Nighttime visitors

My husband recently bought an infrared "gamecam" that we can strap to a tree or post, program it, and let it capture photos of whatever moves in front of it until we turn it off. It's turning out to be my new toy, and I'm having a ball with it! So far we've captured photos of our cats, raccoons, and possums. At left is one of a raccoon crossing our yard. Usually the critter that trips the shutter is moving so fast that only a part of it shows in the photo. I think there must be a couple of seconds lag tme before the photo is taken. It certainly makes life interesting!

Praying

I've been thinking a lot about praying lately. I make a distinction between praying and prayer; which other, more intelligent and experienced people than I have written about. I've specifically been thinking about how hard it is to begin to pray, i.e. get up off my, umm, couch and pray, as opposed to how easy and comforting praying is once I'm actually praying. In a nutshell, the problem lies in my own self-indulgence. Now, if I could only re-assign those self-indulgent feelings to praying, perhaps I wouldn't be thinking so much about it. The quote below says it better than I can.

Amma Theodora said, "It is good to live in peace, for the wise man practices
perpetual prayer. It is truly a great thing for a virgin or a monk to live in
peace, especially the younger ones. However, you should realize that as soon as
you intend to live in peace, at once evil comes and weighs down your soul
through accidie (listlessness/ boredom/despondency), faintheartedness, and evil
thoughts. It also attacks your body through sickness, debility, weakening of
the knees, and all the members. It dissipates the strength of soul and body, so
that one believes one is ill and no longer able to pray. But if we are
vigilant, all these temptations fall away. There was, in fact, a monk who was
seized by cold and fever every time he began to pray, and he suffered from
headaches too. In this condition, he said to himself, "I am ill, and near to
death; so now I will get up before I die and pray." By reasoning in this way,
he forced himself and prayed. When he had finished, the fever abated also. So,
by reasoning in this way, the brother resisted and prayed, and was able to
conquer his thoughts.

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quote archived as a blog at: http://wordfromthedesert.squarespace.com/

**UPDATE**

Non displaced fracture
Hairline crack and much soft tissue swelling
Location: Radial Head, left elbow
Blood in soft tissue, radial head fracture

continue with current OCL cast
come back in 1 week & possibly get removable splint
then begin gentle stretching to facilitate full flexibility
may lose 10% extension -- may never be able to fully extend arm
more x-rays at 3, 6, & maybe 9 weeks
suggest cold packs & elevation to decrease swelling

Need to start stretching it in ten days when I get removable splint
I tend to heal slowly, so I don't expect splint next Monday

it's official

I have a fracture in my left elbow. Actually, I don't know exactly where, but it's very near my left elbow if not in it. I got a temporary "OCL" cast on it tonight, and I have to see an orthopedic surgeon bright & early Monday morning at 7:30 to get a huge, heavy permanent cast from above my left elbow down to my hand. I guess I'll have it on for 6 weeks or so. I'm sure I'll have my "moments" during that time, but for right now at least, I see this as a time to sit back (metaphorically), reassess, rest, and in effect start over. I will have to learn how to do things with only my right hand--thank God my right arm is ok. Two summers ago when I tore my right rotator cuff, I had to do things with only my left hand. But this is different. It will be interesting.

here I go again.

Last evening (Nov 20) at about 4:40 as I was up in the poultry yard putting up chickens. was walking with my walking stick on the slope that *is* the poultry yard looking for eggs because the chickens have taken to laying every where. pine straw slipped under my left foot, left hand went out reflexively to catch me, fell straight on outstretched arm. left elbow hurts. tiny twists of hand, like drying hands with towel, etc., hurts like knife going into elbow. stupid chiropractor office closed on fridays I think. I will call tomorrow morning to make sure. I immediately put on cold 30 min then hot water bottle 30 min. not sure of time, but close enough. no more than 30 min. typing is becoming painful, so I guess I should curtail that activity. can't straighten arm out completely, either. here I go again.

====================================================================

about 9 pm went to er

11:57 pm - got back from er. dr said maybe hairline fracture. radiologist will make final call. gave me lortab before I left.

Friends

What are these people we call "friends"? Who are they? How are they defined? How do we find them? How do we make and keep "friends"? How do they make us feel connected? What makes you feel 'connected' to your friends? I'm curious to know what others think about this.

Growing Pains

In the past few months I've been growing and changing more than I have in the past few years. As a result, I've spent less and less time at my old, online "haunts," and more time with myself, my home, and my children. I do have a few, new online "haunts" that for special reasons I keep up with. They are Contemporary Orthodoxy and Contemporary Orthodox Thought. I also check into a new blog, Observational Commentary.

I've just finished reading Kyriacos Markides' book The Mountain of Silence. In this book, Kyriacos records his conversations on living an Orthodox spiritual life with the Athonite elder, Fr. Maximos. I am thrilled with this book. It is written in an easy style that takes the reader along with Kyriacos on his visit to Cyprus, including wonderful descriptions of the country and the monastic life at the monastery he is visiting. I find Fr. Maximos' answers to Kyriacos' questions insightful, inspiring, and intelligent. I can't say enough about this book. I read it to my husband, and he liked it, too. We have bought a second copy to keep ourselves and have given our first copy away. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.