Minus the rotten fish

So today I've been thinking a lot about our 5 senses (don't ask). I was thinking about our seeing and smelling and touching and hearing and tasting. I've really been struck by the sense of smell, and what a gift it is. I mean, let's think: we have hearing aids to assisting with hearing, lenses to assist with seeing, dentures to assist with chewing which assists with tasting. But smelling is unique. Smelling isn't really needed for communication the way the other senses are. Of course, having the sense of smell can be useful, as in detecting a fire by smelling smoke, etc. But I think when it comes down to it, smelling is just a gift of beauty. We can get along fine without it. And sure since we're in a fallen world there are things unpleasant to smell (ie rotten fish). But how sad to not be able to smell lumber, flowers, varnish, sea breeze, perfume, fresh cut grass, snow, baking bread, candles, cinnamon, freshly printed pages of a book, blueberries, woodsmoke, and coffee. I think really the main purpose of the sense of smell is for our enjoyment, and how awesome is that?? I love it when God gives us things that we could absolutely live with out, but by having them life is so much more enjoyable. So there's your random thought for the day--so go smell something good and enjoy the gift!!

Life in a FedEx package

Somewhere in North Carolina there is a FedEx packing floating around that needs many prayers.

One of my life goals is to donate a kidney (along with many other random things). In April, I met a woman that needs a kidney. I called Duke, they said I had to actually have a relationship with this woman, that it couldn't just be a good deed. So for the past 3 1/2 months she and I have been talking on the phone, going to dinner, getting ice cream together, etc. A few weeks ago I again called Duke and they mailed out a package to me. Today, I had 6 tubes of blood sucked out of my body. Today, I sealed these tubes in a FedEx package and sent them to be shipped overnight.

In approximately 3 weeks the results will be back. I am okay either way. If the blood matches and it's a good--that is scary and exciting and good. If the blood is not a match, that is disappointing but less stressful. But from my friend's point of view, it is much different. The blood tests offer hope of a longer life. Of a life that doesn't require her to hook up to her dialysis machines 2-3 times a day. Of a life where she can go on vacation without having to organize with medical transport to ship a dialysis maching to her vacation destination. There is fear in me too, of going through the whole process and having my friend's body reject the kidney and it all seeming pointless. Or fears of the blood not matching and feeling like I've wasted my time getting to know my friend.

So if you have a send, send up a prayer for my FedExed blood, that whether it matches or doesn't match, all will be well.

Clover visits the Doctor

I'm finding that life if always full of various kinds of doctor's appointments. I feel I'm contantly picking up prescriptions, I'm going to the eye doctor on a regular basis, just went to the dentist last week, and need to set up an appointment with the dermotologist. So many appointments! Yesterday I had to add another visit to my list--The Vet. Poor little Clover has been losing her hair for a month or so, and I started noticing she had a few scabs on her. So I packed Clover and her sister Parsley (I figured it would be even more traumatic for Clover if she had to go to the doctor without her favorite sister). First of all, they don't like riding in the car, and they had just been in the car for 5 hrs the day before while I drove back from Virginia. But, back in the car they went. The doctor checked little Clover out, and then took her to the back to do a little test on her. While Parsley and I were worrying in the examination room, Clover was having some of her skin scraped off to check for mites. Fortunately she didn't have any, but I'm starting to understand the terror of parenthood! I was close to tears when I envisioned scared little Clover in a room with a strange man with is scraping scabs of her and causing pain. I just wanted to cuddle with her and make her understand it's all okay. Hopefully, she won't remember the trauma. Of course, I had my own traumatic moment when I had to pay for everything! Exams, skin scrapes, medicine, and special shampoo definitely adds up. It cost more than 3 times what I paid for Clover, but she is worth it. :) And the good news is we don't think she had anything serious. We think she had extremely dry skin (and Parsley has a little bit of it too, probably due to dry air in my apartment?). Hopefully they will be cured with bathing with special shampoo every week or so, have this fish oil/omega-3 oil spread on their food, and putting conditioner on their skin (weird), they will be better in just a few weeks! The downside is that the fish oil STINKS (like fish), and they don't really want to eat it. And if I happen to get it on my finger while I am putting it on their food, the smell does NOT leave my skin. Even after washing with soap, my finger just smells like soapy fish. So the next time you see me, if I smell like the fishing docks, just remember that it's all for my children.