Planting seeds and tearing down fences

 Weary. Oh, what an appropriate word! I am certainly weary this evening!

 It has been a very full week. Very full two weeks, actually. 

 We had gone to GA to see lots of people that we love for Spring Break. Then, while we were there the world sort of fell apart. We ended up coming “home” early, since everything around us was closing - schools, churches, jobs and stores. We never got to visit several people that we loved, because suddenly germs, and sharing them, were a much bigger fear than ever before. 

 Coronavirus. 

 We started this week unsure of everything. 

I think that perhaps we are ending it still unsure of quite a few things. 

 But we stayed busy! Andy does not know how to sit still, and I am not very good at telling him no. 

 So, we tore down the back fence. 

Then moved it back about 16 feet. 

 We “dug” a lot of holes, (he got an auger for his birthday) and leveled and cemented new posts into them. 

Actually, we were able to reuse most of the old posts. We discovered the reason the fence was falling over was, in part, because there was so little cement used the first time it was built. 

Most of the fence tear down and rebuild was Andy. The boys helped a good bit, obviously, and I chipped in some, but truly, that man has way too much energy! 

He is a huge part of why I am “weary” here at the end of this week.

But not the only reason!

I also planted things.

The herbs survived the winter beautifully, one in each bed. 

 I added a few plants and a zillion seeds and spent some time cheering on the beautiful little surprise growth springing up in all three. 

 Some of it was weeds, obviously, but I am almost positive there are about a dozen tomato plants and a dozen peppers and several squash as well. We’ll see if my judgement is right in a few weeks. For now I will let them grow. 

 Then I bought some berry plants too! 

You can’t really see them but there are six, each peeking out of those mounds of red clay, attempting life in the Deep South. 

 And sweet Samwise has been so confused! He knows where the fence use to be, and walks to the edge of it and smells, then stops, afraid he will get in trouble if he goes farther. In the above picture he is laying right at the border... testing things. 

That seems to be the summary of our lives right now, I think. 

Testing things. 

What works and what doesn’t? 

How do we best help our neighbor? 

How do we plants good seeds without being weary? 

 Some of that was literal. The neighbor girl came and planted seeds with me. She fed me joy while I gave her attention. I don’t think we succeeded in staying 6ft apart the whole time, but we soaked up sunshine and placed seeds into egg cartons. 

 So, that is how I want to close this- plant some good seeds with your neighbors. 

Tear down some fences that you usually don’t have time to even consider. 

Use this change of schedule for something beautiful. 

Be blessed my friends, in the middle of the unknown, 

Plants good seeds! That wonderful harvest is promised!

A double rainbow

Sometimes, when the rain is falling so hard that you think you will never see the light again, is when you see the most beautiful rainbows. Maybe the rainbows are brighter when the storm is darker. Maybe colors really are clearer when seen through fog. Maybe it is just because you appreciate the rainbows more when the rain has overwhelmed you for awhile. Whatever the reason, the Freeman family had a brilliantly colored double rainbow yesterday. Even though the rain isn't over yet, the light is definitely shining through the clouds. And I am awestruck. 

Our first rainbow came early in the day yesterday. The results for the Staff Sergeant test came out, and Andy passed. This means a promotion and a raise, as well as a strong plus to add to the package for OTS (officer training school), which is where he is hoping to be this time next year. Andy barely missed the staff test last year, and we were VERY discouraged at that point in time. This year, when the time came to take the test, he studied some, but since he was also taking college courses, didn't have as much time or energy to put into it as last year. Then, the day of the test, he found out that the study guide that he had was missing a full half of the information. So, he went into the test knowing that he had not studied for half of it at all - had never even seen the information. (it was mostly technical data on several planes that were recently added to his career field, and that he hasn't ever worked on) So, we tried not to have any hopes for this year. Finding out that he not only passed it, but got a good enough number to be in the first wave of promotions (he will become a staff sergeant next month, as soon as he finishes this six week course he is currently 2 weeks into) was absolutely breathtaking. Not that he hadn't earned it. If promotions were based on work ethic and the opinion of your overseer, then Andy would have had it last year, or earlier. But a huge part of it is based on a written test, and we all know how Andy and tests get along.  

My second rainbow came near the end of the day. My fabulous neighbor Amy watched the boys and a wonderful woman from church, Cheryl,  came and picked me up so that I could go to the Neurologist for my EEG.  That was a pretty short test - slightly slimy, and leaving me in great need of a hair washing, but nothing horrid. Then, wonder of wonders, they said that I should wait and that the doctor would discuss the results with me. THAT SAME DAY! I had quit expecting answers, so I was completely shocked. I had to wait about 30 minutes, but after six weeks of being baffled by my body, 30 minutes really wasn't too much to suffer through! He said that my MRI and EEG were clear, which was a good thing. No tumors, blood clots, aneurysms (sp?). I was trying to see the good, but was mostly sad, because I thought that meant we had no answer still. Then he said the magic words... "We can't completely rule out seizures, but I am pretty sure this is an atypical migraine" Migraine???? I only have headaches with these things about half the time. Seriously? But, I wasn't going to turn down a diagnosis, even if it seemed wrong. What do I know? I haven't been to medical school! He put me on a medicine that is used preventively for both migraines and seizures, (Topamax) so both of the top two possibilities are covered. I will increase the dosage slowly over 4 weeks, then see where we are. 

 I have been surfing the internet this morning (between schooling Canaan, building train tracks and watching a few minutes of the Olympics) and I am beginning to think that the Neurologist could be right. I am not completely convinced, but it has possibility. If you would like to read about atypical migraines, click here. I have several of the symptoms, (dizzy, flashing lights, nausea) but I am not sure that migraines really explain the "alternate reality" thing that has been happening inside my head. Although I did read that some people have hallucinations during the "Aura" part of a migraine. I seem to have the Aura part only most of the time, and only rarely have the headache! I guess I shouldn't complain. Anybody else who read this have migraines? My grandfather had them, so that covers the genetic part. Also, anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis (I am flattering myself. What I should say is, Carrie and Mom) do you remember when I blogged about the 3 day headache in June? Maybe that was the first migraine?

 I think I am a little bit in information overload. At the same time, I am just so relieved that I am not completely out of my mind that I can't help being happy. My favorite quote of the day from the doctor comes in response to my question, "How long will I be on this medicine - will this be a lifetime thing?" His response was that we would try it for a year, then slowly wean me off and see what happens because "You are young  - you could still outgrown this". I had no idea that I could still outgrow things at nearly 30 years old, but I am thrilled to learn it! 

All in all, I am in awe of my rainbows. My dryer is still broken, and the checking account is lower then I would like and Zion still pees his pants too often, but my Savior has blessed me beyond measure. I am happy. Joy was never completely lost, but happiness slipped away for awhile. Once again, I AM HAPPY.

Four years later... a little update. They weren't migraines. They were later diagnosed as localized partial seizures... although I think they change their mind on what to call them every time I see a different neurologist!
Please, see my "Made in His image" page to see the latest news in the ever changing brain of Bethany