Keepin It Real and Scripture Picture

 Hi friends,

It really feels like Fall here now.  

Chilly in the mornings and finally the grass isn't growing so fast.  

That leaves more time for other things.

Like art journaling in the greenhouse and 

 getting the  Fall flowers in!

This morning I started putting in Fall tulip bulbs.  

I found one bag that remind me alot of Mommas peonies-

we'll see if they really do resemble them come Spring.   

 I love how the roses always seem to give

an Autumnal  grand finale.

This one is the sweetest fragrant rose I've ever grown.

The scent... it's different than anything I've ever smelled- 

A hint of jasmine and musk almost? 

Our week has been typical so far-

Hauled some vehicles to the shop with Myguy and 

basically ... living farm life.  

 Really need to start walking the pastures again but instead... 

keep going fishing.  Every time I get groceries I have to 

go get nightcrawlers.  They live in their cartons in the potato bin of our refrigerator drawer. lol

Last night I caught the biggest bass I ever have here.  It's so exciting to see they're

really growing.  I can't remember how many years ago we had the pond stocked with babies. 

We have a lot of catfish and I hate catching those!   

Dislike!  

But there's a few huge perch too- the bass though are thriving.  There are schools and 

schools of them along the shore.

It's so enjoyable to walk or drive down there before putting the chickens to bed 

and just fish til dusk.

Very peaceful.

Grace usually follows me  and tries to pilfer through my tacklebox

or turn over the carton of worms.  

I guess she hopes one day I'll have brought her some sweet feed.  

If Myguy is around he sometimes goes with me.  

It's a little slice of wonderful when he does.

Otherwise it's just me n Addie.

Tonight the fish  weren't biting at all but 

I did catch this one little one.  

I felt so sorry for it coz the hook came right out his 

eyesocket.  I tried to get it out and had trouble and the thing

flopped on the ground and don't know how, but slung it out all by itself.  

My son has told me that bass are kinda notorious for that-

trying to sling out a hook... 

Well mission accomplished. 

On another note; I'm feelin anxious tonight- and 

thought I'd ask for your prayers come morning if any of you 

think about it.  

I have another dental surgery 

4 more implants and bone grafts again.

I know I've been vague up to now; .. not ready to talk about any of it 

except with my closest friends.

But I feel like God's leading me to be brave not only to 

march in and jump in that chair tomorrow  but...

especially talking about it.  

To make a long story short I'd been having a horrible time 

with dental care I had done somewhere else ... turning everything black above

my teeth.  I finally couldn't take it anymore and went to a different

dentist.  What I found out was very bothersome and was told

I had grounds for litigation against this other dentist.  

I listened ... to everything advised to me, but no matter what had been done to me,

I knew I couldn't sue the other dentist.  

He's ...a fellow believer.

So began a new journey to slowly get my teeth all fixed.

Through it all, I'd lost a crazy amount of jaw bone... like I barely have any and that's 

why they're doing so many grafts. 

Last procedure was a sinus lift surgery.

It was supposed to be easy but for me,  it wasn't. 

Kinda wonder if I wasn't gettin a sinus cold or something to start with.

Anyways, ended up on much stronger antibiodics and using a netty pot.

I was scared to use one of those but once I figured out I wasn't really gonna drown 

myself... it was a huge relief.  It felt really good and helped alot!

Having the sinus lift surgery- if you don't know what that is, they put cadaver bone

up in your sinus cavity adding to the top of your jawbone.  When it's all done, you're not supposed to 

blow your nose and to try NOT to sneeze. Imagine getting a sinus cold or something then 

and not blowing.  I had so much pressure... felt pretty crummy.   The netty pot was relief!   

Then when the stitches were taken out half came apart.  

That made for a lot longer healing time and that was for me; the worse part:  I  had to go 

without top teeth for two weeks. Not fun.    I pretty much holed up in the house and 

tried to keep my little dental mask on. It sure taught me a thing or two about beauty and how much

society puts on our looks.   ---but I have to say;  my family though; have been ....awesome.
My sons have really lifted me up through all this. 

  Myguy; he's the most loving, understanding and bestest

 husband  ever!  

And through the love of God I got through it.  

... So tomorrow is the next phase.  

I can't believe I'm actually sharing all this here.

I haven't wanted to; believe me.  

But the thing is... I believe God wants me to share my journey. 

I know I don't stand alone ... and 

I've been amazed really over the past few years the times I've shared

the good the bad and the ugly... I've received some pretty surprising emails.

There's always someone walking a similar journey who needs some encouragement

and when we will open up our hearts and be authentic... 

God uses it all.  

So that's my story.  

I'm hoping and praying in about another year

I'll have all new top teeth screwed in my little head.  

In 6-8 months I'll have to go back and get more implants and I don't know

if grafts again or not?  

Sharing this journey  leads me to today's scripture picture- 

I so needed this word!! 

It's now after midnight and I slurped the last of my hot coffee.

Nothing else til morning when I take the meds they prescribed.  

I have to be there at 9 and it will take much of the morning.

Afterwards I'll have two weeks basically at the house again

learning another hard lesson in some humility.  

Please pray these bone grafts all take and are  doing what they're supposed to  and

everything goes well.  

Thank you so much,

L