Root canal anyone?

It has been an interesting day so far, not at all what I had anticipated.

As today got closer I became more anxious. My root canal was scheduled for this morning at 11:30. To say I was nervous would be a slight exaggeration. I tried to be calm; I took a 400 mg Advil caplet suggested for the jaw pain I get during dental appointments; I prayed to be calm. Then I remembered the herbal remedy I occasionally used years ago when I was singing in a group. My jangled nerves would mess me up so my voice teacher recommended Rescue Remedy. It worked amazingly well, so a quick dash to the healthfood store and I had a new little 10 ml bottle of it. A few drops on my tongue, and before I arrived at the dental office I felt much more relaxed.



I had been experiencing tooth pain for a few weeks, but waited it out since I had a scheduled cleaning and checkup of my teeth anyway. When that appointment came around in late March, it was determined that a root canal may be needed. My dentist sent me on to the specialist who does only root canals, and - I'm told - is very good at it, won't do anything that is not required, and is very gentle and careful. Okay, that sounded acceptable, so I went along to him a week later. After x-rays and checking my teeth he set up an appointment for me to have a root canal three weeks later, April 23. And because of my usual jaw pain he could do it in two sessions if it gets too difficult for me during the 1.5 hours it takes to be completely done.

This morning when the doctor talked to me about the situation that had brought me to him in the first place, and then checked my teeth again ... he found no reason to do the root canal! He said somehow everything had settled down and he would suggest we wait to see if it flares up again. Imagine that! 

I m a g i n e  that.

I'm thanking the Lord for this turn of events. If I do end up having to go through the procedure later then THAT will be the right time for it. Today was not to be the day.





God answered prayer in a way I certainly didn't expect. He knows my heart and concerns, He knows just what I need, and He chose to answer this way this time.

The funny thing is -- when I spoke with a pharmacist this morning she said, "Have a good day." When I, an hour later, make the quick stop at the healthfood store the lady on cash said, "Have a good day." Then when I was about to leave the specialist's office an hour after that, the receptionist said, "Have a good day."  That time I said, "YES! Thank you! THIS is a good day."  :)

It is a good day because I didn't have to face today something that distressed me. But even if I did, it would still be a good day because the Lord is with me. My circumstances may not be quite what I would like, but the Lord is with me. Even when things go all wrong, my true Rescuer - whose love does not change - NEVER leaves me. Now THAT makes a good day. 



Thanks for reading, and ... Blessings on your day! :)

refreshing, relaxing, relationship

Everyone needs refreshing.  I do.  You do.  We all do.

Last weekend my husband and I went away for the weekend, something we cannot remember doing - just the two of us, since ... well, we can't remember!  It was the most quiet and relaxing and private weekend we have ever spent.  Ever.

We rented a fully equipped cottage about three hours away from our home, and set out Friday afternoon, returning home Sunday afternoon.  Why did we do this?  A friend told me about it and insisted we go there, so as it was our anniversary on October 30 - our 33rd! - this seemed the time to do it.  Besides, we needed the time away.

What a pleasant vacation, although short.  Saturday morning we walked along the windy beach collecting seashells and discovering fascinating swirls in the sand.  In the afternoon we did some sight-seeing and shopping in lovely little shops in nearby communities - even did some Christmas shopping!  That evening we enjoyed a special, private dinner in a quaint little dining room of a privately owned cottage inn a few miles away from where we were staying.  Only by reservation can anyone dine there and the meals are uniquely created and served with elegance.  It was Hallowe'en and very amusing how the owners presented themselves to the trick or treaters - and special guests - coming to the door.  One of the ladies and the two men were in costume, one man being used to playing Santa Claus at Christmas.  It was so funny to hear the Grim Reaper forgetting who he was and saying 'ho ho ho' each time children came to the door.  :)

That weekend my husband and I found it was wonderful being alone with uninterrupted time to relax and talk or just be still, enjoying the quiet with no dog barking, no phone ringing, no meetings or errands to handle. It was quality time well-spent and much needed to unwind from daily stresses and pressures.  Would we do it again?  Yes! 

Home again and back to our 'normal' life ... but it does not feel as demanding now.  Perhaps we have learned a little about appreciation of life and each other.  Long overdue.  It is interesting and even surprising how we get to this place of not knowing how to relax, how to communicate well, how to even truly enjoy what is around us .. because of always being busy and distracted.  I think we will make more effort to stay 'connected' in our relationship now as we approach our retirement years.

Today I will load more items onto my website and tonight I will go to my sister's for our housegroup gathering.  But, you know what? -- the Lord is good and greatly to be praised no matter what is going on in one's life.  We must never lose that connection, our most important relationship.

So, where do you go to unwind?  What do you do to stay connected?

Thanks for reading, and  ... Blessings on your day.  :)

Spring projects

Welcome Spring weather! Warmer days and nights. March winds, April showers .. and mayflowers; love those sweet bouquets of Nova Scotia!

Since I last wrote we have celebrated the meaningful Easter season. On Easter Sunday I attended a combined service, some of the members of four fellowships all together in one church. It is always special to meet with others and worship the Lord together, rejoicing in Who He is and what He has done.

Later my family and a couple of guests met at Dad's for Easter dinner, but we missed two daughters and a son-in-law who had to work or were too far away (in Alberta) to be with us. Even so, there were eleven of us there for a great meal and family togetherness.

In April a second copy of my manuscript for a children's book was rejected. :( I am not sure right now if I should spend time pursuing that dream as my business website is ready to be fully launched, as far as its construction is concerned. My designer had the work done in four weeks, earlier than he had expected! There will be some touch-ups later, and I have yet to load my items on there and get the site ready to my own satisfaction. There is so much to learn, but my designer is patient and willing to help me when I need it, even after all his personal instruction. It is a challenge for me to remember everything. Hopefully, I very soon will have it to the place where I will take down the Under Construction sign and welcome customers and visitors. (Actually, I am already getting visitors even though there is not much there to see as yet.) So, I guess the writing has to wait again, the business takes priority right now.

My husband is going to start building shelves for my business so that I can have better storage for fabric and books and things I will be selling on my web site. He is such a great guy, my husband. :)

Further to the above projects it is soon time for mailing of another issue of Valley Sunshine publication, the Christian newsletter I publish, so that is also on the proverbial drawing board. There is a lot of activity going on in my life, anyway. :)

Do you have any interesting Spring projects on the go? I would enjoy hearing about them.

Thanks for reading, and .. Blessings on your day. :)