SL Core 100 Week 3C Jan. 14-20, 2018 Sick & Surgery

SL Core 100 Week 3C : Early American History

Jan. 14-20, 2018 

Sickness & My Surgery

Zeus---who has been a pill, just ask the bruises on my leg!

Hello, Friends!

Dd's bug and brain fog made for a very unusual week; as did my gallbladder surgery.  To begin the week, we all stayed home from church on the 14th.  I canceled Dd's violin lesson on Monday (15th) as well as her various music lessons/classes normally held on Wednesday (17th).  My surgery to remove my faulty gallbladder was scheduled for Friday and although I had started getting Dd's illness I still felt good enough to go ahead with the procedure. I had felt okay up until Wednesday evening; I had tried to get out of volunteering for WMHFA Intermediate Band, teacher's helper, but couldn't get out of it.  I think that is where my immune system finally fell over!  All those kids and germs was just too much for my weakened system.  I really kick myself for not standing up for myself better and telling them I wasn't coming in to "volunteer."  I had already contacted WMHFA to tell them Dd was sick and wouldn't be coming into classes.  Friday while I was having my surgery  Dd had her Grace classes, with her friend, Lexi.  I asked Lexi's mom if Dd could spend Thursday night with them and then go with Lexi to her classes on Friday; which she agreed to.  Then on Friday afternnon, after my surgery, Dh picked Dd up and brought her home.  

By Saturday the weather changed, from cold and snowy to warm and breezy!  The chickens were so glad to get outside again.  I'm so happy to have a break from the snowblower after using it almost daily!  Yay, for the second January Thaw!

Dd was sick the entire week, and still sick as I type. Finally, on Thursday she said she began to feel a little better, at least not continuing to feel worse.  What a long bug (illness) this has been.  It feels like, with her weakened immune system, she has had two or three things evolve.  Hopefully next week we will be able to get back to more actual learning.  This week, what little mental power she had she used on her math lessons.  

Dd has been working on her oil painting while sick.

My Add-In: Not Sonlight Of Mice and Men and Guests: Completed

We completed the extra resources for dissecting Of Mice and Men and then spent the rest of the week reading Guests by Michael Dorris; which was supposed to be a Reader, but I turned it into a Read Aloud.  I haven't decided what book I am going to start, from my list of books--not part of the Core 100--so I chose this short book as we would finish it in one week.  

Agnes is really owning the kittens climbing thing!

Guests by Michael Dorris: Completed
Sonlight Reader, I turned into a Read Aloud:
Guests Review:

A fictional story about the relationship between the new European arrivals to North America and the already surviving Native Americans, told from the point of view of a teenage Native American boy named, Moss, and his friend, Trouble.  Easy reading, good writing, and shared a unique perspective from the Native American point of view when European settlers arrived.  One funny bit that struck me was how the Native American's invited them to come over for a meal and were insulted by the fact that the Europeans came to the meal without bringing their own bowl or dish with which to eat from!    Another point of the book was how the Native Americans probably didn't really want to feed and/or help the Europeans, but having known hungry times they might have felt it was only right to offer to help them.  Helping others, even though often uncomfortable, is the right thing to do.  Another interesting point in the book is how one character, a young female, was feeling how it would be better to be a male, for various reasons.  The main character, Moss, gets to know, Trouble, a fellow teen that is a female and wanting to buck the traditions of their gender roles.

Church offers for food and Surgery:

I am now living without a gallbladder.  I had the nicest nurses and doctors, which was such a blessing.  Two of my church friends texted me before my surgery to let me know they were praying for a successful surgery; which was really, really kind of them.  Plus, Doris called me the night before to ask if I needed meals brought to us---wasn't that SO kind?!  I declined the offer, but, was really impressed that they offered.  In all my years of church no one has ever offered to bring us a meal during all the various medical events.  I really do appreciate the kind hearts of our church.  I am so thankful, so very thankful for being apart of a loving church!  I can't express how difficult it has been to find a congregation with such a good heart; indeed very rare, which is disappointing, but we are all humans after all.  I do still struggle with how our sermons include political commentary; I've never had a church that openly discussed their political opinions during the sermons before and definitely feel like that isn't the time or place due to wanting to remain united in Christ and not divided by politics.  Fortunately, this doesn't happen every week, but last week it did and so I'm still smarting from that, I don't like divisiveness to separate our congregation.  Anyway, I do love our church and am so impressed by the kind hearts of the congregation; so in line with Jesus' message of putting love first.

