Update ~ One More Day with Little Linet

Dear friends,

Thank you to those of you who sent your prayers and your donations for little Linet and her family. Your continued prayers for this family's needs are very much needed. (For the background story read here and here).

Since Little Linet has passed from this life, her body has been at the morgue in Nakuru. Funds sent to her family have been used to pay for her casket ($100) and for morgue fees ($60). The balance of funds has been used to help the family to defray food costs.

As is the custom they have had to host relatives and friends which also includes feeding them over these past six days.  Since Little Linet is from the Luo tribe she will be returned to Luo territory near Kisumu which is also the custom. But first her family will sit with her for one night at their family home near Nakuru.

This past week has been very hard on Little Linet's mother and father. We have tried to be supportive and bring them practical helps like food to help meet the needs of those that have come to show their last respects.

Please pray for this couple.  There are still many unmet needs and they are scheduled to depart for Kisumu with Little Linet's body on Friday.  We are trusting in God with whom all things are possible.

Helping this little one move from this life to the next will be our Valentine's Day gift to her and her family. May God richly bless them and comfort them in this grievous time, and may He give them the joy and the hope that they will one day be reunited with their Little Linet. 

Update ~ Friday, February 15, 2013

Mama Linet and about 20 people left for the long journey to Kisumu. They've had to go by matatu (shared taxis which are the least expensive form of city or inter-city travel). When people in Kenya die they are generally laid to rest in their tribal homeland. Mama Linet and her husband are from the Luo area near Kisumu which is why they are headed there.  See map here.

Once they arrive they will have to build a temporary shelter, feed the mourners and undertake some cultural rites related to the burial. All of this is very costly for such poor people and we ask for your prayers for their every need to be met.

 We have helped them as best before they embarked on the journey.  There is still time to help them if you are moved to do so. We can send the funds by M-Pesa (mobile money transfer). This is an innovative form of transferring money within the country of Kenya, especially to rural places.

The matatu is being loaded for the journey (with Little Linet)  to her final resting place.

(Anyone who wishes to donate may do so by sending a Pay Pal donation to the email on my blog profile). 


Please continue to keep this family in your prayers.

Linet's Final Rest

  . . . to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. 

 Isaiah 61:3

Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and
my burden is light.

Matthew 11: 28-30

Dear friends,

I mentioned in my last post that Little Linet has passed on to her eternal rest.  Jonah visited Linet's family and learned that on Wednesday they will travel from near Nakuru, Kenya to Kisumu, Kenya in the far west of Kenya to the traditional home land of the Luo Tribe.

Although the distance between Nakuru and Kisumu does not look so far on this map, it is a distance of many hours journey that the family will have to make to lay little Linet to rest.

Mama Linet (in orange). Jonah took her a gift of some food and some funds to help with the travel.

Please keep this family in your prayers as they travel and prepare for the funeral.
God bless.

Gone too Soon

God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort.

 Matthew 5:4

My heart is very sad today.

I heard the news that someone I love has died.

The little girl I knew as Little Linet has lost this earthly battle for her life.

I was first introduced to her by my friend Jonah who voluntarily undertook missions in Kenya for many years before recently stopping for a time of transition. He learned about Little Linet while he was going to university.  She was wasting away and unable to eat due to her cleft palate problem.  He took her for medical help and she was eventually able to resume eating and she regained some weight. Then I started trying to help her with her medical issues with the ultimate aim of getting her through cleft palate surgery.  Some of my lovely readers helped me with that. I am very grateful for your help. Rest in the knowledge with me that we tried to make her life and her small family's life a little brighter and to lessen their suffering.

We helped Mama Linet start a charcoal business, helped a bit with food needs and got Little Linet to the doctor twice for different medical treatments and also for a round of testing. She was declared a candidate for cleft palate surgery. That is where our help ended as we did not have enough to carry out the surgery.  I was still trying to save  money for that need.

Linet is gone too soon. Her poor family has one less child to care for but that does not alleviate their sorrow. I mourn for her right now. I mourn for the hugs and kisses she will never again receive from her mom and dad, the laughter and games she will not be able to partake in , the sunsets and sunrises she will never see again and never getting to hold her myself. I mourn for the joy she brought that will never be again.  But life is very difficult in Kenya for those that are very poor. That is one reason we wanted to help her get cleft palate surgery. At least if she had the surgery she would be marriageable and she would not have to fend for herself. There would be someone to help her provide food and she might have children some day of her own. Now all that is not to be.

