A Look Back at February - Part VI

Back at our island camp, we explored a different kind of history: Natural History.

And we carried our chairs to a sunny spot with the least wind to rest and knit.

Hope in Chronic Pain and Isolation

Did you know...

A person can get so accustomed to isolation
(by God's grace) that they hardly notice a month of "staying at home" after living that way for six-plus years? Yes, the losses and loneliness hit hard when chronic illness first takes over a life. In the early months when friends are thinking of you and checking in, it doesn't fully sink in. Plus you don't expect life to stay that hard for too long.

But when months turn into years and when most of your friends move on with their lives and accidentally leave you behind, there comes a new season of struggle, of learning to let go and adjust and trust God in the dark.

So the "stay at home" orders have hardly made a noticeable change for my sister Elsa and me. Isolation became "normal" long ago.

But chronic pain is another story...

You may think you're used to living and working through constant pain after years of no other option. But when it ramps up again so that it's hard to breathe or think, and not even knitting and audiobooks can mask it, you remember again how desperately you need a solid foundation for your hope and reason to get up each day.

It was on one of those days this week when I could hardly take the next breath that God gave a whole string of gifts at just the right time.

A cold and then allergenic spring had kept us shut indoors so far, but I suddenly knew I had to get outside - no matter the temps. On with the down coat, wool scarf, and yak-down hat and mitts over the alpaca poncho, wool socks, long underwear and slippers (and more!) which I already was wearing indoors. Out to a camping chair on the deck wrapped in a blanket.

And on with the Psalms. (ESV audio-Bible, courtesy of SonicBiblia.org)

After a few beautiful chapters, one grabbed me in a new way, and I had to listen and read it over and over to slowly absorb the truth into my weak brain.

David often talks about his enemies, and the introduction to Psalm 56 points out exactly which enemies he meant this time. But we can be attacked by different kinds of foes these days which are no less real. So I began to read it this way:

"Be gracious to me, O God, for [illness] tramples on me; all day long [pain] oppresses me...

When I am afraid [or every nerve is frayed], I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh [...even this body] do to me?

"You have kept count of my tossings [during sleepless night hours and pain-filled days];

put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

"This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust... For You have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life."

While still feeding on the hope found in this truth, I found myself absorbing a rare, new gift -- SUNSHINE! Off with the down, the alpaca, the yak, and the wool. On with the shady hat given by a friend last year.

The next few hours were a time of rest and healing and a nice visit with our first socially-distanced visitor - an aunt. 
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Elsa had joined me in the sun where we knit to a chorus of birdsong and the rich testimonies of God's faithfulness through the long (and sometimes very painful) life of Corrie Ten Boom. I highly recommend her book "In My Father's House" if you haven't read it yet!
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Even more, I recommend reading or listening to the Psalms to realign your focus and feed your hope as you face your own challenges while you stay at home.
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"We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." ~ Psalm 33:20-22

A Look Back at February - Part V

Come back in history with us - to the mid-1800's.

Begin on one of Florida's Atlantic coastal islands, climb some spiral stairs, and spot Georgia nearby.

Try out the views from several bastiens, including the view inward of barracks - some of which never rose beyond the footings.

Look closely and you can see some of the unique, coastal construction materials. Tabby is a concrete made of oyster shells, water, and sand.

Head back down to explore a maze of fighting, storage, and living spaces which housed both southern and northern armies at different points of the Civil War.

Explore Fort Clinch for yourself someday! Though we didn't get in on one of the reenactments, we did have this drizzly day nearly to ourselves - very fun in its own way!

A Look Back at February - Part IV

This was the first time in years we had a few days that we felt like exploring and actually had the energy to tramp all over - exploring the nooks and crannies of one point in history.

Curious where we were? Check back in the next post!

A Look Back at February - Part III

Enjoy a few more glimpses of our island home-for-a-week.

A Look Back at February - Part II

After a couple special days of visits with family and friends on the way, we arrived in northeastern Florida for a week of island camping.

This year Elsa and I brought a tent to help expand the living and cooking area in the camper.

It was amazing to sit outside and look around at all the green and life - trees hanging with air plants and moss, palmetto filled with skittering lizards, birds flitting in and out among it all...

Five days on the road resulted in plenty of dirty dishes. While Mom and Dad spent the first day bringing our camper to the nearest "Camper's Inn" for repairs (once we got far enough south to even try, we couldn't turn on the water without a fountain behind the toilet!), Elsa and I tried to stay warm outdoors. Hot dishwater was a temporary help for Elsa, and then we hunkered down layered with wool sweaters, coats, wool and yak-down hats and mittens, wool socks, blankets in our laps, and tea in our thermoses.

Our neighbors with a matching blue Rpod to ours must have kept a concerned eye on us through the day, because in the afternoon they brought over their space heater and extension cord so that we could at least warm up our feet. It was amazing how that one spot of warmth thawed us out all over! Thank you to our lovely Canadian neighbors!

With the camper up to full function, we could finally settle in and enjoy the Atlantic ocean. Days were still cool and nights cold, but we started getting a little bit of sunshine on our faces and fresh air in our lungs. And a few shells in our collections. :-)

A Look Back at February - Part I

February was a special month for our family. We headed south to look for some warmth. Elsa and I had been basically house-bound since August 2019 as area harvesting filled the air with molds and other allergens. Then came the cold and lack of sunshine. As happens each winter, our pain levels increased and stamina greatly decreased. It was time to get outside again.

But first we had to get ready. Dad had days of work raking snow off of roofs to prevent cave-ins. Our cousin helped Dad finish off that huge job.

 Indoors, we cooked and froze an entire week of meals to eat on the road. Plus we packed, cleaned, packed, paid bills ahead, packed, prepared four weeks of extra lesson plans for my piano students, dug out summer clothes, packed, and more.

By the end of January, we were tired, but we were ready to hit the road!

What a pleasant surprise to find signs like this in the rest-stops of a forward-thinking state.

"This facility does not use scented hand soaps or air fresheners in recognition of the potential allergic reactions to some of our guests. Your understanding is appreciated."

At this point, people were not yet mistaking our masks as
connected to the current health crisis. That came later...

The flora changed rapidly as we drove south out of the snow.

Dad planned a special stop on the way at The Woolery.

While Dad got a personalized weaving tutorial, Mom found the spinning information she wanted, and Elsa and I enjoyed browsing and comparing the wide variety of fibers God has created.