Update, choices, chores

Cori and Blake made it back home with all the medical supplies and equipment in tow. In fact, as the two of them brought up the very last of those going through customs at the airport, Blake realized he had left his transmitter on the plane – the device that reads the monitor on his arm. After a brief panic, Cori and Blake calmly walked back into the “secure” area towards the plane. After explaining the issue, workers were able to retrieve the transmitter from the plane and get it to Cori. They were the very last of the passengers to go through customs and by that time no one was really interested in doing much extra as far as baggage inspection was concerned, so the suitcase filled with Blakes new equipment and insulin pens was barely noticed. Praise the Lord! That had been one of our pressing prayer concerns in getting back into Honduras.

Now the daily routine begins to measure out the treatments for Blake using the food choices available for him in Honduras. At least, Cori and Blake are well informed and well prepared to develop the regimen they need to follow meal by meal as they grow in understanding the illness they are dealing with; now a part of Blake’s life for the rest of his life. On his part, Blake is dealing with his diabetic needs like a champion. He is no longer bothered by giving himself injections, even in public (when required). He is not troubled by the monitor attached to his upper arm even when it cannot be covered by clothing. He has come to understand that as a general rule, people are largely unaware of individuals around them. In fact, not very many of us are actually observant, of the people around us, of the area around us, or of the potential dangers or opportunities around us. That understanding makes him less intimidated to do the things he has to do to control his blood sugar around total strangers or those not of his immediate family. I am not sure if I could pull that off. Kudos to Blake for owning his personal medical challenges.

Mama and I have a long list of chores for the coming weekend. The most important for me is to replace the pressure tank for the well at the house. I hope to get all the parts today and tomorrow. With Trace’s help, we should be able to swap the tanks out in a couple hours – if there are no problems unearthed in the disconnecting of the old tank. Often, when old plumbing is disturbed, the fittings do not loosen as required, but instead break the pipe they are attached to. If we can get everything loosened as needed it should be a straightforward repair and replacement.

Mama on the other hand, is concerned with cleaning the coops and moving the hens in the little coop into the West side of the big coop building. That will free up the little coop for raising some chicks or housing the Banty hens we hope to get from Nancy. Tilling and planting in the garden will occupy a few hours for both me and Mama at some point. Rain is forecast for Monday so whatever we get done over the weekend will get naturally watered. Watering is something I have avoided in an attempt to limit use of the well in light of its present state of disrepair, but everything needs water so I will need to water soon regardless of my concerns of further damaging the pump and control box.

In light of the inflationary pressures on our economy, Mama and I are looking at the benefits we have in our current placement on the farm. Hopefully, the garden will help us and others if we get a good amount of produce and we already have several vegetable plants growing in pots in the sunroom. We have high hopes of getting honey from both hives this spring and fall, but that remails to be seen. In other words, we should be able to feed ourselves fairly well from the land we are living on. Vegetables, fruits, berries, and pecans are part of our current plant resources. We also have access to all sorts of wild meat with the wild pig around us, as well as rabbits, squirrels, and deer. Plus, chickens, goats, and fresh eggs. Time will tell how much we look to supply ourselves in that direction. But the option is there should the Lord tarry. For now, Mama and I are trying to get the most out of the income stream the Lord has given us. That is only prudent, but we are not enjoying some of the tradeoffs.

I will be teaching a class tomorrow. It is a half-day class, so I will have the option to work from home through the afternoon. An option I will probably exercise, however, two in person classes were taught by a coworker on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and at some point in the very near future I will need to get those class folders and do the administrative work needed for those classes. I do not know if those files will be available to me tomorrow, but if they are I will need to be at the office to process them into our system.

Regardless, Mama and I have a beautiful weekend ahead of us. Praise the Lord!