Scratch, Itch, Scratch

This week I've been working REAL hard on "counting it ALL joy" even though the "all" involved a whole lotta scratching and itching!

My body is protesting something fierce, and it's picket signs came by way of a rash. Not the greatest topic for a blog on Thanksgiving eve, but none the less, this is where I have been living this past week Beloved Reader, and you are my outlet. In between itching and scratching I have moved furniture to try and accommodate the 16 people that I am honored to have sit at our Thanksgiving table this year. And then I was back to scratching. I went to the grocery store in shifts this year so I didn't stress out. I shopped first for appetizers. Then for Drinks. Then for ... well you get the idea. Speaking of stress  Hmm... stress... maybe this rash is my bodies way of saying you are stressed and you don't even know it?? SCRATCH. ITCH. I debated going to the Dr. all week, but I was pretty sure Dr. Gina would just tell me what I already knew, try not to scratch, take some Benadryl, and use an anti itch lotion. I went to go see her today, and she told me... "Try not to itch, take some Benadryl, and use and anti itch lotion"  Oh, and the peace of mind that I am not going to give 16 people this  SCRATCH. ITCH. All of the Doc Gina's orders I'm doing except minus the not scratching part. I'm trying,  Lord knows I'm trying, but do you even know how hard it is not to scratch when all you want to do is scratch, scratch, scratch?!?
And let's talk about the word scratch for a minute. SCRATCH. Doesn't even the sight of the word make you want to scratch? It's such a harsh word. So blunt. SO brutal. So not nice. It's like the word  LICE. See, I got you there, now your feeling what I'm saying. But, now tell your body NO you can't do that. SCRATCH. Don't you want to do it even more? So here I sit on the eve before a feast and I'm trying so hard to follow Dr's orders and to be thankful even for this. YOU are helping me. See, by keeping my hands typing I'm not scratching.  I'm thinking about how thankful I am for YOU. But the joy or the gratitude, the thankful heart I have is in this; I have insurance. I have a great Dr. I have this luxury of getting in my car and driving to the store to get medicine. I am NOT contagious. I have a clean house. I have 16 beloved people that will join me on this wonderful day of Gratitude. For this and so much more, I count it ALL joy! Oh and I just baked a Carmel Pecan Cheesecake. I'm pretty sure that will help take the scratch away, in fact I'm surprised that wasn't on the Dr.'s prescription note. Happy Thanksgiving Eve! SCRATCH. ITCH.