In An Instant

 In an instant.  I had met Debbie in the 1980's when we each had a child playing beginner soccer. I felt like I knew her because we were so much the same. She wrote a weekly newspaper column in our smalltown news titled 4 under 6. The oldest of her four, the lovely Laura, would sit on the field and pick weed flowers. One day Laura started a low temp and didn't feel very good. She gave her some Tylenol, put her to bed and got up to check on her. Laura had vomited and aspirated. Debbie grabbed her and drove one block to the hospital, but it was too late. 

She gathered her strength in that dark time. She was fairly new to the community, her Jewish faith had set her apart in this very Christian area. She ended her column. A year later she had her fifth child. 

Debbie's children flourished and became outstanding scholars. Leaving our community for Ivy League schools, living and working in exotic places like Chili and Russia. They are all married now, living in all four corners of the United States. 

When they left for college, Debbie accepted a position of English Teacher and Newspaper Advisor at our local high school, inspiring and empowering another generation. She retired recently and started another newspaper column in our on-line paper - A View from the Kitchen. She shared how she does weekly storytime via zoom with all her young grandchildren. 

In late January she wrote her last column. A week later she told the editor she was ill and her children were coming to visit and she would be unable to write her column for February 5. That was the day of her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. She died on February 15, ten days later.  In an instant. 

We woke to another snow and ice storm on Sunday. This is beginning to be a habit. Some enjoyed it more than others. 

This week's recipe in my goddaughter's recipe challenge contest was Sausage and Tortellini.  I had the ingredients and made it for my husband. 

Then I added the remainder of the chicken broth and heavy cream and turned it into soup for me. 

The person working in our charity office woke up with the flu yesterday so I spent an extra day in the office while Mr. Merry chauffeured elementary basketball players to practices on snow covered roads.  Here was my view. 

Three clients came to see me and two people phoned to make sure I was in the office, but never showed up. 

One of the clients lives outside our area. She arrived in tears and I spent a lot of time finding resources in her area. She has a job interview on Thursday and I asked if I could call her in the afternoon (from the office, not my personal phone) and see how it went. It is people like her that make me feel I am doing something even when I am doing nothing. 

Reporting backwards I was able to watch my grandson swim in district meets from the comfort of my recliner for the price of an $8 online ticket. The roads were ice that evening, too. He did not progress to state this year, but did very well especially considering he started the year with a rotator cuff injury and had two bouts of norovirus during the season. He won his heat so that was pretty exciting. 

We are running on a theme here. Our city's schools are open today so we did put one on the bus.  My way out in the country grandson's school is closed so they went to their nana's. My other local grandkid's mom is a teacher and all their schools are closed. We had another night of rain freezing into ice and then a few inches of snow on top it. I was surprised any school buses could get on the road this morning after the multiple semis reported in ditches last night. 

No grandchildren has meant I have spent my morning on the phone.  Somehow our local medical center who also owns our doctor and lab decided to change our insurance to our supplemental instead of Medicare. Mr Merry had a variety of tests and appointments in January and our supplemental is refusing payment because they need to be billed to Medicare first.   

Every time we check in or register, they have asked if our supplemental is our primary and I say, no - you bill Medicare first - which is actually how the system should work.  Of course the bills revealed what I thought was going on when I received them on Saturday.  I spent almost an hour on the phone with billing this morning and progressed to a supervisor.  They can "see" what happened and are trying to fix it.  But at this point we have progressed to the supervisor's supervisor and I have been waiting two hours for a call back. 

I understand that people make errors. But I am not happy that three different times that I remember I tried to clarify this when the question was asked.  And obviously they just brushed off the little old lady. I am being very polite and nice on the phone right now because I want it fixed.  But inside I am steaming.  

So I guess I will go eat a treat and get back to patiently waiting.  

Stay Warm bloggies.!!!!