Laurie's Everyday Notions

After my daughter's accident, there were a few decisions that the doctors required me to make. One such decision was surgery on her clavicle. At first the break looked slight which meant the bone had a 85% chance to heal properly on it's own. That left a 15% chance of it NOT healing correctly which would mean range of motion could be lost and/or surgery to correct. I turned my decision over to God and asked Him to give both the doctors and me wisdom. A day later it was decided that a new x-ray was necessary. The first x-ray was done while Breanna laid on a bed. A new, upright x-ray was ordered to find if the weight of the arm would change the displacement of the fractured bone and to also rule out the possibility of a double clavicle break (one on each side!). The picture on the left shows the displacement. Surgery was clearly necessary. And only the left clavicle broken. Thank you, God, for taking the decision out of my hands. The picture on the right shows the hardware that …

I'm slowly adding herbs to my yard. This pot houses rosemary, lavender, and nasturtium. 
I love using lavender in my soaps and lotions. Lavender oil aids in decreasing stress and depression, decreases headaches and helps fight insomnia. It is also antiseptic and anti-fungal which makes it good for skin ailments such as eczema, acne, and minor cuts and burns.
Rosemary had phyto-chemical properties to prevent disease and promote health. Used in shampoo it can fight dandruff and stimulates hair growth. From LIVESTRONG:  "Drinking rosemary tea is a good way to receive a variety of vitamins. Rosemary leaves are high in the following: beta-carotene/Vitamin A, thiamin/Vitamin B1, riboflavin/Vitamin B2, niacin/Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K."


Nasturtium is new to me but is an edible plant that is high in Vitamin C and it's peppery tasting leaves are a great addition to a salad.  

I've read that …

I was humbled this week with the realization that during the hard times, the days spent in the hospital, I was consistently searching and seeing blessings despite our circumstances. Somehow in the midst of real life I had forgotten to have a heart of gratitude. 

On Thursday, instead of singing praises for the previous days successful CT scan (Breanna's no longer has bleeding around her brain! HALLELUJAH!), I was allowing the stresses of every day life swallow up my gratitude. A leaking toilet. A van, which had been in for repairs twice since we've returned home from the hospital, was squealing while smoke rolled out from under the hood. My computer wasn't working (it has since decided to work again). An anniversary forgotten. I went to bed early and on Friday morning I woke realizing that in the grand scheme of life these little trials mean very little and are merely annoyances. 
I am instructed to give thanks in EVERYTHING (1 Thessalonians 5:18)! Today I am thankful that my…

I found several recipes for sidewalk paint which used corn starch and food coloring. I had neither so I improvised. I mixed by sight so I apologize but I have no exact measurements. I simply mixed liquid laundry starch with powdered tempera paint. More starch than paint. Mix well. 




Time to pretty up the driveway!














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Ok, so I can't figure out how to make this bigger. Tonight I wanted to make some word art so after a quick google search I found "Wordle" and this is what I made. :) Click on the word art and it will take you to the full size version and the neat site where you can make your own word art.

Last week my heart was breaking so much for so many. I walked through the hospital and saw fear and sadness on the faces of strangers. A look that I often wore not long ago in those same hospital hallways. My heart breaks for the young man who lost his father. I cried for my friend whose mother, after years of remission, is struck again with cancer. I think of the children in my favorite city devastated by flood waters. I think of the families left homeless in a city engulfed with flames.

My heart aches. I feel powerless........
Yet, I know this: the same God that comforted and guided me during those weeks in the hospital will comfort and guide those who seek Him. The same God that gave me hope as I sat by my daughter's hospital bedside can give everyone hope. I am powerless but thankfully my God is not.  I do know that God uses EVERYTHING for GOOD. Sometimes it's hard to see the big picture. We may never see the good that came from the hard. But we can have faith that the goo…

I've been MIA on my blog lately as I've taken my writing to my daughter's Caring Bridge page. One month ago my daughter, Breanna, was involved in a car accident. She and her friend were heading back to town after swimming at a popular swimming hole when her friend lost control of the car on a stretch of loose gravel. The car rolled multiple times and both girls were ejected from the vehicle. Megan, Breanna's friend, was air lifted by Mayo One and Breanna was taken to St. Mary's Hospital via ambulance.   To read more about this experience visit Breanna's Caring Bridge.
Here's today's update:
We've had a couple of great days! Breanna is becoming more independent, napping less and experiencing less pain. 

Yesterday she had an x-ray of her clavicle and although the fractured bone hasn't fused together yet, they are where they should be. We brought Isaiah along so that he could see the x-rays. Dr. Torchia had two residents with him so we got the "…