What is being normal like?

   Just when you think life is getting normal again you're handed another set back. Last Thursday morning I woke up with a mild ear ache. Didn't give it much thought and went on about my day. Friday morning the pain was back. Later that evening the pain was behind my ear at the base of my skull. It wasn't bad just enough to let you know something wasn't right. I have a high pain tolerance so I just brushed it off.
   Saturday morning things were evident that there was a problem. As I brushed my teeth the right side of my face wasn't working like it should. I figured I had a sinus infection. I headed to work and as the morning went on my face seemed to become tight and drawn. I was having a hard time talking and smiling to my customers. By afternoon I noticed my right eye was red and wasn't blinking like it naturally should. I knew something was going on and I needed to see a doctor.
   After what I've been through the last ten years living with cancer and spending this past summer taking chemo nothing surprises me. You just learn to roll with what's placed on your plate. I also know that you don't wait to see a doctor. Waiting for it to go away only allows the problem to get worse. Within two minutes of seeing the doctor he told me I had, Bell's Palsy. I wasn't surprised as I knew what the symptoms were. We talked about the treatment and the side effects and how long they would last.
   By the time I got home later that afternoon my right eye would not close. The doctor advised me to wear a patch at night to keep my eye moist. We naturally bat our eyes and never think a thing about it.The average person blinks their eye 20 times a minute. For now, I can live with a crooked smile and a tilted nose. But my eye not closing is bothersome .
  It's been almost a week now and not much change. Today was a first-Sarah said my eye looked a little better. I go for my second acupuncture treatment in the morning. So lets hope that will speed up the healing process.
 
  

Election.....

   Uniontown doesn't have elections...thank goodness. We like it that way and sure hope it never changes. A few years back when I had Mountain Memories  I really worried about town elections. I had years of problems. Even to this day as I drive by the old shop the problems are still there. I use to complain till I was blue in the face. I might as well been talking to a concrete wall. The town would tell me it's the states problem and the state would tell me it's the towns responsibility. Daddy and I worked at fixing the problem as often as we could. A few times we would be out working and the town employees would drive by and try not to look our way. I mean come on, we see you driving by don't try to duck down in the seat. The least you could do is get out and make an effort regardless of who was the responsible party. Just a few minutes would have been appreciated. But its not my problem any more.    
   Will you vote with your chosen party or will you jump the fence and vote for the person. Crothersville has many folks who would do a great job but they choose to set on the sidelines. Setting on the sideline never gets the job done. Make sure to vote tomorrow...it's one of the privileges of living in the United States.

Time flies....

   Time flies....how many times have you heard or said that? The last few weeks have flown for me. I"ve had a list of things to get done and been working hard at crossing them off my list before the first snow flake falls.
   Thomas and I have been laying new wooden floors and ceramic tile in the house. We put this off during my chemo and we've been working hard the past few weeks. I was off yesterday (Wednesday) and I worked in my gardens preparing them for winter while Thomas laid the last of the tiles. It was warm enough that I was able to hang clothes on the line.
   We finished up at the house and we had a few things to do out at Linda's house. Once again Denise fixed an awesome supper for us. After dinner we talked about the scholarships that Denise was working on. I was trying to remember all the ones Sarah applied for. Sarah applied for one and you could only apply if you were 4 foot 11 or shorter. Seemed there was a little old lady out west who never grew taller than 4"11. She had a ton of money and wanted to spread it around.
   The one thing that I notice most after having chemo is my energy level. I can remember working in my gardens, mowing grass and being busy for most of the day. I would work non-stop and only rest a couple of times to enjoy a drink of water. Now I need a break about every 20/30 minutes. But I'm thankful that I'm still able to do the things that I enjoy.
   A belated thank you to all my friends who sent me birthday wishes....xo
I was given a book by a good friend tilted, "When You Need to Know Your Strength"-messages of hope and healing for people living with cancer. One of the quotes states,
   When it feels like the whirlwind might blow you away, think of how deeply rooted you are by love, how held down you are by the people who care about you.