Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Another "no animal" Wednesday

Hygeia - Greek Goddess of Health

Another Wednesday and no animals. I could find a picture of some stalking beast and show it following me around, but no point in illustrating my feelings and fears. Instead I am showing a Greek Goddess - read to the end and you will find out why.

What a week.

MIL had her surgery yesterday and lived thru it. First step completed. Now we wait to see if she had any nasty side effects - such as stroke, or kidney damage. We are at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, and I have never met such a wonderful group in a big city hospital. Everyone, from the security guards, to the cafeteria workers, to the nurses and doctors have been kind, compassionate, caring, polite, sincere and helpful. Is it because we are in the South? I'm used to Northern big city hospitals - where you get great care, and warmth from your immediate caretakers, but overall...the message is "you're on your own!".

The way my life has always gone is funny. If something good is going to happen, or has already happened - there are lots of little things that go wrong - just to remind me to be thankful for the big stuff. Here is the list of little annoyances and my thoughts about each.

1) when I found out that MIL had this condition, I was on a plane and got an email from my brother. In my anxiety, I left my brand new, purple fleece jacket in the overhead compartment. Basically, AirCanada told me to bug off when I mentioned it to them and tried to get it. OK - one lost jacket - upside? I'll go shopping with mom when I get back to Sarasota, she and I love to shop together - so it's a good excuse to go out together.

2) we rented a car in Tampa, and drove like crazy between Sarasota and Gainesville and back to Sarasota for the weekend. Monday AM we were getting ready to drive back to Gainesville, we went to put something in the car - which was left in mom's driveway - and NO CAR to be seen. Stolen! OK - one lost car (and bicycle) - upside? none of our personal stuff was in the car, insurance covers the cost of a stolen rental car, DH hadn't totally bonded with that bike and we weren't carjacked

3) My cell phone is missing - maybe it's at the restaurant we went to last night - maybe it's not. Upside? if I don't find it, I might just get an iPhone - which I would love. They are expensive and that worries me a bit but I love the applications you can get on that phone. There appear to be some awesome mountain biking apps - woohoo!

4) As I was sitting here writing this, I see a cup of coffee waiting to be sipped. As I reach my hand for it I think - "it will get spilled" and yup..it does. All over everything on the desk. Upside? I had enough caffeine today already.

Postscript - the stolen car got recovered last night, keys were in the ignition, no damage to the car. Kids probably just wanted the bike!

I look upon these little annoyances as propitiation to the gods - tiny little sacrifices for the bigger good. The more these little annoying things happen, the more confident I feel that MIL will be just fine.

Has anyone read the book "Gods behaving Badly"? Good book, good read especially for a superstitious person like myself who secretly believes that you do have to complete some type of sacrifice or propitiation to the gods/god/goddess (whatever!) for good things to happen to you and yours.

Enough said, more later -

Thank you ALL for all your support and good wishes. It really does help...alot.




16 comments:

kj said...

oh my dear mim. man do i feel for you, and i get this so fully it would be funny if it so weren't funny.

first i want to tell you: GET AN IPHONE. don't even think about anything else. it's not really expensive. you can get a phone for $ 99 (i spent $199 but i didn't have to.) the cost of the phone is comparable to any cell phone. i think there is an extra $ 30 month for internet access, but man, am i enjoying that luxury. i think you'll fall in total love with the iphone. i'm on my second week and i love all of it, even the camera.

mim, i so hope your MIL comes out of her surgery okay. i am so sorry she and you and DH are in the thick of this. but it will pass, mim. the sun will shine again. you are strong and kind and competent and your heart is huge. you are my friend, i hope and think for life. i think waiting at the hospital and dealing with all the secondary concerns is the hardest part. i'm glad the hospital is so nice. angels come when they are needed.

take care my friend
kj

Bea said...

((((Big hug))))) first off.
Second, you just described LIFE, sweetie. The good, the bad, the ugly and then out of the blue the surprisingly joyful.
I hope your MIL recovers well. I had four operations in the past two years and each time found the hospital staff here in Madison, WI just wonderful. I'm glad they are treating you well where you are.
Now, deep breath and another one and I hope that more joy than stress comes into your life, from now on. :)Bea

Lynn Cohen said...

