For the first time in years we were able to get away for the weekend. Spending the weekend with our best friends is one of the best medicines. Speaking of medicines, the last dose of prescriptions did not kill the problem with the bacteria  in my gut. So now another two weeks of antibiotics.

The Drugs

This entire experience with this disorder has been wrecking me. The fact that I need to set an alarm four times a day is daunting. And to add to these medical woes, my doctor told me that I’m pre- diabetic. This I can, and will, take control of. My doctor also asked me if I was given steroids while I was in the hospital when I had COVID and that this could be the cause of the high sugar levels in my blood. I was pumped with steroids for the five-day hospital stay. So for this reason I ordered these test strips to measure my blood. Amazon has the whole world at its finger tips, so I quickly found a supplier. Without checking where the strips were coming from, I aggressively pressed “place order.” I waited for a couple of weeks, which turned into a month by the time the strips finally arrived. They did not work! The strips came all the way from India. I was so upset because if I want a refund I needed to pay postage. Amazon did not give a hoot about my $35 rant so I tossed the test strips in the trash.  My doctor called in an oder for a new set-up for testing my blood sugar.

Over the weekend I had to have help with measuring my blood level. Larry decided that he would take on the role of teaching me on how to use the device. After about ten attempts of pricking my finger with no blood results, I pulled my hand away from Larry and told him that I needed to read the instructions. I always read those really long explanations from the drug manufacturers because I want to understand the side effects.  After carefully reading how to use the device, I was able to test my blood; the first day it was 160, but the next day it came down to 142. I’m exercising more and learning to eat better in oder to eradicate this problem, and I’m praying about this as well. So far I have also lost over ten pounds.

Our Friends

Mike and I were both in our thirties  when we met our best friends, Larry and Helen.  Mike and Larry were in the tortilla industry; they were competitors, but destiny would change all that. TIA (tortilla industry association) is an organization that brings tortilla manufacturers together, and that’s when we met Larry and Helen. TIA was having a semi-formal event, and, of course, I had nothing to wear.  I was in an awkward fashion stage; my choice of designers was between Gunny Sack and Laura Ashley. I heard that Gunny Sack had opened an outlet in Montclair, a city about 45 minutes from my home.  I drove to the shop in Montclair,  and I will never forget the black glittery dress with a full tulle bottom that I purchased from Gunny Sack. It was an ugly dress from the beginning, but I did not realize it until the day of the event. The dress was so tight that I had to get a girdle, and this undergarment fastened with the old-school hook and eye. Needless to say, this was going make for an interesting evening.  Honestly I have never been so fashionably uncomfortable in my life. My new shoes were too tight as well.  When I was introduced to Helen, I was tugging at my dress and felt that this stupid undergarment was partly unhooked.  Helen was wearing a beautiful suit, her heels matched perfectly, her hair and make-up looked like a professional had just put her together. After our greeting, I mentioned how very uncomfortable I was. Helen gave me an empathetic look, and turned to talk to Larry; that was our first encounter. My first impression of Helen was that of a sophisticated woman who wore boa, low-heeled slippers around the house.  You can guess what her first impression of me was.

Early on in this relationship I was stripped of making any decisions. I once made arrangements for a two-night stay at a boutique hotel  in Florence, Italy. I chose this place because it was once a monastery and, by the description, it sounded charming. This hotel was scary and, compared to the places that Larry and Helen are accustomed to, it was far from charming. The paint was peeling off the walls and the T.V. belonged in the Smithsonian. Our room was no better; the people next to us were so loud that Mike had to go to the front desk to complain. I could not sleep so I asked Mike to knock on the door and tell them to keep it down. When Mike got back, his face was white, almost as if he had seen a ghost. “What happened to you?” I asked. Mike could barely describe the trauma he had just experienced. It turned out that this huge, Middle Eastern man answered the door buck naked! We checked out the following morning, and Larry made arrangements for us to stay in a beautiful hotel facing the Ponte Vecchio. Because of that little incident I am not allowed to participate in any traveling arrangements; this includes choosing restaurants as well, Oh, one more thing, I’m never allowed to drive either!

The Reunion

After our visit with Larry and Helen we drove to Temecula to meet with Mario, Armando, Tony and Lupe, Mario’s wife.  These men have been in our circle for years; they all worked for Mike when we had our tortilla factory. To be able to keep these acquaintances is to understand how our old company respected the work ethic of these men. It has been over 20 years since we had seen them, but the love we share with them is the same. Not one of them missed a beat, and the old tortilla stories were filled with laughter. We shared about how it felt to be treated with dignity and to be appreciated for a job well done. This type of camaraderie is quickly fading away with all the impersonal, out-of-touch  behavior of large companies. I was part of this group, and I loved and appreciated working with these wonderful men.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you for all the wonderful relationships and friendships we have encountered. We are so very blessed to have crossed paths with each of our friends. I ask that you continue to bless and encourage them with Your unfailing love. Lord, may we always remember to call on You for all of our needs. I lift up the special prayer intentions for Amy and Bobbie, Lord heal them. Amen.

