Weekly Review

In many respects, this was a better week for me. That’s not to say it was without many challenges, but somehow I handled them better.

Nelson’s back has finally stopped hurting so terribly. That’s not to say that it doesn’t hurt at all, but he can live with the pain once again and not keep moaning. He battled a bit with a cold this week, but it didn’t go full blown on him which is a miracle and quite a blessing! He has been kinder to me also which has also made my responses gentler.

Beth is back to work full swing. Nelson watched Asher three times this week and I had duty (such a burden—ha!) last night and again tomorrow. Beth also did battle with some kind of bug. I think it was partly just about getting back to work. Asher is growing so!! He’s also sleeping for about 5 hours at a time at night.

Sunday night we got a call from Pastor and he asked to meet with Nelson and I on Monday. My first thought was that someone had raised issue with my being there due to my crime and status. That wasn’t exactly the case. Pastor did however wonder if we needed to make the worship team aware since one of the couples’ (the piano player and bass player) children (teenagers) have started helping out in the band. I agreed and on Tuesday before practice I talked to the team leader and then afterward to the wife of the couple. I was nervous and somewhat fearful that sharing the issue might result in my needing to back out of the team. Once again grace paved the way for a receptivity that I wouldn’t have imagined. I am abundantly thankfull.

Thursday was a really rough day at work. D, the gal I trained to take my place in packaging, and I were going to do an inventory in my new area. The more we tried the more ridiculous it seemed and the more frustrated I got. If I had been given some of the things I had been asking for (over and over)—items to help me understand what I was working with and on then it might have been different. I really felt like my hands were tied and I was being asked to turn off my brain. I can’t work that way. The frustration built to where I finally confronted the guy who should have trained me better, who was “withholding” information, and making my job hellacious. I told him I was ready to quit. I told him that when I asked questions I wasn’t questioning his authority, I was just trying to understand so that I could do my job and do it well. If I can’t do a good job, I’m not going to do the job. I think he finally got it. He brought out some really helpful schematics and took some extra time to explain things. I felt so much better about what I learned. What I don’t feel better about is that it is beginning to feel like I have to threaten to quit for him to finally hear me. That piece is going to have to change.

D is the gal that I took to the clinic on Feb. 14. She finished her round of prednizone on Tuesday of this week and immediately proceeded to get sick again. On Thursday after helping me for about an hour she could barely breathe. She was afraid she would lose her job if she had to leave work. I worked with her in talking to Ed about that and she did go home. She called me about an hour after she left and had decided to go to the ER. She spent half the day there. She called me when she finally got home. They gave her 4 breathing treatments and an IV antibiotic and then sent her home. They gave her a diagnosis of COPD. I had to talk with her about what that was and will be getting her more information. My heart just aches for her. She took Friday off and so hopefully she’ll be feeling better on Monday.

Friday night there was a gathering for the women of the church. It was a game night. We were instructed to wear our jammies or comfy clothes. I went with the jammies and donned my Pooh slippers as well! Since it was my night to watch Asher, he came along. He was quite the little man of the hour! The other instruction was to bring a snack to share. Oh, the goodies that were there! I brought my NutriSystem snack and drank my water and was totally satisfied and content. I sat at the mature women table and ended up playing dominos (Chicken Foot—new one to me). It was fun.

And now it’s Saturday. Toilets need to be cleaned. Laundry needs washing. And I think there’s a little money left from last week’s check to get some groceries. TTFN…