I am grieving today.  But her loving family and Jonah who had the privilege of serving Little Linet and her family as best he could grieve more so.  Jonah got to know the family fairly well while he was a student in their town.  Now he is living back at his home but they called him just very recently and he rushed to Nakuru area where the family lives to see how he might help. Little Linet was very sick. Jonah rushed to her but it was already too late.  Sadly, Little Linet succumbed to the ravages of malaria. There was nothing that could be done to help her after he got there. It is very sad and we will try to do something to help with funeral arrangements and costs.  The burden of funeral needs and costs is a real hardship there in the poor slums and villages as it is anywhere else. That is the least that can be done for them at this difficult time.

Dear Little Linet, now you may rest in peace in the arms of our loving heavenly Father.

I hope one day to meet and share the hugs and laughter we could not share on this earth. 

Gone too soon my dear little angel. 

I will remember you.

(Please pray for Linet's family at this time).

Spring is Coming

Every year the crocuses push up from the ground.  It is always a source of delight.


¹⁰ My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
¹¹ For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
¹² The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
¹³ The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Song of Solomon 2: 10-13 


Join in with Skywatch Friday here. Thanks to Alan of Yogi's Den for agreeing to take over hosting duties for this wonderful meme!

Solutions

Hi dear friends,

I hope you are all doing great! It is still cloudy and raining where I live but in a few days we are expecting sunshine for a few days. Last weekend the weather report was also for sunshine for two days and though it did stop raining it didn't really shine all that much. I hope they are right this time!

I continue to nurse my leg. It is really up and down with the pain levels. On my good days I get outside for some errands. Those days aren't as often as I'd like but today the leg is feeling better and I can walk straighter than usual without a side to side gait. I am trying out this new-to-me infrared heating pad.These pads are very pricey but I got it on a significant discount.  I still had to think twice before buying it but the free shipping was the clincher. This one is on a trial basis for a few weeks.  It had many good testimonials from arthritic pain sufferers but for my knee it didn't seem to do much. Last night I also had an aching back and sciatic pain from sitting so much. I decided to use the heating pad on my back and neck before I went to sleep. Boy did it work like a charm. Today I have far less pain in my back and muscles than I did yesterday. I will try it again tonight.

It's a little hard to see the heating pad as it is black against my brown footstool.

While I've been doing all this sitting I have managed to get a lot of knitting done.  I take a break here and there for laundry, tidying, cooking, etc. I'm knitting the same pattern over and over and I'm not tired of it yet.  I expect that I will be ready to move on from this in a few days when I expect my cotton yarn will be used up as well.  Knitting for so many hours leads to some issues with the balls of yarn which can roll all over the place.  I made myself a yarn holder which saved me a good deal of money.  The cost of yarn holders varies as does what they are made of, but I saw one medium sized plastic model which cost approximately $15.00 Canadian.

I poked a hole in the top of this plastic container and it works great. I would recommend you place a piece of masking tape over the centre of the lid where you want to make the hold. Use a drill with a larger size bit if you want to make this otherwise you may crack the lid in places you don't want (like I did).  I used a sharp pointed object and it made several cracks in the lid. The yarn will get stuck in the cracks and fray if you are not careful.

My yarn holder cost me nothing and saved the container from the garbage pile. I saved about $15.00 and it holds several small, rolled cotton balls. I keep 2 or 3 in the plastic jar. Just the ones I'm using for the project I'm knitting.

I have a question for any of you avid crafters out there. I have a lot of negatives from the old days before digital cameras. I was going to throw them out but lately have been thinking it would be good to use them in a creative project if I can find the right project.  These are negatives of a lot of photos I no longer want to keep so I don't want to highlight them in something like a lamp, nor do I want to make a tote bag out of them. If any of you have some ideas as to what I can use them for please let me know.

Joy

From the Meriam Webster Dictionary

¹joy

noun \ˈjȯi\

Definition of JOY

1

a : the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight

b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety

2

: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss

3

: a source or cause of delight

— joy·less adjective

— joy·less·ly adverb

— joy·less·ness noun

 
I am feeling joy today. I had my  Hemoglobin A1C test done last week to determine my average blood sugar level over the previous 3 months.  I am so happy to report that my average blood sugar was 6.6 % and less than 7 % which is the target. Normal level is 4.5-6.0 so I still have a little ways to go in getting it back to normal. 

I've been working very hard since October and taking not only my pharmaceuticals and newly prescribed pharmaceuticals, but alternative medicines as well. I've also cut my food intake in about half. I eat half at one meal and the other half at the next meal or the next day. Exercise is key also.  But due to the pain levels in the knee(s), I simply haven't been up to it. It is hard exercise just getting around the house and going out of the house for the odd errand or appointment.  I do intend to get back to exercise of the official kind as soon as I am able. Another thing I am doing is making sure I consistently take my medication and at more or less the same time every day. I admit I had become quite lax in that regard. I pray I can sustain my renewed efforts and get back to normal sugar levels soon.

