Skip to main content

Year Three, Day 120: The Bee

I am writing this Sunday. I was beyond exhausted Saturday.

Friday night Grace was up every 30 minutes to an hour. Screaming. Her little tiny fists balled up. Her mouth wide open. She seemed ravenously hungry. But she was having trouble nursing. My daughter was in pain. She still couldn't sit down. It was painful for all of us. Trying to take care of baby, and my daughter, whil functioning on little sleep. Finally she was able to nurse and fell asleep about 5 a.m.

I got two hours of sleep. My mother arrived about 7:00 to pick me up for breakfast. She seemed shocked by my pale face. We told her about our evening. She peered at her great granddaughter, sleeping like an angel. She looked at me in disbelief.

We had our breakfast.

 The coffee helped to see into my nearly comatose state.

"How did I ever survive motherhood?" I asked my mother.

"I was just asking myself that", she replied. And you did it all by yourself".

I reminded her that she did help.

"But I was work8ng full-time at the hospital", she replied. I wish I could have done more".

It felt good to hear her say that.

We finished our breakfast and headed up to the church
 She was m6 first student of the day. My head was pounding. My eyes hurt. I did not know how I would last through 7 hours of piano lessons.

I told her to start warm8ng up with scales while I went to turn on the lights. I took off my shoes and put down my bags. And shuffled to the back of the sanctuary. I was reaching for the light switch when suddenly I felt a sharp pain on the bottom of my right foot. I tried to ignore it, still reaching for the switch. But the pain intensified. I stopped and looked down, thinking I stepped on a tack. It was dark in the back of the church. I looked down at the floor. Shook my throbbing foot. Something fell off, onto the floor.

Something dark, small and moving!

I had stepped on a bee. And it stung me.

"Keep practicing", I called out to my mom. "I just stepped on a bee".

"A what?", she asked in between notes.

"A bee. It stung me".

She stopped playing and stared. "How did you manage that"? , she asked bewildered

I mumbled something and limped to the bathroom. I didn't see a stinger. I washed it off. Then I found the culprit on the floor near the electrical panel. I switched in the lights. I felt a pang of compassion for this little guy. He was dying. Because I stepped on him and he was forced to sting me.

But I also felt wide awake. It was like a shot of adrenaline.

I sailed through my lessons. All because of a bee!

Last weekend I had dinner with my son. We had Chinese food. It was the day before my daughter went into labor.

I was stunned when I read my fortune:


This is one fortune that has come true.

Love,

Zita










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 347: My Big Fat Greek Salad!!

I have perfected the art of making a Greek salad!  I have made two huge bowls in the last week. My kinds rave. Essentially the secret is f vegetables , good feta cheese, Greek olives and a homemade dressing made with light, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar,  and oregano. Here is my recipe: MY BIG FAT GREEK SALAD Serves 4 hungry adults 4 cups greens (I used a "spring mix" from Fred Meyer) 2 cucumbers 6 roma tomatoes one small red onion 1 cup cubed feta cheese 1 cup Greek olives (pitted) Get out a big bowl. Peel a clove of garlic, cut in half and rub it over the interior of the bowl.  Wash the lettuce if it is not prewashed and packaged like mine was.  Dry the leaves, and tear into bite sized pieces. Throw into the big bowl. Note: Romaine lettuce is good to include in the mix, because it is hearty. Peel the cucumbers and dice. Add to bowl. Cut the roma tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds (otherwise they make th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year Two, Day 307: Chasing Away The Gloomy Weather...with Music and a Smile! :)

It seems to me that most of the city is depressed, tired and sick. I still have my low grade snuffly nose, along with sneezing, and itching eyes.  Low energy. It is nice to know I am not the only one. Misery loves company, don't you know! Even through the gloom, I had an enjoyable day.  I told myself several times that I really am a lucky woman. My kids are grown, I'm going to be a GRANDMA, and I love my work. My church job is a nice secure little job and it seems I am quite needed there.  I am still learning the ropes. But I am enjoying it. Meeting new people. And best of all, I have only a 1 1/2 minute commute (by foot!). I have a cozy little room in a household full of wonderful laid back people.  People who love animals and music. But best of all, my afternoons are filled with music. I basically get on the bus and travel about town, sitting at pianos, visiting with students, who are like my family. We talk. They play the piano for me. I offer pointe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year Three, Day 110: I Like Change, But How Do I Help the Suffering?

I woke up in a bit of a panic this morning. I had planned on getting to the track by 6:30 a.m., because I thought today was the first day of school. You see, the public is not allowed to use the track when school is in session. Understandably so. But alas, I overslept! I still headed out with my hoop, hoping it was before school hours at 7:30 a.m. And I breathed a sigh of relief. The school looked vacant. And only one solitary jogger with her solitary dog was present. I got busy in case the kids were due to arrive. Got a nice hoop workout in. No sign of children as I walked back to the house. So I did what I should have done in advance. I consulted Google. And most happy am I - North Clackamas School District does not start back to school until September 6th! Portland Public Schools start today. But the elementary school next door to the track lists "student hours" as 7:45 - 2:00 p.m. So I really am going to have to get an earlier start next week. I am aiming...
Post a Comment
Read more