Dear Mim,

So glad to hear your dear MIL survived that very serious surgery. And now I pray with you that there are no adverse side effects from it. May she have a speedy recovery and live well and happily ever after.

Now I am blown away that you calmly write of these other things like stolen bikes, as if they were nothing much at all. I dare say I would have reacted much differently. Been much MORE upset.
But I guess in the greater skeem of things they are small so no crying over spilt milk or coffee as the case may be and was.
Your list is too long and life sometimes in NOT fair.

I hope you still get to go to PI and have a good time. It sounds like you could use the break!

Hugs from me.
Enough bad has happened to you lately you should be in for a deluge of GOOD for some time to come. ;-)

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Wow, Thats about all I can say. Wow. Lynn said it all pretty good.
Yes you have to have hit bottom and now are on the way up. Sounds like you are handling it well.

PAK ART said...

There is a season for everything. Time for good and bad! I'm so sorry you've had to deal with all the bad while you are waiting to hear results of the surgery. It does help to put life in perspective when you deal with all those things and realize they are not as important as the health of a loved one.

Teri said...

Your glass is definitely half-full and good thing for all that is going on. So happy to MIL is doing good.

There is a lot to think about what you said, I may need to adopt this attitude.

HAW

kj said...

oh, and you know, you don't know what will be by friday or saturday. you don't know for certain that you won't find yourself in ptown, crashing on a roll up bed with a friend or two or three.

the universe is like that sometimes....

xoxo

studio lolo said...

If you look in the dictionary for the word OPTIMIST it would say this: "Mim, who doesn't sweat the small stuff because she keeps her eye on the bigger picture."

I'm sorry you've been deluged. I would have looked skyward at one point and shouted WTF??????????!!!
I GIVE...UNCLE already!!!!

MIL has a long way to go but having you by her side could be her good luck charm in spite of the luck YOU'VE had. I know you wouldn't allow any bad vibes in her room.
And DH, how's he holding up?

Don't give Ptown a thought for a second. I almost had to cancel (again) today but I'm not going to let myself. You've given me courage and strength to muddle through the storm du jour. You're my heroine ;)

Stay strong Mim. Don't let these little things wear you out. You're bigger and tougher!

Sending love, hugs, prayers, cosmopolitans...whatever you need!

See, I use the three dots a lot too.

xoxoxo
lolo...

ElizT said...

Goodness, you are philosophical about upsetting stuff!
I could do with some of that calm.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Good grief. What a round of lifes smack downs. I am proud of you for being so stoic. I hope all works out for the best. Hang in there. Thoughts and prayers are still coming your way.

soulbrush said...

what? omg it is just unbelievable...yet -my favourite saying is:
none of this will matter in 100 years! helps me a lot.
so glad about mil, so happy you are both okay and neither of you were hurt or attacked in the stealing of these things. and remember: about p town...it's not over till the fat lady sings!
sending you lotsa really warm wishes and loving thoughts today.

sukipoet said...

so glad MIL has completed the operation and send prayers for her continued healing I think its the stress of the situation that invites these losings and so forth. love reading the way you will turn each mishap around and benefit from it. big hug to you

ArtistUnplugged said...

Just now catching up with what has been going on with you lately and your MIL. My strength, thoughts, prayers, good wishes, sugar water, spirit fingers, chocolate....whatever else would be of any good are coming your way!!!!!! I do hope your MIL makes a quick recovery from this.

marianne said...

So much going on in your life!
Happy that your MIL survived that big operation, that the most important thing for the moment......
My iPhone got stolen this year, I only had it for a few months....:(
Don't let all these little big things drive you crazy.
Take care

Will think of you

HAW anyhow!

Debra Kay said...

(((((Mim)))))) and one for your ((((DH))))).

Michele said...

Thanks so much for the wonderful stories. I can't wait to buy that book : ) I hope MIL is doing great today.