Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Dotsy's Grateful Heart

4/22/09 Day in the Life of an A.D.D. blogger
As most of you know, one of my favorite subjects to teach is children’s literature. As I’ve said before, there’s just no such thing as a good book that is written only for children, If it’s well written, all readers can enjoy it or learn from it, regardless of age. Mr. Putter and Tabby Write the Book was the inspiration for this blog---with sincere apologies to Cynthia Rylant.
Just like Mr. Putter, I wanted to write---mystery book for him, the day’s blog for me. I had everything a writer needed; a quiet room, a journal and lots of colored pens, alongside my Bible, computer and jump drive. I thought and thought and nothing came to mind---except “Writing the Blog.” Pleased with that idea, I went down and brewed a cup of tea and got a high protein Ensure, chatted with Mary Flo and took coffee and tea up to JoLynn and Diane. I had spent approximately 2 minutes on the computer and an hour and a half on pre-breakfast. Returning to my quiet room, I read Jesus Calling and My Utmost for His Highest, jotted some notes in my journal and decided fresh air would do me good. I donned tennis shoes and my mask and left with friends for a morning stroll down Turtle Creek---and what a beautiful Texas spring morning it was!
Returning to my quiet room after my walk, I took my last antibiotic, rinsed my mouth and slathered my lips with bacitracin ointment. I read Chapter 3 in Timothy Keller’s, The Prodigal God. Then I opened my computer once again and began recharging it. The power cord to the computer was working; the power cord to my brain had fallen asleep….but my stomach was awake and talking to me. Breakfast at Kuby’s up in Snider Plaza seemed a great idea so once again, I set out with friends in tow. A nice long breakfast with mushed up eggs and grits eaten with an eensy white handled spoon, that I now carry with me everywhere, hit the spot. I was ready to return to the quiet room and write again---but first I had to buy an adorable light weight raspberry jacket at Unmistakably Molly and a kiddie lit book at the Learning Express toy store. Returning to the quiet room, I read the book to get some ideas for the blog and settled down to write. But writing is hard work, so I took a little nap.
Awakening, I showered and dressed and of course, put some self- tanning lotion on my legs. I almost felt like my mother, who in the midst of having a heart attack during her hot oil treatment, wouldn’t go to the hospital until she washed her hair---she wouldn’t dare go out “looking like that.”
Then I opened all the shutters to let in the light. Looking out the window at all the spring colors reminded me that Diane wanted to go to Sprinkles---so a quick car ride got us there. By this time, JoLynn remembered that we all needed to look for “raspberry and brown” clothes for the chosen color scheme of an upcoming event. We never found the clothes but we found a variety of raspberry and brown delights in the form of Celebrity Café cookies, donuts and cupcakes---all of which our bodies will now be wearing to said event.
Returning to the quiet room to a fully charged computer, I checked e-mails, made a few phone calls and wrote out a list of menu options for a take-out dinner from Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village. Then I had to put my feet up because all this blog writing was really wearing me out.
But what about writing the blog? I sat on the end of the bed with computer in my lap and with a tired hand, opened the blogspot document. There was the blog---already written. I had done it sometime earlier and completely forgotten about it. Gratitude welled up in my tired body and I thought about Mr. Putter. He never wrote his mystery novel but ended up writing a “list of good things” instead. His neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, told him not to worry. The world was full of mystery writers, she said, but writers of good things were few and far between. Mr. P was thrilled with her “review” because every writer and blogger loves a good review.
I did the same. I wrote a list of grateful things. I think I’ll call it Dotsy’s Grateful Heart List. That way if you ever “google” me you’ll find that you, my friend and reader, are on the list. If not, just know that you are there. It’s no accident that our paths have crossed, even if only in cyberspace. I pray that you will be as blessed by reading about my MAC journey as I have been by traveling it.
A good analogy would be that of birthing a baby---once the delivery is over, you tend to forget the pain and just focus on the blessing at hand. I, according to Dr. Saporito, have good statistical indicators that my Big MAC attack has been eradicated. Though there were some struggles and painful lessons along the way, all I can remember are the blessings. That in itself is a big blessing.