When life seems uncertain…

Recently, I have been suffering numbness in the left side of my face and throat.  As time went by the numbness involved pain in my ear and jaw.  So being the bright person I am I went to the Doctor and told him about it.

The first words out of his mouth were:

“I guess you need an appointment with the Neurologist.”

His lovely office assistant made me an appointment for the very next day at 8:30am.

The Neurologist asked a million questions and then scheduled me for a CAT scan of my head, face and neck.  I had to wait a week for the results and this was frightening.  We always fear the worst in these situations don’t we?

Well, the week went by quickly as Bob was home for vacation.  We worked hard about the Farmlet cleaning up winter’s debris, mowing, and repairing.  We finished up the week by making the geese their very own Goose Chalet in the park side of the Farmlet.  They were not appreciative, but that is a story for another post.

As you might well imagine, the night before my second appointment with the Neurologist was a sleepless one.

In fear and trepidation I drove to the Neurologist’s office the next morning.  I waited for what seemed like hours and finally was led back to an examination room where, of course, I had to wait some more.  Then the Neuro came in, looked at my scans on the computer screen, and in less than two minutes said:

“There’s nothing here to indicate the cause of your symptoms.”

‘Scuse me?  You just made me squirm in nervous agony for a week and now you tell me there is nothing wrong?  You had the results instantly via the internet and you could have looked at them before my appointment and just given me the good news over the phone!

OK, I was missing the point, and it is an important one:

Neurologically there is nothing wrong.

On the way home I notice that spring is in full bloom. I pass my favorite nursery, Bennett’s, and make a U-Turn to go back.     Walking the isles I have time to think about how wonderful it is that I am OK.  I don’t have a brain tumor and my future is looking pretty bright and beautiful!  (Did I mention I was thinking the worst?)

So, in celebration of a clean bill of health,  I bought a peach tree for the orchard we have started here on the Farmlet. We planted it this past Sunday and now we will have to wait for a few years to see it fruit.  In the meantime, each time I see it I will remember  to have faith for tomorrow, and to be thankful for all the prayers my friends sent up for me.

 

Lovely, isn’t it?

~*~

NOTE:  For those of you wondering, I have an appointment with the Oral Surgeon tomorrow to see if my symptoms are TMJ  related. 

A Little Dog’sTale of Woe

Yesterday in the back yard Bob and the Little Dog were playing a rousing game of B-A-L-L  (he’s laying right here by my feet) 😉  and you know how much he loves the game…  Well, after chugging across the yard for the hundredth time, he slides into home, snatches the ball, spins for the return, and suddenly…

He just dropped the BALL!

Yes, he did!  He stood there for a moment and then slowly, very carefully he limped over to Bob and stopped.

We were stunned.

We took him to the emergency vet and they checked him over, but he is not doing so hot.  Nothing serious or life threatening, but he has been pretty wimpy and whiny.  The vet said nothing was broken, thank goodness, but the little dog is just not getting around so good…

This guy, in spite of his pain, is jones’n for his B-A-L-L!

~*~

Oh yes, and the good news is that the vet said he can play again in about two weeks.

🙂

The state of things.

Yesterday I took a few lovely books over to my neighbor for her to share with her grandson.  Upon receiving them he began hugging me.

Grandma:  “He’s a hugger.”

I just stood there like a post…

Grandson:  “I was born real close to Valentines day and that’s why I love everyone so much.”  (paraphrased because I honestly can’t remember exactly what he said.)

It took me an embarrassingly long time to respond to his loving and normal display of gratitude on receiving my gift.

So what was that all about? 

Well you see, when I taught in California there were so many lawsuits going on involving teachers and inappropriate touch (more than one is too many!!!) that we were instructed NOT TO TOUCH OUR STUDENTS.  Those who did only touched the top of their little head, or their hands for proper instruction and help with holding a pencil.

This is all wrong.  Little kids need hugs and an appropriate show of affection from caregivers.  (And whether you know it or not your child’s teacher is a caregiver/stand in mother, protector, parapsychologist, as well as educator for your little darling)  😉  We do try to do it all and more each day and all without touching them for fear of being accused of inappropriate behavior.

It saddens me to realize how programmed I had become, and that the programming has persisted even into my retirement.

It makes me wonder is it just me?

OR…

Do all teachers feel/react like this nowadays?

Do parents worry about this kind of thing?

Do the students?

How has it come to this?

It makes me sad for the children.