Friday, February 28, 2014

A Post a Day #s 4 and 5, 7 lightning takes, the catch-up version



1. Sorry about missing yesterday! Long day+having gotten back to working out after a week or two off while trying to get the dang pinched nerve in my neck sorted out+another laundromat day=eyelids at half mast by dinnertime.

2. Plus I knew we were going to a funeral the next morning (today), and wanted to sleep off the funk.

3. The funeral. More a memorial service, but very nice. It's been quite a while since I have been at anything other than a Catholic um, anything, and I remember some of the nice things about it. The nuts and bolts preaching, the worship music. I like to see what we have in common. I do see, as well, what is missing. But this was where the parents of my *cousin, who passed away, attend church, so this was the right place for them to hold the service.

*My father was at the younger end of a large family (11, I think), so the cousins are legion in number, and all, in-laws, children, close friends,  are simply called cousin. Sometimes we trace back to which Biehl sibling we are offspring of, just to get our bearings.

 4. Although it is for sad reasons, we all enjoy seeing one another. We always say, "wish it was under better circumstances". But, I find comfort in seeing my extended family. My parents have both been gone for over 30 years, and to see the people that carry their traits, and remember them from before I was born, is something that makes me feel a part of something wonderful.

5. And tonight, I am sitting in my comfy sweats, with one of the last beers until after Easter, with some kids around me, and this is All Right.

6. Another Lenten resolve that really should not take Lent to make happen is that I want to keep in much better contact with these people. I want to get as many of our butts down to North Carolina to see my brother ASAP. Dang it!

7. And so, with only the doings of yesterday evening and today having been chronicled for you, I am off to finish reading CS Lewis' space trilogy, and just to be sure I leave you with something pithy, here is a favorite quote from Perelandra:

We have learned of evil, though not as the Evil One wished us to learn. We have learned better than that, and know it more, for it is waking that understands sleep and not sleep that understands waking. There is an ignorance of evil that comes from being young: there is a darker ignorance that comes from doing it, as men by sleeping lose the knowledge of sleep.


Peace, 

Kelly

7 comments:

  1. Good luck on the pinched nerve. I've had onea little further down than the neck since September, and it's been hurting off and on. Then last Thursday while at the gym I felt it pop and now it's really hurting full time. I don't know if I should go to a doctor or not, but I have no idea what they can do about it.

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    1. Manny, I tried for many months just waiting it out, and it only got worse. I go to a trusted chiropractor, and it does help. I was getting electric stim, small adjustments and gentle traction. I am on a couple week break right now, and carefully beginning to work out again. To simulate traction, I stand bent over, let my head and arms hang as relaxed as possible. Sometimes I lock my hands behind my head to add a little more gentle pull. sometimes I roll up a heating pad behind my neck while I read.
      If you have a pinched nerve, it can take some doing to get the tightened muscles around it to relax and some intervention to get the nerve released.

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    2. Thanks Kelly. A long time ago I did not have a good experience with a chiropractor, so I avoid them. Traction sounds like a good idea. I have to try to keep going to the gym. As it is with the winter I'm getting flabby. Mabe I'll just do cardio for a few weeks.

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    3. I would just be careful to high impact activities. Elliptical?

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    4. that would be _about_ high impact, etc. Tired...

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  2. I love the image of a comfy evening in sweats with a nice drink and a good book - glad you could enjoy one after so much to deal with.

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    1. Thanks, Anna :) The day made me very aware of all my many blessings.

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