October 11 – “Tree search”

I started back to work this morning.  That meant computer time.  I wrote my article for the church website and got it sent off.  I even got a little done on the sermon for next Sunday.  It's been two weeks since I prepared one.  Wonder if I'll remember how.   I took Mom to water therapy around noon, and went on to Randall's to pick up a prescription.  I ran out of steroids.  How sad.  I have been getting lots of advice about sore joints.  I've had word from church friends, old high school friends, and even some people I have no idea who they are.  Everybody seems to have the answer.  One said cut out sugar.  Not a bad idea.  I don't eat many sweets anyway.  Another said I need to be on a vitamin regimen.  I am taking some vitamin supplements that the doctor indicated were showing up low on my blood counts.  I have heard about lots of books with The Answer.  Problem is The Answer is never the same.  I think that's the point with something like this.  What works for one person may not be what will work for another.  I'm watching what I eat.  I have lost a lot of weight already.  I still don't get hungry, but with Chris back home, she reminds me when it's time to eat something.     I decided this afternoon that I wanted to scan something onto the laptop.  The computer recognized the printer, but had no idea that the same machine is also a fax and a scanner.  That meant I had to dig through my old program discs and find the one that came with the scanner.  It took a long time to load.  Of course it granted me numerous free extras like "how to buy stuff by ordering from hp" and the like.  It finally loaded up all right, but when I did the scan it wouldn't give me the option of sending it directly to Microsoft Word.  It did on the old laptop.  Maybe that's something newer than Word 2003.     While I was at it I pulled out the discs for my Bible program as well.  I have been going online to do Bible work, so this will make it a lot more convenient.  I still have to call AT&T about our air card, though.  It won't load at all.   Chris made me take two breaks today.  The first one we walked around the neighborhood.  We used to do that all the time before Ike.  I honestly wasn't sure how far I could go, but I was determined to make it at least one mile.  I didn't have any trouble breathing, but my knees were sure sore when we got home.  I think that little excursion led to the second break this afternoon.  We went over to WalMart to pick up some fruit and a pumpkin, which was actually a ruse to get me in the car.  After we got the stuff, Chris drove us over to the local nursery.  She wanted to look at trees to replace our dead pecan tree.  We haven't had it cut down just yet.  Waiting to hear from a friend if he wants the wood.  But I guess we do need to decide what we are going to replace it with.  She has been checking out website to see what will grow best and fastest and provide the most shade here in Galveston.  My initial vote was: not palm.  We have some of those already.  And Chris didn't want pine because of the sap.  The lady that helped us out was a lot of fun.  She made us walk all over the place to look at different things they had.  I'm not sure what will win.  We saw an orchid tree (no shade, just pretty).  They had plenty of oaks, but I wasn't sure about that one either.  I'd like to have another salt cedar, myself, but they didn't have any of those.  They have lots of character.  I think the one that's ahead right now is elm.  But we have to get the pecan tree cut down first.     Hosea 14:5-6 says, "Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; 6 his young shoots will grow.  His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon."   Father, all of your trees are amazing.  And you are more amazing still.  Amen.