Matthew 5:16  New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Last Saturday I was decorating a small Christmas tree in our downstairs bathroom. As  I turned on the lights to the mini tree all the ornaments took on a new look. The light caused this change because it brought out the beauty of the brilliant colors of the simple bulbs. I was asking God, “What should I write about this week?  Lord, help me.” Then as I was mopping the floor He gave me the idea about being a light to others.

This week has been a bit of a struggle; I’m on antibiotics due to a stomach bacteria in my gut. I have no fear in this condition, but it still weighs on me. When I drove to Costco to pick-up the prescription it was not ready. The sales clerk told me that order was not filled because the cost for the medicine was $900! I would never pay this amount. With a shocked look on my face, the lady proceeded to inform me that  they were going to work on getting the price down. “Okay, but I’m not willing to pay anything over $75!” I answered.  A half an hour later, the prescription was broken down into three different drugs at a cost of $49. How can you trust Big Pharma? How do you get from $900 to $49?

Retirement

My husband Mike retired and, even though he has been working from home because of COVID, we keep bumping heads about the smallest things. His main grievances against me are that I have way too many emails and  I save too many photos on my phone. I know people who have over 20,000 emails and over 5,000 photos on their phones and it hasn’t stopped the world from spinning off its axis. It bothers me that Mike is so organized, all household cords are meticulously wound up. This drives me crazy! Needless to say, his retirement is  going to take some adjusting.

I feel responsible for causing him any heartache because I was not taking into consideration that retirement is a drastic change in his life. When two of  the men who worked under him came to pick up the company car, I saw great sadness in their eyes. Of course Mike had the car washed and gassed up before turning it in, because this is who Mike is. When the men left, I came inside and started to cry. “Why are you crying?” He asked. “I don’t know, I’m sad.” I answered. It had finally hit me of how Mike was feeling. He was the best boss; he always took care of his workers. Mike was the light in that company because he is a scrupulous and empathetic man. When things were not right he called them out. When we have this type of boldness, we understand that it is the Holy Spirit guiding us.

The Light

There is a special spiritual light that comes from God’s illumination. Through His Holy Spirit we receive this light. We are to shine His love on others. You cannot do this unless you are moved by the spirit of God. When the headstrong Israelites were wandering through the desert, God’s light was always with them. They did not make the spiritual connection because all their murmuring caused them to remain in the wilderness. They were spiritually wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Yet for 40 years God provided for them, even though they could not enter in because of their unbelief.

These past couple of weeks I have had several unpleasant encounters by being combative and at times a little difficult. When poorly trained cashiers meet impatient customers like me, the outcome is not pleasant. Sometimes I forget to be that light and cast darkness in the situation by attempting to prove my point.  After I repeat the story to others, the Lord benevolently shows me that the customer may be always right but that I must be gracious in my protest. When companies are understaffed and overworked, the last thing they want to hear is fault-finding from an irate customer.

Sunday morning after Mass we went out for breakfast at a local eatery.  As I passed through the front door a stench of raw eggs silently slapped my face, but I kept the gagging to myself. “Be the light, be the light,” I told myself. When the milk was delivered to our table, again the egg smell hit my nostrils as I took the first sip. I held my tongue, and got through the meal without a complaint.

Advent

Advent is a time to reflect on the birth of Christ at Christmas. We are reminded to pray and fast during this holy season. Advent is referred to as “little Lent” because we should be looking inward and drawing closer to God through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We wait for our Messiah with great anticipation for His Second Coming. Our hearts should be filled with a giving spirit, giving of your time to help others. We participate in giving by prayer and fasting, we donate to those who are  going through financial challenges. We make special efforts to visit those who are homebound,  and we visit prisoners.

We are all made in the image of God. We all have imperfections. I was talking to my brother George the other day and he asked me if I was dyslexic. I’ve known this about myself for years, the fact that I still count on my fingers, or transpose numbers and letters has always been a huge challenge. I learned to cope by using other tools like memorizing things or repeating what I read over and over again. Because of my dyslexia I have a photographic memory. My brother shared with me that over 48% of the prison population suffers from dyslexia. This made a lot of sense to me because when you have a learning disability, frustration and anger can play a huge role in your formative years. If you can’t read, you can’t function in today’s society and in many cases these young men who suffer from this disorder fall into the cracks and many end up in jail.

