The part you play, however small, is greater far than none at all.
Arthur Guiterman, “Of Trifles,” A Poet’s Proverbs, 1924
It’s been almost three weeks since John had a reverse total shoulder replacement on his right shoulder. The first week after surgery was stressful due to complications that needed a trip to the emergency room. The stitches have since been taken out, and the incision looks good. He is feeling sore and stiff, and we are still catching up on sleep after a few weeks of rough nights. The in-home care after surgery was nice, as a nurse came by a few times to check on the bandage to make sure the gash on his shoulder wasn’t infected. A physical therapist came by as well to help with exercises and general movement. John is right-hand dominant, which has made basic life skills challenging. We take so much for granted- simple things like putting socks on, sleeping comfortably, showering, and eating! I am so thankful for Jonathan, who is gifted at helping and has genuine care. I would take the night shift, helping John as needed, and Jonathan would assist during the day. John even needed help pulling the handle on his living room chair to lift his legs/feet up and to lower them down. Now that his arm isn’t bound up, he can do more for himself, but still needs to be careful. Sometimes he naturally reaches out with his right arm to do something and is quickly reminded that it’s too soon. He will begin outside-the-home physical therapy in the coming weeks, which will last for a few months to rebuild strength and muscle tone.
We are thankful the surgery went well and that there was no infection. We are glad, too, for simple rhythms that have kept meals on the table and dishes washed. Jonathan has been helping me in the kitchen since he was little, and we move around each other in a small space with ease, just knowing what needs to be done next. In all this, because it has become a natural part of our lives, we recognized God’s hand in placing stray gifts in our path – gentle reminders that He is always there in every part of our day.
Here is the latest record of graces entry (photo collage below):
Top Row: Homemade soup and bread are our love language in this house. I like to make a big pot of soup that will last a few days, and we eat it with sandwiches for an easy meal. Our favorite soup this year is Lemon Chicken Orzo. Often, I fill the crockpot with boneless, skinless chicken and cook it until it’s shreddable. I then have cooked, shredded chicken ready to go for several meals – for soup, enchiladas, quesadillas, chicken salad, or a casserole. Making dinner is so much faster this way when the meat is already cooked. If you like making your own bread, you might like this recipe. I used freshly milled hard white wheat berries. I recently started using sunflower lecithin and vital wheat gluten, and they make a world of difference in bread texture!
A family in our church contacted John around the time of his surgery, sharing that his family wanted to provide a meal for us so that at least one night, I didn’t have to cook. We told him pizza would be nice because it would be easy enough for John to eat with his left hand. The day we were contacted about the pizza was the day after we had finished the soup, and I was going to need to cook something new. Perfect timing! The pizza was brought to us nice and hot, and we enjoyed it very much. What a blessing this family was in thinking of us and providing a meal. He didn’t just say, “Let us know how we can help”. He took that burden and expressed interest in bringing us food, and the men worked out a day that was best. He also offered to go to the store to get anything we needed. He may think he played a small part in helping, but to us, taking action was a big deal.
Middle Row: The first photo is of a thank-you card I made for the family who brought us pizza. I’ve had the front panel made for a long time, but I had never put it together with a card base. It was nice to have something partially made, which made finishing the card easier. The second photo is of ice plants we bought months ago at a nursery. I keep meaning to put them in a shallow flower pot with succulent soil, but haven’t yet. Apparently, they haven’t minded too much, and the plants are still producing flowers every so often. The third photo is of the passionflower vine we planted earlier this year. It’s good to see it climbing. It’s an aggressive vine and should cover at least half the large wall it’s against in a few years. We have another one on the other side of the yard, and the two vines should creep towards each other in time to make a nice cover for a large, bare, stone wall. The vines will attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds within the next year.
Bottom Row: Summer is dreadful in the desert with extreme UV rays and intense triple-digit temps. I gave up on some of the plants the past few months and made peace with not having too many potted plants this year. I even cut the mint and tried to propagate it inside, but didn’t have any luck. I was outside the other day watering what was still alive and couldn’t believe more mint was growing! New growth! I’ve heard mint was hardy, but wow! The middle photo is of scapes from my friend’s garden in PA. She said there should be about 3,000 of these that they sell, give away, and keep for themselves. The last photo is from the same friend on their property. I love bird photos! I’m thankful for friends and family who often share their stray gifts with me. The part they play in this scavenger hunt for the graces is such a blessing.
