Here it is January 25, and I still am thinking about the holidays. Not really thinking of them, but realizing that I still have holiday items to put away. I look at them, and wonder if I will ever get them out again. Each year Jason and I make our holidays simpler and less stressful. He went with me to Christmas Eve services at church, and that made me very happy. He usually doesn’t like to go, and I try to accept that, but I loved having him go with me.

He is doing much better with his foot. It was actually October, 2011 when he had his left big toe amputated because of Diabetes. It is finally starting to heal after bouts with infection, a pic line, and hyperbaric treatment. He is now getting skin grafts on the toe and I pray this will finally be the thing that heals it completely. It’s been a very rough time for both of us. Of course his is the greater issue because he has been in and out of the hospital, visited doctors umpteen times and suffered a lot of pain. He still has pain and his left leg has been bothering him because of the way he limps and favors his toe. I have tried to be there for him, but he told me that I needed to stop smothering him, so I’ve tried to back away. The stress has been the hardest for me, and I am really trying to let go and let him deal with it, but it is hard.

He recently renewed his driver’s license, and they gave him a handicapped tag, so that makes it easier for him when he doesn’t have to walk so far. I sometimes wish I had that piece of cardboard to hang in my car, so I didn’t have to walk so far. But I am thankful that I am healthy enough to walk. I can drive, walk when I have to, read and do the necessary cleaning and chores at home. Although I find myself less and less willing to do the sweeping, dusting, etc. I would much rather sit down and read. I find myself reading more and more of what I call trashies. They aren’t particular good, and I am really only passing time by reading them. I still read some good books, but I am becoming less particular, because I find I just enjoy the story even if it isn’t the greatest book or the greatest writing.

Reading takes the place of being outside which I miss greatly. I finally got the leaves in the front cleaned up with the help of Jason. I hope we have another warm spell when we can clean up the back. I just didn’t get the yard work done this fall because of trying to support Jason and do his washing, etc. I didn’t want him to go up and down stairs with his foot so bad. He is pretty much able to do everything now I finally have no excuse for not cleaning my own house Except that I just don’t want to.

I just finished Wish You Were Here by David Baldacci. It was a very pleasant surprise because it was not espionage which most of his books are. It was about two children who lost their father and their mother was unable to move or speak, and went to live with their great grandmother in Virginia from New York. Of course it was all about real family and love, and they learned far more that they ever could in New York. It was very good and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it.

I’ve always liked Mary Higgins Clark and I read one of her daughters, Carol Higgins Clark recently. She writes much like her mother, but they are not quite so gory, so I enjoy her more. Stay Warm!