In December of 2019 the First Step Act was passed by Congress This law was introduced by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. Before becoming a senator he was a physician working in three different prison clinics. This is when he made the connection with dyslexia and prisons. This new law will evaluate prisoners with learning disabilities and teach them to read and overcome problems related to dyslexia.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank you for all that you have bestowed on us. Help us to draw closer to You during Advent. May we be used to shine Your light on others, and especially during Advent. We seek to be in Your Holy Presence; we remove our sandals as we stand on Your holy ground. Use us as Your light to lead others out of darkness. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  New American Bible (Revised Edition)

There is not a day in my life that goes by that I do not give thanks to the Lord. Whenever trials come my way, I pray. Our faithfulness to God is what makes us depend on His  providence.  It does not matter how grave the situation may become, when we depend on God He will see us through it. As I get older I find myself questioning life and whether I have lived up to God’s expectations. All I really want to hear is, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” I never feel that I have done enough for our Lord. Even at my age I want to continue to do more and draw closer to Him.

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving this year will be the smallest we’ve ever had. Jenny, our daughter-in-law, and Maddie, our granddaughter, are traveling to Minnesota to support their family as they go through a family illness. That will not stop Mike from making the best Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings. What Mike does is beyond our expectations. I am never allowed to enter into the kitchen while he is prepping. He is  like an artist with his canvas, and the unveiling will take place at the dinner table. The turkey is brined overnight to enhance the tenderness. We will also feast on creamed corn (my favorite), sweet potato casserole, au gratin potatoes and green beans. We will not be serving salad this year because this is Jenny’s contribution to the meal and no one can match her salads. Both Jenny and Maddie will be missed, but I am overjoyed that they will be celebrating with her family; it’s been years since Jenny has been there for Thanksgiving.

During this time of year I always think of all the homeless people I have met throughout my 20 years of service on Skid Row. My prayers are always the same. “Lord protect them, help them to become the persons You have called them to be. Provide for them in every area of their lives, and keep them safe and warm.” My connection to them will always be in my heart. I am asking God how I can make myself available in helping with this crisis we have in our country, because so many homeless people and not enough help.

Our Problem

The crisis of homelessness affects all of us. We need to get the right kind of help to get this marginalized population to a new direction. From my experience, the majority of the homeless population has fallen through the cracks of society because we are helping them in the wrong way. The first and foremost problem is abandonment. This is a mental state of mind that needs psychological evaluation. I understand all the efforts that our government is doing to alleviate the problem; I’ve helped with many of these outreaches. The simple truth is this: the homeless need love. Many of them will receive a warm Thanksgiving meal but that’s just one meal! The rest of the year they will scramble for meals. Remember it was during COVID that we could no longer go to Skid Row. This was a message from God to help in other ways. I have since offered my services to a local church in providing supplies to furnish apartments for them. I did this from my heart. I received a $200 gift card from a dear friend, Bishop Mendez, who was spearheading the outreach. I headed to Walmart for pots and pans and other kitchen supplies. I blew through that money quickly.  I waited until a local second hand store marked down their merchandise by half. I purchased plates, silverware and whatever else I could get ahold of with my own money. The beddings I purchased new because there is nothing fresher and more inviting than new linens and blankets. I look forward to helping with making the world a better place once this whole COVID thing is behind us.

Giving Thanks To God

In Genesis 8:20 we find that Noah gave thanks to God by building an altar to the Lord. This was a customary theme in the Word of God: thanksgiving to God and displaying reverence when their lives were spared, when they won a battle or were blessed. My husband Mike shared with me that each morning before getting out of bed, he gives thanks to God for a new day. He continues his petition with praying protection for our family. I, on the other hand, pray during the night and throughout the day. I thank God for all He has done in our lives, and I thank Him for His healing power over our minds and bodies. How can we celebrate Thanksgiving without paying homage to God, Who provides all things?

The Family

We are blessed to have our grown family living near us. We gather together on a regular basis for casual meals and many times take vacations together. We are a family whose core beliefs are in God. Not one family member is excluded from the sheepfold. Sometimes as one sheep escapes, we guide them back home through prayer. I was once a young parent, and I have full knowledge of the sacrifices a parent makes to keep the family from harm’s way.  Our world has become more dangerous since we were parents, and the challenges are greater. I pray for all parents, that they not  give in to the things of the world, because we are not of this world.

On Sunday at Mass we celebrated “Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe” and the Scripture reading was about his Kingship. When Pilate asked Jesus if he was King of the Jews, Jesus’ response was:

John 33:36-37 New American Bible Revised Edition

 ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” ³⁷ So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

My Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we give You all the thanks for Your provisions. Bless Jenny and Maddie with traveling mercies and bring them back home safe. I pray for Your glory to shine on us all. Feed the hungry and clothe the poor but, most of all, allow them to feel Your holy presence. I lift up Bobbi and Amy; Lord, heal them.  Amen.