Making Lemonade

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:29 (NIV)

Today was one of those make lemons into lemonade day. It was supposed to be my first day off now that we are working four ten hour days, but I was sick instead. All that exposure to pollen during my wonderful horseback ride on Saturday took its toll. By last night, I could hardly breath and was coughing and wheezing. So, this morning, I canceled my dentist appointment and my physical therapy appointment and called to get an appointment with my allergist instead. Despite how ill I was, I felt some glee at cancelling the dentist appointment which I hate and getting to go to see Dr. K, our allergist. He has been our allergist for twenty one years now and is the best doctor in the world. He takes time to listen to you and is better than any therapist I have ever met. You feel so good when you leave his office, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually, too. He was very concerned when he listened to my lungs and got me right on a breathing treatment. He asked why I didn’t call on Friday and I explained that Friday, I didn’t feel too bad. He said, “Then, why didn’t you call me on Saturday?” so I had to confess that Saturday, I was wandering around the woods on my horse inhaling allergens. He frowned and said, “I hope you’ve learned a lesson.” I honestly replied “Probably not.” Fortunately, he laughed. He knows me too well. I am all medicated now and feel pretty good despite a rotten cough and sore throat. He gave me an excuse not to go to work tomorrow even though I have an important meeting, a historical walking tour and Teen Court on my calendar. My staff will have to cover for me. Another lemonade moment came tonight, when hopped up on meds, I peaked into the kiln at the disaster I created last night. I put some work in to fire and forgot about it again. Unfortunately, unlike last week when I did the same thing, it was set on high. A piece I really liked exploded dripping glass down onto the floor of the kiln. I was so upset about it, I could hardly sleep last night, but there was nothing I could do until the kiln cooled. I kept thinking of the mistake I made and how I should have avoided it. When I looked into the kiln, the melted pieces formed some interesting designs. From the pieces, I now have a ring holder and an interesting pendant. Bubbles surfaced in a piece that was supposed to be round, but became misshapen from the heat. I looked at it closely and decided it resembled a fish and with some small additions, it does! The kiln cleaned up okay, and I should be back to fusing tomorrow if I feel up to it. If not, I’ll make some more lemonade and rest. Or, there is that closet that needs cleaning…