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Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

This too, has passed.

December 16, 2013 by HappyGoStuckey Leave a Comment

So let’s see.. quick recap.

One week ago today I was in the ER with my first ever Kidney Stone. (WHAT???!!?!) Yeah. I woke up with horrible knife like pain in my back and could not sit, stand or function. My dear friend, neighbor and walking partner lovingly took me to the ER before the sun came up and sat by me and watched me writhe for 2 1/2 hrs. until I received pain meds. She sat by my bedside and took care of me in the sweet ministry that is Emesis bags and wet paper towels. Jen Hatmaker said at DotMom this year that “she has learned that just about every problem her kids have– can be cured with either a wet paper towel or a glass of water.”  I’m convinced that’s true. No joke, there was service in those wet paper towels. There is seriously something so comforting about having a friend that doesn’t mind taking you to the hospital. ( Thanks, Amy! I promise to do the same for you should the need ever arise. ) She also helped watch my babies that afternoon until Lance took over and sent them home with a new Veggietales Movie.

By the time I got home from the hospital my mom had made the 5 hr. drive from Florida, (I’m pretty sure she just wanted to see my Christmas Decorations and catch up on Downton Abbey re-runs before the new season begins. Which we did–once the meds kicked in!) Also, each of our dinner meals that week had been taken care of by members of our small group. Another friend picked Lucy up from school and took care of her and the list just goes on of people that took care of us!! Such love!

Unfortunately, the same can NOT be said of all the emergency personnel we came in contact with. There should be a law against making “jokes” when your patient is doubled over groaning in pain and you KNOW you have absolutely no intention of helping her for at least another 2 hours. The meds did eventually come and life was sweet…

Until the official diagnosis came by way of the Dr with about a ‘2’ on the bedside manner scale.

Dr. What’shisname: “So you have a kidney stone.” 

Me: “ok.” 

Dr. What’shisname: “You know a lot of soda can cause them… do you drink a lot of soda?” 

Me: “No, not really at all.”

Dr. What’shisname: “Oh well, do you eat a lot of greeny leafy vegetables?” 

Me: “YES!” (hopeful, just knowing I’m about to pass this test!) 

Dr. What’shisname: “Yeah, that can do it too.” 

*Crickets*

So apparently I am supposed to avoid soda and green leafy vegetables. It figures. I knew all those salads and green smoothies were going to catch up with me someday. Here I was, just frittering away all my servings of vegetables and making sure I got enough vitamins like there was no tomorrow. Just eating green vegetables willy nilly– and never thinking about the consequences. Blast you, food pyramid.

So my ever gracious and compassionate Mom arrives. I don’t care who you are, you always need your mommy when you’re sick. If there’s one thing my mom is, it’s sympathetic. Which is nice, seeing as she spent all those years in the medical field– you’d expect she would have that “I’ve seen it all– get over it-you’re just fine” attitude. But not her. All I have to do is tell her I have a headache and she’s acts as though I’ve just had to remove my own appendix. It’s kinda nice. Like I said, you always need medical sympathy from your mom.

Within a day or two (or three?) I was feeling much better and things seemed to have.. you know– cleared up (out?) but I made the mistake of never making the official announcement that I had indeed passed the kidney stone.

I know this because the night before last, Lance and I had the following enlightening chat.

Him: “So how are you doing?” 

Me: “Oh, I’m ok. much better now that I don’t think we’re going to catch the flu the kids have.” (Yes, the FLU!! what a week!!)

Him: “So… do you think you’ll pass the stone soon?”

Me: “WHAT??!?!?! Babe, that happened days ago.”

Him: “Really? Because people at work keep asking me if you passed it and I keep telling them no.”

So now I’m just a little embarrassed that everyone thinks I’ve just been walking around, hanging on to kidney stones for an inordinate amount of time.

Well, you know– hanging on to kidney stones and munching on way too much spinach and all.

I’m such a rebel. I might as well get a Harley.

Enough
Merry Christmas!!!

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I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

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Throwing it back but not way back: remember last y Throwing it back but not way back: remember last year when we *discovered* the whipped, frothy, goodness of Dalgona Coffee?

I made it again today for the express purpose of seeing if it would still work with less sugar and I rather like my lightened up version!

