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I don’t have any profound reflections this week…it’s been a week of great joys (a solution to my health issues! the passing of an important exam for my oldest!) and great frustrations (identity theft!). I’m sure I’ll have something to say next week but for now, I’ll share a quotation that was appropriate for this Lenten season from The Imitation of Christ:
Do not despair, brother, of making spiritual progress; there is still time and the hour has not yet passed. Why do you postpone making your resolutions day after day? Come now, and begin this very moment and say to yourself: “Now is the time to do it, now is the time to fight; now is the right time to amend my life.” When you are afflicted and troubled, that is the time for merit. You must pass through fire and water before you arrive at redemption. (p.32-33)
Hoping to document the abundance around me all year long!
Around here, abundance looks like…
+ solving a piece of the hives/angioedema puzzle. Right now, the working theory is that something unknown caused a inflammatory reaction in my body, creating the hives. (Was it the extremely cold temperatures during the polar vortex? Something I ate? Stress? Who knows.) That overreacting histamine response created a significant allergy to cat dander (!!) which caused the skin around my eyes to swell. The whole thing flabbergasts me! Sadly, Pete the cat has been banished to the (very comfortable) basement for the foreseeable future so I can take a break from his dander/saliva. I’m feeling much better already.
+ starting tomato and marigold seeds under the grow lights. It was so nice to already have all the needed supplies (trays and grow lights, even seed starting mix) and not have to spend any money.
+ receiving so many wonderful things from my parents. They are downsizing, going through their belongings and sharing the extras with us. We received a dining table and chairs (which will be great for one of my kids to take when they move out someday), a Monopoly game, art supplies, clothes and more. Such a gift to be on the receiving end of such generosity. Thanks, Mom and Dad!
+ selling three unneeded items: two dresses and a video game. After shipping and fees, I made $38.08!
Reading //
- Military chaplains served the ones who served from Aleteia
- These three things from Grandma Donna // “No matter how young or old or slow we are, we can make a difference if we start with baby steps and keep going. We may not get to running or even walking, but baby steps will still get us there.”
- Homer’s The Iliad and the Odyssey // I’m almost positive we never read The Iliad in high school literature class because I remember absolutely nothing about it. Thankfully, I borrowed the kids’ graphic novel to help me keep all the characters straight!
Watching/Listening //
- OFF FOR LENT
Loving //
- Parmesan Crisps // the closest thing to a chip I can eat! Not great enough to binge on, but I appreciate the change in texture.
- Blank Flipbooks // I bought this as an Easter basket gift, but decided to give it to my son early. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with.
- Eczema Moisturizing Body Cream // I purchased this right as my symptoms started clearing, but found it really did help with the itching.
Glad you figured out that cat allergy – we had to give away our cat when we found out one son was allergic, and he’s also allergic to dust mites. Since then we have realized how many others of us have allergic reactions to both of those things, nothing as severe as yours, but it is interesting just how many people it affects. I’d love to hear more about the way you’re eating and if you are seeing good results!
Yes, apparently so common and so weird! I had had a less severe reaction to a cat when I was in high school, but I thought it must have been a fluke. We’ve had Pete for a year now with no issues, so I was shocked to see the allergy test results. The human body can be mind boggling! 🙂