Surgery:

My surgery went well.  I have four holes that are healing in my abdomen and I am missing my gallbladder.  Before taking me into surgery, the nurse reiterated that they were going to remove my gallbladder, to which I replied,: "and put in a new and improved one, right?!!!"  She laughed!  I don't think she had heard that response before! The biggest surprise is that I really expected to have a LOT of pain afterward, but that hasn't been the case.  I took Tramadol (twice) after the procedure and by the day after the surgery, I didn't need anything for the pain.  They offered major pain pills but I didn't want anything to do with that potential stumbling block.  Compared to having migraines, this level of pain is nothing.  Thanks to all who prayed for my surgery recovery.  The worst part is having my head and chest full of mucus and coughing all the time with my abdomen all swollen and sore.  If only I could get over this bug it would be easier to recover, all this coughing is driving me crazy.

Chickens:

Dd helped me clean out the chicken coop again this week by carrying the five buckets of dirty straw up and out to the compost heap.  I wanted to be sure to get that chore done before my surgery, as I will need a few days to heal before I'll be able to clean it again.    Then after my surgery, she went ahead and cleaned out the coop, all by herself, without me even asking!  What a pleasant surprise!!!

The cats have been loving the dishwasher box, seen here behind Agnes.  They have spent hours in it!

Dishwasher:

Dh hooked up the dishwasher he bought for my Christmas gift, as it was delivered at the end of last week.  For the first time in our marriage, I have a working dishwasher!!!  We had one in our Brownsburg home but did a such a bad job that we always just washed our dishes by hand.  Now, I have a dishwasher!!  The ironic part is I went from spending 1-2 hours on dishes each day to spending 1-2 hours snow blowing and snow shoveling!! 

Felt Christmas Birds:

Knowing I was having surgery, and going under anesthesia, I decided I better finish up my birds and start getting them mailed out as there is always a chance, in my mind, that one might not wake back up!  A little morbid, I know, but it did drive me to finish up my Christmas things.  I also found a small stack of Christmas cards in a corner of my table that had about 10 cards that I hadn't seen...or mailed out yet!  So, I mailed those cards out this week too!!!  I hope my friends don't mind my tardiness, but the week before Christmas I had 4-5 days, in a row, with a migraine that kept me down and unable to finish up my Christmas things.  Luckily, I had wrapped all of Dd and Dh's gifts back in November as I have had migraines ruin my plans before on Christmas and so had learned this lesson years ago.  I guess that can be seen as one of the blessings I've learned from having migraines---don't procrastinate as you might literally not be able to get things done later!  I made a post of all the birds I did this year: http://fleurdelisacademy.blogspot.com/2018/01/christmas-birds-2017-felt-and-lavender.html

Dd's Baking:
Dd made a batch of Shortbread, from scratch, and melted special dark chocolate on top as a birthday gift for Joy, a church friend.





Art:
Dd has been working away with her art, even when she isn't feeling good.  She made Joy a birthday card with some of the things she's learned from her Botany class.

Due to Illness:

No music practice of any kind.

Grace Classes:
Saxon Geometry class:
 Math class and homework went fine.  She has a lot of math to do each day and is preparing for her mid-term test this Friday.  Dd's brain has just had enough strength to keep up with her class, but that hasn't left much energy for her other subjects.

Studio Painting: Going well!
Botany Watercolor class: Going well!

Music:
No music lessons, classes, or practicing while sick this week.
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