Why I may not post as much and what I'm reading

It appears my home improvement gig had a glitch. In my back. Ow.

In 1995-96, I was a varsity rower. Yup. Free trips to CA in spandex and everything. It was great to be in great shape. Problem is, I'm 5'3". That's a lot shorter than the usual of say... six feet? So I tried to overcompensate. They did tell me not to, but I just could not figure out how to row in unison any other way. So of course, I hurt myself.

The same injury is back. Problem is, I'm not exactly losing weight here. I went to my doc and then to physical therapy. They said I can sit on a ball and I can wear a pregnancy belt, and since it's the only comfy position, I need to lay down once every couple of hours. I can do that some days. I just am annoyed that I can't drive much. I'd like to go see my folks about five hours from here, but one hour just about killed me last weekend, so I guess NO is the answer. Sigh. Not likely to get much better til oh... December? But if it does, I'm spending my birthday with my parents.

Sitting is the worst by far. This is a problem because I love sitting when I am pregnant. It's hard to type lying down. And I am going to grade papers this year. Guess I'd better get creative. Standing is better than sitting. Oh boy.

I've been reading the biography of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, who died in 1962 after choosing her baby's life over her own. It's sad, but also she lived her life with such joy and prayer and amazing trust in Providence. I shall have to keep the book around. I'm not really aiming for the martyrdom part, but I can aim for the holiness part. I think that virtues are going to be a major goal this year. Just around the house with my own family. It's a constant struggle to be a good person when I'm tired, and I really need to stop whining and get on with it. St. Gianna is a great example of what a person can be if Heaven is their goal.

Another part which is of interest to me and which makes me think this book will be a present to my wonderful Catholic woman doctor, is that she was a working mom. Yes, we have a married mother around age 40 who worked right up til her fourth pregnancy, which did not go well. She lived and loved with every fiber of her being, and her husband could see how being a doctor was her way of loving Jesus in every person, so she remained working and a mother. What amazing grace. I love this part, because I find the infighting between stay at home moms and working moms as completely callous on the part of both, when we women should support each other as much as we can, not drag each other down. I'm so glad she was made a saint.

The website dedicated to St. Gianna Molla