still full

The last seven days have been absolutely amazing. Some wonderful things have happened. Some terrible things have happened. I don't deal especially well with stress... the good or the bad kind... but I'm getting through it, I guess. Although I am not sure of the wisdom of calling life events "good" or "bad", it is easiest to describe them as such as I take you, dear reader, through the ping pong match that has been my past week:

• BAD: Wednesday evening, leaving work, I became quite ill. Too ill, in fact, to get the medicine I needed to be well.
• GOOD: I swallowed my (stupid) pride, called my dear friends B&K for help, and K. picked up my meds for me. What a blessing these friends are in my life!
• (VERY) BAD: Checking phone messages, I learned that my dear, former best friend Carolyn is on life support a whole continent away. She is not expected to recover.
• GOOD: Yet another dear friend, T., came to stay with me later that night, listened to my grief, brought me cranberry juice and generally soothed my sad and restless spirit.
• BAD: While in the throes of illness, got a phone call from brother DQ, to say that he was going in for surgery the next morning.
• GOOD: Turns out it is only eyelid surgery, and he wanted some ophthalmic advice.
• BAD: DQ was too sick to have surgery, and he's having a really rough time of it.
• GOOD: The poisonous snakes were not let loose from the basement.
  
• BAD: Due to aforementioned illness, was a full night's work behind in preparing for the weekend Clay House sale.
• GOOD: Had lots of good help from dear houseguest T., and was able to be ready in time.
• BAD: Still pretty weak from being ill, had to leave work early on Friday.
• GOOD: (getting tired of this yet?) Took a nap, recovered my strength a bit, and was feeling MUCH better by Saturday morning.
• GOOD: (fooled ya!) The sale was very successful - for a rookie - I broke even, and then some, saw my brother CQ and some good friends who came out for me. Less lucrative on Sunday, but I got to hang out with my kids which is always a good thing. I keep thinking about how happy Carolyn would be for me that this is happening.
  
• MORE GOOD: T. got the job! He is our new Director of Music at Bethany!!!
  
• BAD: Very, very tired and not getting enough sleep.
  
• GOOD: Christmas concert Sunday night was delightful! The quartet sang four songs...
  
• BAD: ... not sure if I sang them very well, though. I forgot all of the words to "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella".
• BAD: No change in Carolyn's status by Monday. She's been unresponsive since the week after Thanksgiving. I had to tell my kids, who love her dearly, and all of our old singing pals that the heart of our group is passing from this life.
• GOOD: They really, really like me at work. It's very nice to experience that.
• GOOD: There is an employee craft show at work tomorrow morning, and just today I signed up to do it! This means - probably - more money in my pocket, and fewer cards to haul around!
• BAD: So I still have to get up in the morning, won't have time to go to the Farmer's Market, and have to "work" all day on my day off. Bummer! WHAT AM I, CRAZY FOR DOING THIS?! Possibly.
• GOOD: Christmas is 7 days from now.
• BAD: I am about 17 days away from being ready for Christmas.
  
• VERY, VERY GOOD: God is. Think I'll let that be what I think on from here on out.