way of knowing what 'this' was or if I would need to stay overnight. 

Now, until Mom and Dad got there it was just me and my nine-year-old at the hospital waiting to find out what was going on. God sends angels just when we need them. I knew enough to not eat anything that morning so I would be fasting but I made Bug eat breakfast. By the time I was in the bed in the ER she was hungry and thirsty. A nice lady next to us was there with her twenty-something son and she offered Bug a bottle of water and a donut from what she had brought in. So sweet. Next, the lady from our hotel called to make sure all was well and make sure Bug was doing ok too. She had grand babies and Bug could go play with them. So sweet but of course Bug wanted to stay with me. Next, a lady in her mid-late sixties came in to be seen. She was so kind to us both... making conversation. I didn't realize maybe God had me there for someone else when my new friend confided in me that her best girlfriend of fifty-some years was dying that very day in another town from cancer. I was shocked, here this woman sat in an ER because of heart palpitations and her BFF is loosing her life to cancer. I felt so bad for her. I asked if we could pray and we did. Thankfully she was able to move on and go get to her friend.

As for me, I just watched the world around me change, beds open up, people fill them, doctors and nurses checking on me/us the whole day. My parents got there as the doctor was releasing me after tests showed nothing conclusive. He put me on Prednisone, a steroid to control my

swelling and achy joints. This was the medication that was keeping me up at night. 

I have yet to know what caused all of this and I am having another "swell" day today, ha ha. I am achy and swollen, especially my hands and feet. We are waiting for test results and a referral to a specialist so here I sit! My energy is also zapped which is a bummer after getting so many great ideas from other blogs.

We did go to church last night and were so touched when the pastor began talking about difficulties in people's lives. He asked people to stand and share some. I just knew no one would do that but before long there were people all over the congregation standing and talking about real difficult issues in their lives. Everything from needing a job to being a single parent to dealing with their pasts to mourning the death of a parent was mentioned. It was so moving and touching. There were big, burly guys who were being so transparent in their need for prayer (which we did as a congregation for everyone). It made all of our 'issues' seem so small. They are small in light of the big God we serve. So, I will be fine, one way or the other! I got two glorious days with my daughter and it ended on an odd note but I still got that time with her before school started!   We are blessed!