I'm also feeling some joy over completing a simple household chore. I cleaned and re-organized a cupboard and a drawer Saturday and managed to get my bags of flour off of the floor and into the cupboard. I decided that for now I do not need an airtight container taking up my limited floor space.  I don't have any pests so this should work out fine. 

I've put the flour into one of the very few of my cupboards that is deep enough.  I'll just have to be careful when I want to take flour out of the bag so I don't spill it all over the place. I could purchase glass or plastic containers and fill them with flour before putting them into the cupboard.  But I've already got so many containers in use and I really don't want to add  any more.  I will try this new approach for awhile and see how it works out. I see that I also need to re-arrange my other cupboards soon for greater efficiency. I know there are things in there that I no longer need and can give away.  It seems there is always something that needs cleaning. I'm sure it is like that at your house too.

All the oil (for cooking) and vinegar for cleaning is on the top shelf. I buy big jugs of olive oil, canola oil and vinegar and then decant them into smaller containers for ease of use. At the very back of this shelf is where I store my thermoses (not in the photo).   On the bottom of the cupboard are my bags of white flour and whole wheat flour.  In front of the flour bags is a small basket  where I keep an apron or two, some cloth serviettes and extra boxes of plastic baggies.

This drawer used to hold my good cutlery in a storage box which has been moved to the top of the kitchen cabinets because they aren't used so often. I now store all my baggies (which used to be where my flour bags now rests) and some tea towels and "good" linens which were gifted to me behind all the baggies. I don't have a linen closet or a pantry and so you can see that finding appropriate storage for everything is a challenge.

I posted my giveaways on Freecycle on Saturday and within an hour or two my toiletries and books were spoken for but not the kitchen items. Perhaps when I wake there will be some expressions of interest for those items too. By today (Sunday) I hope to have most of my giveaways out the door. Not bad since I only put them together the day before yesterday. I have more purging to do. I think one more good round of purging (maybe two) ought to do me for quite awhile. Then I need to finish the paperwork on which I made a good start a few months ago. 

Lessons Learned:

For those that have followed my blog for awhile, you will know I've been doing giveaways on Freecycle and to the local charity shops for awhile now.  I would say that I've been at this major decluttering project for at least a two and a half year period of fairly steady going.  It started after the fire two floors above me and after having to move out of my home and into a hotel for four months.  (While in the hotel I started my blog  as a way of trying to keep positive through illness, fires and family sickness).   Living in the hotel with only the barest of essentials, I began to realize just how llittle of what we own is actually used, needed or missed when you don't see it.  I was also struck by the overabundance of  my "stuff" as compared to many in Africa where I had travelled not so long before the fire. I also had to move my mother into a nursing home and had  to deal with disposing of all her stuff. Years and years of accumulated stuff which she never wanted to get rid of for various reasons, many of them sentimental (I've inherited some of her ways, ha!). It was ironic that someone who wouldn't let anyone go through and organize or help her sort, had to completely rely on someone else to sort it all and make decisions when the time came.

I decided that I needed to offload a lot of my stuff and start to live more simply.  There were multiple  reasons for making this decision including:  to have a greater sense of freedom when I no longer had to maintain or look after so much"stuff", to live gratefully for what I have and more mindfully about what God has given me and how he wants me to use it, to live more frugally so that I could be of greater help to my family, charities that I value, and the missions in Kenya through my friends and contacts there.

It has taken me a lot longer to go through my things than I originally thought. due to a variety of reasons. In the  meantime I've also inherited quite a lot of "stuff" from my mother and previous to that I have "stuff" from my sister and all of that needs to be sorted as well.  Much of what remains is photos and paperwork which requires more of my time to carefully scrutinize and decide what to keep and how to organize it. From my mother I also have a lot of crafting items which I don't want to get rid of though I have gotten rid of her yarns, patterns and a lot of fabric. I've kept more fabric than I reasonably have room for which explains part of my feeling so "crowded. I do want to use as much of the fabric as I can and I have several projects in mind. I just need time.

