Quarterly Report 2021 – Q3

Why a Quarterly Report

If truth be told, and I am a truth agent, I do these for me.  I like to look back at the three months and take inventory, per se. But, this third quarter of 2021 was admittedly one of the worst periods of my life. I was quite unwell.

July

The month opened with a camping trip in Gracee. We went to Andrew Jackson State Park here in South Carolina. The park was extraordinary. The campsites were few but we scored one on a curve with great views of the lake. We had chatty neighbors with an adorable dog.

Two of the neighboring campers took a liking to us and invited us to their big Saturday night meal. I managed to throw together a side dish to share with ingredients I had brought along. We aren’t big food people when we camp – we don’t grill outside or fix fancy meals. So this gathering was a treat.

The bonus? We all shared the same faith and one of the men was the president of a very popular Christian radio station based in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He and his wife entertained us with stories from mission trips around the globe.

We left the campground Sunday morning (4th of July) after touring the historical park and set our sails for home! We went to our friends home on the 4th for food and fireworks.

Although I felt pretty cruddy, I worked and we still did enjoyable weekend rides and even camped the last weekend of the month.

August

The first Saturday of August I went to a spa and sat in a salt infused stall for 15 minutes. I had heard great things about salt rooms so I thought perhaps it would help my breathing difficulties. Wrong! In fact the next week my feet and legs began to swell – although I did learn the two were not related.

Our friends from Indiana were driving through the area and stopped for lunch on the 8th – it was good to see them. We ordered to-go food from a local, popular BBQ restaurant. A new development in my health was phantosmia – look it up! But, I could not eat as everything smelled HORRID.

August continued and I got progressively worse. I did get my hair cut and colored – so at least when the fateful day, the 21st, arrived I looked good! I finally caved and let my good husband take me to the E.R. It was time.

Five days, several procedures later I left the hospital with a diagnosis and a life vest. BUT, feeling better than I had in many months, AND, 2o lbs lighter! The phantosmia was still present and extremely gross. On Saturday we took a day trip to a favorite place, Chattooga Bell Orchards, and I could walk without losing my breath! I felt extremely blessed and hubs was beside himself with gratitude!

September

This has been a perfect month in every way. I’m working every day and doing things I’ve been unable to do. The one setback is still the smell issue – I can’t stand the smell of anything cooking and there are very few items I can actually eat. The gagging reflex is gone but the smell is unlike anything I can describe. If there’s a silver lining? I have lost a total of 40 lbs – and I needed to!

We are walking regularly at a local, lakeside park and doing the things we love to do. On the weekends we explore.

September has taken us to two sad events – memorial services for friends who lost their battles to life-changing illnesses – both way too young.

And, now it’s my favorite time of year! Fall! My favorite color is October and we have an ambitious schedule now through Thanksgiving. Retirement is nigh – and, I’m really looking forward to it.

I pray you are well – what a strenuous time we are in. So much sadness and grief – illness all around us – there are times I just shake my head and say, “Why, Lord?” His words are the only words able to calm me –

If in this life only we have HOPE in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 1 Corinthians 15.19

He is my Hope of Glory. I pray He is yours.

Approximately 30 million babies have been aborted, worldwide, in 2021. Not a statistic to be proud of.