STRESS AND A HIATUS

As some of you have noticed, I have taken a short hiatus from blogging.  To be honest, I was exhausted, both emotionally and physically.

I have been on guard constantly for the last twenty-six months.  Keeping a watchful eye on John's health, awaking in the night to be sure his is breathing, making sure he is hydrated, that he takes his medicine, uses his emergency inhaler at the appropriate time, checking his blood pressure and oxygen levels, being sure he is completing his INR testing to be sure the comedian level is correct, created unbelievable stress, but as I have learned, it is necessary and I need to adjust. 

Physically the emergency trip from southern California back to Indianapolis was an strain. John's pacemaker "installed" was a minor concern, yet a concern.

As we would hear from well meaning friends, almost always I would hear the admonishment "take care of John!" Suddenly the thought popped into my head, but who takes care of me?  That is when I stopped blogging.   I was on overload and just hit the wall. 

I had to find God's peace within that I felt slipping from my soul.  I needed quiet and space.  

I began walking daily.  First, a mile then worked up to an occasional five miles.  Now, I vary the walk between two and five miles depending on the heat and humidity.  

There is an app called Map my Walk for smart phones. What a blessing it has been.  It keeps me motivated.  As I walk, it tells me the distance, calories burned and the time.  When I walk shorter distances, I try to improve my time.  Here is the link to Map my Walk.

The Map my Walk application led me to another marvelous application called My Fitness Pal.  My Fitness Pal helps me track my weight, food and water intake.  Using both of these apps, I have lost eleven pounds, sleep better and feel better. What more can I ask for.  You can find the link to MFP here. 

I have been obsessing over the need washing and waxing our Tiffin Allegro Bus.  I wanted the Mothers three step, polish, buff and wax system.  The least I could find someone to wash the coach and use the three step system was between four and five hundred dollars.   

Being of Scottish descent, I would never pay that much for the job to be done, so I decided to tackle the job myself.  It took seven days, but it is sparkling. Many of the scratches from trees and bushes are gone!   All forty feet of it is nice and shiny and protected.  

Would I do this again?  Yes, in a heartbeat.  But I plan to work smarter and not harder.  I have divided the coach into twelve sections and will do one section each month leaving the upper area until last when we reach our friends in Michigan.  They have scaffolding that makes the upper levels accessible without going up and down a step ladder. 

If interested, you can purchase the kit through the Amazon link in the upper right of the blog.  

In addition to waxing the coach, I finished the socks that I was knitting for John's birthday, last September.  It is about time, don't you think?  Then I knit a winter hat for granddaughter, Lucy and worked on grandson's Ross' blanket.  

Before starting on the waxing task, I totally emptied the basement.  I discarded a few things, vacuumed and put everything back in an orderly fashion. 

Now that we are back in Indianapolis area for the rest of John's medical appointments, we are enduring the heat and humidity.  

We are staying inside as much as possible with the air conditioning keeping us comfortable.  While inside, I made a roman shade for our bathroom window.  

First, I had to purchase a sewing machine.  Off to Amazon once again!  

The Janome was very inexpensive and performed like any heavy duty sewing machine I have had.  An added bonus is it's weight, five pounds.  

Of course, I had to complicate things just a bit.  I decided I would line the shade with quilting batting then finish it off with fabric backing.  Since Our windows are tinted, I decided to use black for the lining. I was amazed how quickly this job was completed. 

I had so much fun making the roman shades that I have decided to make some for the bedroom. This is the tutorial that I used.   http://www.freshlyhandmade.com/2012/07/roman-shade-tutorial.html

OK, now what?  We still have about a week to ten days of medical checkups and tests. I plan on having a breakfast here and a luncheon there with various friends and family.  

Then comes the decision....where do we go to beat the heat and humidity?  Suggestions?  

Mike McFall suggested back to Arizona.  Not Phoenix or Tuscon and definitely Q, but to a bit of higher elevation.  He says the humidity is between 6 and 12.  That is good.  The temperatures are 80 to 90.  That is so so.  What do those of you that have more experience think?

Many thanks go out to you that have sent me encouraging emails.  Your encouragement and God's comfort has brought me through one rough time.  

And thanks to you who place your Amazon orders through my blog.  It costs you nothing, but Amazon gives us a small reward.  

God Bless each and every one of you and please stay safe.