Wednesday Hodgepodge

I just cannot seem to be a regular participant in the HP as hard as I try.  Life  gets in the way more than I prefer, but it is what it is and I'll show up when I can.  Now, for this week's questions................

1. What's something bizarre you've seen or heard recently? 

I mean, it's everyday and it gets more bizarre each and every day.  I listen to our local news and half way listen to the national news and that is about all I can take.  For one thing, everything is repeated OVER and OVER until it absolutely makes me dizzy.  Yes, the news is bizarre!

2. July 18th is National Sour Candy Day. Who knew? Do you like sour candies or other foods with 'sour' flavors? Kimchi, rhubarb, gooseberries, tamarind, dill pickles, sour cherries, sauerkraut, cranberries, and  grapefruit...of the sour foods listed which is your favorite? 

I had no idea there was such a day.  I am not a fan of sour candies or foods with sour flavors.  I do want 3-4 dill pickles on my hamburger and that's about as far as it goes with me.  I'm not sure I've ever been a fan of sour, not even as a youngster.  But, my Grans love all the sour candies.

3. Share a favorite memory of an aunt or uncle. 

This is my Aunt Wanda, my Mom's oldest sister.  She died about 10 years ago at the age of 92.  She was so, so dear to me.  She was the mother of 4 boys and as a little girl I loved to go to their house because there was always something going on.  She loved me like a daughter and after my Mom died, she was such an encouragement to me in my grief.  My last visit with her was the year that she passed away and it was such a special time.  She lived in Virginia and I flew up to spend time with her as I was pretty sure it would be my last time to see her on this earth.

4. How would you describe your ability to manage stress? 

Hummm........I guess it depends on what type of stress it is.  I feel like I have lived through some very stressful times and came through on the other side.  I try to ask myself if something is really worth the stress I'm feeling and a lot of the time, it is not.  I know that no amount of stressing can over ride the power of prayer.  And, I am blessed with precious friends that have and will continue to pray for me when I might have difficulty praying.  Thankfully, the Lord hears the groanings of our heart and there have been plenty of groanings of my heart in my 70 years.  

5. What do you think about when you let your mind wander? 

At this point in my life I wander about my future, our future.  I am such a planner and there are some things in this life that cannot be planned.  I wonder about such things as, how will my life end, will Hubby and I live out our days here in this house, will our health fail or will we just sail on out due to old age.  I certainly do not dwell on any of it, more or less just fleeting thoughts.  My future is secure in the Lord and my eternal home awaits me, it doesn't get much better than that.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

You may remember that some months ago I mentioned on one of my HP posts that my Dad had a wound on his little finger that I was treating with Monuka Honey because NOTHING that had been prescribed had worked.  This sore came up on his finger last Sept.  He had no idea about how it got there and could not remember injuring it.  It did respond favorably to the honey and healed up.  But, within a week, it came right back, only worse than previously.  I asked his Dr. to prescribe Home Health Wound Care  this past Feb. and they began seeing him and treating it.  After two months of NO success they called and told me that they were pretty sure it was a skin cancer and I needed to get him to a dermatologist.  So, I won't go into all the details but the wound ended up being a Basal Cell Carcinoma (Monuka Honey does NOT work on cancer).  Last week he had surgery on the finger with a Mohs specialist (if you do not know what Mohs is, you can Goggle it).  It was a much bigger ordeal that even she was expecting and we ended up being at her office for 8 hours.  It required a skin graft because it had almost gone to the bone.  Talk about STRESS!!!!!  These past 10 months of dealing with this have been beyond stressful.  But, I took him back for his first checkup yesterday and the skin graft seems to be doing well and the Dr. was more than pleased.  She changed the bandage and I will take him back next Monday for another check.  It is going to be a process but right now he's on the right track.  Now, folks, if you are NOT aggressive with your own health care and any one that you might be in charge of, you or they may not survive.  I would love for you to see the pictures of this wound and how it worsened over the months.  I would never post such gross pictures but let me assure you that the Dr. said that the cancer was just before going to the bone.  If you have a sore come up and it does not response to treatment within a short time, get to your dermatologist.  I have learned so much through this and just hate that I had no idea this might be a skin cancer.  If I had not asked for Home Health Wound Care to step in, he likely would have lost his finger.  Okay, let me hush! Oh, and did I mention the pain he has endured.

I leave you with one of my favorite verses................