(Tip: in my opinion, it makes enough for two— especially because I use instant espresso— so it’s pretty strong! Not warm where you are yet?  Tap the little flag to save this post for later.)

✨Whipped Coffee✨ 
2 TBS. instant espresso
2 TBS. cold water
1 TBS. maple syrup or simple syrup
1-2 glasses of ice and milk

Whip/ Beat the espresso, syrup, and water with an electric beater, immersion blender, or hand-held milk frother until frothy and light in color. Scoop over the milk and ice and enjoy!
🪡Do I seamstressed to you?🪡 Really though, 🪡Do I seamstressed to you?🪡 

Really though, after completing my first embroidery project, I feel like it might just be the cheapest, prettiest, stress relief out there. I am officially a believer in relaxing this way. And PS, if I can do it, you can.

Thank you, @thebarmyfox for bringing this lovely art into my life!
Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all the answers, yet.

While you sit in a season of waiting,
the calendar can often be a cruel companion, reminding you that days go by, weeks, months— with what feels like very little change in the right direction.

Perhaps you can easily assent to: 
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but you strain to see just how it will be when: “...a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Wherever you and I are today— whether we wander, wait, stand firmly planted, or some pressed together combination of all three — we can take heart.

We are not alone.
And this will not be wasted.
What seems to be an unending blank space, an indefinite pause, is a space for new things.

Long before all is made right, and whether or not it all is tied up neatly with a perfectly crafted bow— we can know this:

We do not have to know the outcome to be faithful today.

✨Joy is not disregard for reality as much as it is obstinacy against despair.✨
Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. T Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. There. I said it. These days I’m gravitating to the true & the beautiful as rest for my weary self... and I wonder if you are too.

So much so, that I’m starting a new little offering, it’s called “The Feast: Wonder for the Weary” and the first issue goes out this weekend. It’s a bit more personal (okay this first one is WAY more personal. 🤭) It will be a little bit of everything, all with the goal of offering REST to both the feasters & foragers alike. If you’re already a subscriber— no need to do anything, if not— click through my bio to “keep in touch” and join the feast.✨
We are a people of both lament and praise. We hol We are a people of both lament and praise.

We hold questions without answers— yet we hold them in hands already full of good things.

We hold our daily bread, our daily gifts, and we hold the daily closeness of the God Who Sees.

The God who is no stranger to our lament, and Who Is the reason for our every hope.
He does not grow weary of our asking. Of our need to be told again, He will. 

You friend, are not invisible.
You are seen and cared for by the God who does all things well. (Even when they feel anything but.)
Married love ambition: making the kids roll their Married love ambition: making the kids roll their eyes at our “gushy-ness” as often as possible. 

President & CEO of the Lance Stuckey Fan Club— in every season, but especially on days like today.
Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty k Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty kitchen.😍🌧📚

On this chilly Saturday, we spent entirely too long browsing for books at our library and then all came home to a fire, mochas, and cocoa, respectively. Of all the things we do not know at this very moment, we know the gifts abound, and are worth counting.

PS, if you haven’t spread whipped cream on a foil-lined baking sheet to freeze, and then cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters to top your coffee or hot cocoa, may I suggest you get thee on that at once.
“If God sends us on strong paths, we are provide “If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.” — Corrie Ten Boom

✨File under, things to save in a fire.✨

The prayer journal pictured here contains six months of the hard & the sweet.
Six months of prayers asked & answered for ourselves and for others.
Six months of seeing through prayer, not how it changed our circumstances necessarily but how it changed us.

I always appreciate a record like this— being able to clearly see the paths we are led down, rocky though they may be? Priceless.

The ways God has come near us & drawn us to Himself again and again are written on these pages and I’ll treasure it forever.

Also pictured: Psalms Illuminated Scripture Journal. Highly recommend. Thank you always, @allifarnell
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

While scrolling through my photos today, my heart was heavy to realize how far back “before” was.

Before masks and distancing, before loss, before other, more personal bits of hard. Multitudinous change, neither all bad nor all good.

With our free time, we’ve introduced our girls to Tolkien, Bilbo, Frodo, and especially Samwise the Brave. They are officially hooked and we are delighted to watch them discover another world where evil doesn’t win, and the courage of the small matters much. {they close their eyes at the Orcs and we haven’t had a nightmare yet!}🤞🏻😂😬
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