I'll be so glad when it's all finished though I realize that keeping on top the clutter is a never ending cycle.  I don't think I will ever again be undertaking such a huge purge as I've just done, especially after I finish the paperwork.  From this entire process I've learned about my weak spots (books, toiletries, clothing and paperwork) and where I need to keep a watchful eye in future (spending and accumulating).   I've also learned that I do not need to keep years and years of paperwork or every single photo or keepsake that was ever in my hands or in the family hands. I've learned that I need to keep those things most meaningful and let go of the rest though that process takes lots of time and organization. I've also learned that some things can be turned into memories (example, some of my sister's clothing will be incorporated into a quilt or two for her children) and some of mom's fabrics can be turned into quilts for her use and for other members of the family. I can also make some photo albums with select photos for key family members and get rid of the rest. I've learned a lot through this process. I've probably missed out a few lessons learned but these are the ones that come to mind at this moment.  Within the next year I hope to have made more gains and gradually get rid of things currently being stored (photos, books, fabrics, craft supplies, papers).

In conclusion, this whole process has been a very long and sometimes challenging journey. But there is "joy" in the journey also. It is a simple joy borne of overcoming challenges. Clutter. Who knew it held so many lessons for me?

A Busy Week at Home

What I'm working on....

Using up my cotton yarn stash. Lots more to go. These always make great gifts and I go through a lot of them myself.

 What I'm reading.....

Winner of the Booker Prize, this book is an easy read.  Something I call "fluff" reading after the lengthy books I've recently finished and all the dates and details they included, this book is easy on the brain.

I picked this book up last year at a second hand shop. I am decluttering again and that means going through my books to get rid of what I won't read. this was going to go in the pile to give away but I started reading it instead and I'm enjoying it. When I read I try to keep track of new vocabulary in the open book with page marker. I learned to do this from Linda. Visit her blog by clicking the link to "Grandma's Letters" in the African Blog Love widget (sidebar).

What I'm decluttering...

Kitchen stuff in a big wicker basket.

Books!  I've still got a lot of books so I have plenty of reading material.

Bathroom products. These seem to accumulate so easily. It also seems they are a popular item for freecycling.

As you can see, I've been busy and making progress despite limited mobility. I've still got too much of a lot of things. I will get rid of more as I see what needs to go. I have found success in giving things away through my local chapter of Freecycle.

I hope you've all had a busy and productive, or fun week too.

One Sunny Day

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition. ~ 

William Arthur Ward 

The weather report was for SUNNY skies today and tomorrow. 

As you can see from the photos it wasn't exactly sunny but I'll take it over the rain!

See the weather in the skies all around the world by joining Sky Watch Friday here. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for visiting.

Cranial Sacral Therapy

Hello friends,

I hope this week is treating you fine.  I am still nursing the knee and doing a lot of knitting. I'm making up a big stash of dishcloths and washcloths so I can use up my knitting cotton and make a bit of room.  It's all part of my big decluttering project which I thought I pretty much finished. But in this first month of the new year as I've been doing a lot of sitting and trying to re-arrange just a few things brought from mom's place, I realize there is still more to do as far as decluttering is concerned.  I've identified a lot more things that can "go" and I think I've found a few more workable storage solutions to get rid of clutter in the living room and kitchen.  But more about that later.

For now I have a question. I want to know if any of you have experience with cranial sacral therapy (CST)?

I've actually done some research on it and began taking a couple of treatments with some local students of this therapy. I did see that there is some controversy over CST as regards it's efficacy and whether there is a scientific basis for its teachings. Those that debunk CST also say that it doesn't help with all the symptoms (listed below) but that it does help with lower back pain and knee pain. I am willing to try it because  I have knee pain and it might help with that but also, despite what I've read, I believe in the body's ability to heal itself if assisted (proper nutrition, exercise, supplements and complementary therapies, like acupuncture).  Where I draw the line is with regards to therapies that have a greater "spiritual" element to them like reiki. Though I am sure it helps some people, I do not wish to try it myself.  So whenever I want to undertake a new to me therapy, I try to investigate it first.

I did find some help on line about CST on line but found it very hard to understand what the therapist actually does. I know some Registered Massage Therapists and Chiropractors also practise CST so I thought it sounds a little more mainstream.  Osteopaths also seem to practise it but I've never been to an osteopath before and frankly I have no idea what they do though I've since researched them also.  There seems to be a lot of people on line who are demonstrating CST but are also into "spiritual practises" and energy based therapies.  I'm not comfortable with this and my discomfort might have led me to say "no" to trying the therapy.  But I went ahead with a session before Christmas based on my preliminary research of local therapists who trained at the Upledger Institute.  The website for the institute describes CST as follows:

CST is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Using a soft touch generally no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system.

