UPDATE on Mom Betty, and Karen:

Thank you all so much for your prayers … first of all, Mom Betty has spent the past couple of nights in the hospital, and although the fever is down, and the rash looks much better, we are told they are not ready to release her yet.  She has a urinary tract infection, and also cellulitis, which is a potentially serious skin infection.  Lewis saw her yesterday, and she seemed to be doing much better.  We’re praying that she’ll be out for Christmas!  Lewis will be going to see her tomorrow, so I’ll have an update on her then. 

To update on Karen Norton (see previous post), your prayers are still needed here!  As you know Thursday she fell on the ice, was taken to the hospital.  This is what we know so far from her son … after her examination, they found she had shattered a pelvic bone, called the ilium, (socket) which, we were told, would require extensive surgical reconstruction.  Well, on Friday, she went through a 5 hour surgery to repair the damage that was done to the area … there were no complications, and we were told the surgery was a success!  Praise the Lord!  She now has 12 screws in her hip, and some other ‘hardware’ to hold everything together, so it can heal properly.  Now, the long therapy, and recovery period, begins … they say it could take up to 5 months, with NO weight bearing for the first 4 months.  She’s to be in the hospital a week more before being released, and then from there, she’ll begin the therapy.  This special family thanks you, so much, for your prayers, and is asking that you continue to lift them up, for the needed strength, as this time of healing begins.  I’ll keep you updated as we know more. 

And today … I hope this finds all of you well!  I’m still pretty sick (*sigh*) with this flu, again, so I’m not able to see either Mom Betty, or Karen, right now.  (   And, I so wanted to go to church this morning … there was a Christmas play, and a card exchange, but hubby said, “no way”!  I didn’t get much sleep for all the coughing I’ve been doing, and he wanted me to stay home and rest.  I’m so blessed with such a caring husband!  So, he went off to church, then I received a text from my son, saying only EARTHQUAKE.  Well, that got me moving, and I immediately turned on the news to see how bad it was, but apparently he got to me before it was reported.  I called him right away, and he said he was at church, and the building shook pretty good.  He said the epicenter was about 10 miles away, in a town called Salinas.  I haven’t heard anymore about it since he called.  Has anyone heard out there in California?!  Well, after I knew he was alright, I spent my quiet time with the Lord, on this very cold morning, and then tried sleeping some, but the coughing is keeping me from getting a good rest.  After church, my hubby brought me back many well wishes to get better, along with a glowing report of the play, and also our Christmas cards we had received from the exchange.  We sat down with a cup of tea a bit earlier, in our cozy, warm livingroom, and read each special one, and it cheered me up!  I’m hoping I’ll be better very soon, I still have a gift, or two, to get, and Christmas bread to bake for family, and friends.  Thankfully, they did change our family dinner to the day after Christmas, so that will give me an extra day to recuperate, and get those things done!   My sister is also having family over for Christmas Day, and I don’t want to miss that either … so, could you say a little prayer for me!  I know God will work all these things out! 

Well, if y’all don’t know it … or, feel it yet … this is the First Day of Winter!  So what’s the temperature where you live?!  We are at a ‘balmy’…  3* degrees here now … and with this wind whipping around at over 30 mph, it feels somewhere the other side of 0 over here … like -25*,  according to the weatherman!   I couldn’t see out the window earlier, for the coating of ice that had formed!  Anyone else have that trouble when it gets this cold?  The computer seems to be running very slow as well … probably frozen lines?!  I know there are some pretty frigid temperatures up north … I’m praying you all are staying warm and snug, and safe indoors!  I am concerned about our kitty, Pookie, who’s still living in our garage, and on our porch.  I’m thinking of bringing her into our basement for tonight, and tomorrow, as it’s supposed to be cold again.  We still haven’t gotten her to the vet, and I really don’t want my other cat getting fleas, or whatever else she may have!  She is so sweet, and small … and I really feel bad that she’s out there!  I did bring her in for a little while, and she stayed, contentedly, on my lap.  I do have a box fixed for her, which we covered with very warm blankets, with one inside of it for her … but someone told me she would freeze to death out there in these temps … anybody know about outdoor cats in weather like this … perhaps, SingingMom?  I’ve only had the indoor kind …. spoiled!!  Lol!!  I pray, those of you in the coldest parts of the country, are all staying warm, and cozy … the temperatures are dropping even more here tonight … I do love the cold, but this, I must say, is extreme!  There is something that will brighten your day, and make all us feel a little ‘warmer’!  We have only …….. 
 

One more thing … be sure to drop in over at BetsaflyGallery, if you haven’t already, and check out all the ‘snow’ photos!  I’m off for another hot bowl of chicken soup, and a nice hot cup of tea, before trying to get some much needed sleep!  Have a blessed evening, stay warm, and have a wonderful Monday!  I’ll be around to see how your Christmas week is going!  We thank you all, again, for your sweet prayers!

Warm hugs,
              ~ Deborah <><