In Like a Lion - Out Like a Lamb

March is usually the month of great contrasts. No so this year. Turns out June has been the Lion/Lamb month.

Usually I like June because weddings are concentrated in this month, so everyone is either looking forward or looking back on their wedding. I love that.

I began the month with a trip to the oral surgeon to have a tooth pulled. I've had teeth pulled before and did pretty well with it. But this one was a molar with a crown, so it was quite a bit more challenging. I should have had a clue it would be when the dentist said I had to have the oral surgeon pull it. Then, there were the expenses involved:

• Trip to the dentist for a checkup: $125.00
• Trip back to the dentist for two fillings: $274.00
• Trip to the endodontist to see if the molar was worth saving: $90.00
• Trip to the oral surgeon for the extraction: $110.00

Yuck! But at least it is all done now and my mouth is healing fairly well. (Of course, it has been 4 weeks since the extration!)

My team lead at my part-time job cut my hours drastically that first week in June. I have been working my brains out for a good year now and am missing so much in my personal life. I guess she thought I deserved some time off. But, of no -- not me! I had to go into a depression, crying and looking at transferring to other departments that I don't want to go. Well, I've had two Sundays off in a row now, and let me tell you, it's been pretty nice. I even had the chance to visit my grandbabies! What a treat! And I worked out the problem with my team lead, so things aren't quite so dismal in that department anymore. Throw in a double eye infection in the same week, and you can see why I have had a rotten month.

Then, there is the whole issue with my mother-in-law. She has gone to the emergency room by ambulance 3 times in 2 weeks and received 4 pints of blood and 2 shots to help boost her blood-making abilities. June 13 she was feeling so poorly that we had to sit her commode right next to her lift chair in the living room and put up a ramp in the breezeway. Her daughter came home from Minnesota to be with her for 3 days, and her sister stayed with her a few days before too. But help was running out and she was afraid to stay home alone - her breathing was so poor. Good 'ole Dr. Lamp scheduled a chest and lung x-ray, then she went to see him to order some oxygen. At that appointment she told him she was afraid to be home alone at night and wanted to go the nursing home until she gets better. Arrangements were made, the dog was farmed out, and now she is where she can get good care. She's missing her dog, but she's trying to get stronger so she can go back home.

I never realized how difficult and tramatizing it is to put a loved one in a nursing home. I'm still not sure why, but it was very emotional for all of us, even Craig. We're calming down now that it's been a week, though. And it is so comforting to know mom is where she can get good care (and oxygen).

Craig's cousin from California flew in to see mom last week. She wanted to visit before mom got any worse, so we picked her up from the airport and stayed the weekend at mom's house. It was great to get to know her better, and I think she had a good time. (It's difficult to tell, because she always is so gracious about everything.)

O, by the way, we DO have a wedding in our family this weekend (hence, the lamb part). My husband's niece is finally getting married, and I am so excited about it! It'll be at an outside chapel with a reception and dance indoors. She has two children, so it'll be great to watch them and all the other little ones having a good time. I can't wait! Grandson Brady already told me he is going to hip-hop. LOL!

The other night, as we were drifting off to sleep, I asked Craig if we could buy me a new outfit for the wedding. He said sure, and we went after work the next day. I thought he would forget, but apparently it was important to him, because he mentioned it the next day even though he was busy doing a ton of yard work. Ended up he bought me 1 dress, 2 pairs of slacks, 3 tops, and a pair of sandals. What a wonderful husband!!!

I found a book called Liberty by Garrison Keillor. Never read him before, but I've heard so many people talk about how they like his work. It's a pretty funny book and an easy read. Typical Lake Wobegon stuff.

June isn't ending up half as bad as it started out. I hope yours is much better. Thank you, Lord! Blessings