Been a While

So I havent blogged in a while. Been a lot going on around here these days!! Don't really know where to begin!! So I will start with the prayers needed.

Carolina's sis-in-law has been diagnosed with Lupus. Now, in America, where health care is not a problem, Lupus would be more an aggrevation than anything. In Honduras, its a life threatening illness. Her sisinlaw is basically fighting for her life right now. She had no insurance (as Carolina's brother is self employed) until today. There is no such thing as a preexisting condition in Honduras, thank God. So they were able to bribe someone to start her insurance today as opposed to starting it next enrollment period. This is a GREAT thing, due to the medical attention she will now be able to get with this insurance. She had been going to the public physicians with no luck or help. They were incorrectly diagnosing her, giving her incorrect medications, etc.... Since she was not getting better, Carolinas brother had the sense to say "enough of this" and he took her to a private physician. This woman was a gift from God himself. She not only immediately diagnosed that she had Lupus, she also could tell that her kidneys were inflamed and that she had an infection in her throat. She agreed to treat her that day for immediate concerns, agreed to treat her further upon getting insured, and even gave them her cell phone number in case od emergency. Now the poor thing had been in awful shape. She was one step from needing dialysis, couldnt walk, couldnt talk, couldnt eat or drink, it was all she could do to take medication. Today, she walked a little bit, ate a little bit, and is feeling less discomfort. We are not quite out of the woods yet, so I ask that you pray for her and keep praying for her.

As for Carolina, she has been very emotional. She is much better now, however she is always the nurse, thinking about what could happen with this or that. Thank God she is like that, because I just sit here and think....."oh, everything will be cool." She has been a little sick, i think do to the stress. Her worry for her Ludwin aside, as for her brother, she is very worried for her niece, Sophia. Carolina, having grown up with a sick mother and eventually losing her to Cancer, does not want Sophia to go through that pain and struggle. So please also pray for Sophia to be strong for her mom and for Carolina to come to peace in this issue also. She has been studying a lot, or at least trying to, and is very emotionaly drained. She only has one clinical and two classes left before her finals!!!! Pray for that also please!!

As for me, I have had my own stress also. I have been worried about, stressed about, trying to give to God, the fact that Avis is doing opptional layoffs. They have already stated that they do not expect to achieve the numbers of cuts that they desire, so a non-opptional layoff will follow at the beginning of December. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Seeing as how I have decided to go back to school this January, I thought about taking the opptional layoff severence plan, however, I would leave too much money out on the table per say. With commission, holiday pay, sick pay, etc.....I just couldnt do it. Also, I dont want to forfeit my right to unemployment if I do get laid off. So as I search for other jobs, please pray that this situation works out for the best, and that handle it with dignity and awareness that there is a greater plan. Aside from the work issue and trying to be the Oak tree to Carolina's weeping willow, I have been somwhat busy around the house. I Did a fair share of yard work, organized the sunroom and got out a few more little Holiday decorations. The major yard work I did was remove the GIGANTIC holly TREES that were engulfing the front corners of the house. These things were 10 ft tall and 7 feet wide. It was beyond trimming, they were just too big. So I busted out the chainsaw and vroom vroom vroooooom. Down they came. Carolina loved the way they made the house look. I agree that is makes it look bigger and better. It was a ton of hard work though. Now its just a matter of getting those stumps out. No fun. As for the decorations........I WON THE TREE DEBATE!!! Ok, so I gave in a little bit. I agreed to have clear lights. But I get to have all of the random ornaments I can muster!! The tree won't be going up until closer to Christmas though. I have to admit, I have already watched Its A Wonderful Life and White Christmas is next on the shelf. Emmit Otter's Jugband Christmas is not far behind!!!

I am eagerly anticipating the next few weeks of football. We will find out how the Big Ten shakes out and where Ohio State will go bowling. We will find out if Carolina can finish out the year with some Ws and make the transformation by Butch Davis a legit thing with an ACC Championship. To close it all out we will see if the Panthers can keep rolling on through the NFC South and win that Super Bowl that was promised by the owner some 15 years ago. I DO LOVE FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!! And college basketball is just around the corner to get me through till spring traning!!! ahh.....im a junkie and sports is my drug.