Sorry to be away so long . . .

I've been dealing with this weird health issue for the past two weeks. Two weeks ago tomorrow I started feeling this weird non-specific pain in my upper left chest just below my collarbone. It hurt in general constantly but when I sneezed or coughed or blew my nose or laughed it was sheer agony. I figured I might have strained something moving the table around during the last stages of refinishing and didn't think too much about it. By Thursday of that week I was in agony with it and went to the doctor. He decided it must be a pulled muscle very deep and put me on mega-ibuprophen and a muscle relaxer and told me to rest it and I should see improvement and to come back Tuesday. By Sunday morning when I got up I thought I was going to die and went to the urgent care place. They were also mystified and thought it certainly could be a pulled muscle but also possibly pleurosy (sp?) and put me on a prednisone dose-pak in addition to what I was taking. Nothing got better and by the time I had my followup with the first doctor Tuesday afternoon I was almost in tears I hurt so bad and so consistently. He finally decided it must be shingles and my angel of mercy gave me some painkillers and told me to come back today. I immediately went and got the lortab prescription filled and took the first one sitting in the parking lot of Eckerd. Within 2 hours I was finally feeling relief.

I had shingles about 6 years ago - never had the typical rash and break out associated with shingles but when I was treated for them it went away. Today when I went back there was still no rash but he decided to treat me as if it were shingles and so now I am on the fifth medication - me - who takes Tylenol every now and then and nothing else! It's so much to keep up with but I am convinced I will be 100% by this time next week.

Anyway, that's explanation for being away so long. My main reason for posting tonight is that the table is in the house now:

For the first time in 8 years I really enjoy being in my kitchen. After so long without really cooking I am beginning to actually make dinner for myself rather than nuking a frozen dinner. I sit at the table and eat rather than lugging a plate to the living room. I'm starting to look up recipes on the internet and read my cookbooks again and for the past two weeks I have actually planned a weekly menu and made a shopping list from it rather than hit the store and buy the easiest thing. Just imagine how wonderful it will be when I finally repaint the pepto-bismol pink trim!!

How funny that something so small can make such a wonderful change in one's life. I know old people in this town who grew up eating collards and cornbread in this kitchen and I've always known it was meant to be a gathering place in my house, even if I'm the only one who gathers there. This table has finally made it so. It is now my favorite room in the house. I hope I can do it justice!

And if you ever find yourself in Stone Mountain GA look me up, stop by, and set a while!