By complementing the body's natural healing processes, CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:

• Migraine Headaches
• Chronic Neck and Back Pain
• Motor-Coordination Impairments
• Colic
• Autism
• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Orthopedic Problems
• Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
• Scoliosis
• Infantile Disorders
• Learning Disabilities
• Chronic Fatigue
• Emotional Difficulties
• Stress and Tension-Related Problems
• Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders
• Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
• Neurovascular or Immune Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Post-Surgical Dysfunction
(Source: Upledger Institute International) 

 

So far my experience has been positive. I initially went for the therapy to help with fatigue and generalized body pain as well as knee pain, but after Christmas I missed two appointments due to the considerable pain I was, and am experiencing in my knees.  I managed to re-start therapy again earlier this week.  I hope to go more often but it is difficult to get a consistent therapy.  The clinics only run once a week, and sometimes less.  The benefit of the student clinic is it is much cheaper than seeing a osteopath or a CST therapist which can be very expensive if you need longer term therapy.


The most positive benefit I've discovered so far is the deep relaxation that comes from the therapy. I think it is when we are able to relax the body deeply on a regular basis that the body can help to heal itself.  I find it difficult to relax on a regular basis and really let the body rest and the CST sessions helps me with that.


Students are providing the CST treatments to me and some have more skill than others.  Even at this stage it is easy to tell which students will be good practitioners and which ones will only be so-so.

Now that I've experienced what the CST is,  I'm thinking about seeing an osteopath who also practises CST and other techniques.  Someone who can actually help with the knee pain as well as other body pain because I don't want to take pain killers.  In fact, I haven't even told my family physician about my problems and it's clear I cannot continue to function with a severely restricted lifestyle over the longer term.  At least that is not the way I want to live and I'm hoping there is yet a way to get some long term relief.  I've been doing some research and found a few recommended  practitioners that I can easily get to on transit.  I am trying to make sure that whoever I see has had some good testimonials and recommendations for treating pain similar to what I'm experiencing though I realize not everyone responds in the same way to the same treatments.

By the way, as I was researching on line about the different therapies, I came across some very interesting  information about what seems like a miracle cure for people who experience debilitating pain. It is something called perispinal etanercept. Like all things that sound too good to be true (see youtube videos for testimonials), it probably is too good to be true. Anyway, something for me to file away and do more research about another day.

This is already a long post with no nice pictures to break it up. Since it is still cloudy and gray here, I'm sending you this song ("You Are the Sunshine of My Life, by Stevie Wonder).

 I'd be interested in your thoughts and experiences if any with cranial sacral therapy or osteopathy.

Sky & Yarn

After weeks and weeks of rain, gray skies and even snow, the skies parted and shed a little light and colour. These sky photos were taken several days ago.

It started raining heavily again yesterday.  It was also cold and windy last night on my way home from a spa treatment. Rather than stop for coffee which I often do when I go out, I came directly home preferring to warm up in the comfort of my own home.

Today the temperature was quite warm. I even left my patio doors open for a long time and let in some much needed fresh air. I haven't done that for awhile!  I  remember well how (before) I never could go a day without letting in the fresh air. However, these days I can't handle the chill and mostly keep the doors and windows closed.

After being cooped up so much this month, I managed to make it to my knitting group tonight. It is a group of ladies that get together and chit chat and have tea while they work on knitting and crochet projects. I signed up long ago and finally made it for my first session today.  The ladies were very friendly and I hope to join up with them again soon.

The lime green project in the foreground is mine. I'm making a pair of matching dishcloths.  Since I've been using knitted dishcloths, I would find it hard to go back to using cloth ones. The other women around the table are working on baby blankets, fingerless gloves, a neck wrap/scarf, socks and toques (warm winter hat). If I'm around these ladies for awhile I will no doubt be inspired to create many things besides dishcloths...but I really like knitting dishcloths, lol. It is very relaxing and satisfying since you can see a finished, useful project in a short amount of time.

Tomorrow  I attend my writing group.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

For more sky photos click here and join the fun!

Yummy Berry Smoothie

It is late night and I feel thirsty and in need of a sweet drink. I indulged yesterday in something not good for me so today I had to make up for it.

I decided to make a wonderful, refreshing, tasty and healthy drink that is also filling.

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 medium size strawberries
• 1/2 cup of plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of frozen berries or 4-6 crushed ice cubes
• 2 tsp. of ground flax seeds

Method

Wash and chop or quarter the strawberries.  Add strawberries, plain yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, frozen berries or ice cubes and flax seeds to the blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a fresh strawberry or other berries.

You can omit the vanilla extract and flax seeds if you like. The extract is for added flavour and the flax seeds are for health benefits. This seed is filled with B vitamins, Omega 3 EFAs (good for fighting inflammation) and fiber (good for lowering cholesterol, blood sugar and for promoting regularity).

I add ground flax seeds to my oatmeal and to my smoothies which I don't make very often.