Weekly Wrap-Up: The One with the Volunteering

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I can’t believe it’s Friday already. This week has flown by. That could be because, for most of the week, I’ve been pretty unsure what day it’s been. I am extremely happy to report that we got our Internet service back last night!

I know that not having it was a trivial inconvenience compared to what many in our area have had to deal with, but I have felt so cutoff, not just from my Internet friends, but those locally as well. We could get one local channel with the rabbit ears antenna that my husband hooked up (sometimes it pays to be married to a pack rat) and everything was, “Visit our website for more information.”

Want to know how you can help locally? Visit our website.

Want to know where to donate blood? Visit our website.

Want to know where the drop-off locations are? Visit our website.

Very frustrating! Thankfully, we were able to go to Brian’s parent’s house on Monday night and get online there. I was able to get several names and numbers of people we could call to see about volunteering. As a result, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday at a local church helping out.

Monday was somewhat normal. Brianna had Spanish. After that, I had my first mammogram and was planning to go donate blood afterward. I’ve gotta say, the mammogram wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be…and, I don’t even think it was because I was a whole lot more nervous about the idea of giving blood.

They did try to scare me, though. After doing my scan, the nurse said she was going to show the results to the radiologist while I was still there. I knew that wasn’t normal. She came back and said they wanted to do an ultrasound and were going to work me in. I knew that wasn’t normal either.

While I waited, I was already having visions of radiation treatments and me with a bald head. I was already thinking thoughts of how my husband loved me when I was fat, so he’d love me after a mastectomy.

Yeah, I was freaked out.

Then, a friend whom I’d texted replied with a voice of reason and told me that the same thing had happened to her at her first mammogram and that, because it was a baseline, they probably just wanted to make sure they’d dotted all their I’s and crossed all their T’s.

Turns out it was just a cyst, nothing to worry about. Still, that 30 minutes of freaking out gave me a new appreciation for getting yearly mammograms. What if it had been something and it could have been discovered two years ago, but I didn’t get my mammogram then because I was a big chicken about getting my boobs squished?

Get your yearly mammograms, ladies!

I had planned to give blood after that, but by the time I got to the donation center, the line was out the door and they weren’t accepting any more donors that day. In the interest of full disclosure, I wound up not giving blood at all. By the time I was able to go back on Thursday, I’d heard that they were in desperate need of all the negative blood types. I’m O+.

I called, asking if they needed my type. I really expected the lady to say that they needed all types, but that they really needed the negatives. Nope. She said they were really okay with O+.

Works for me. I’ll just hang on to my blood then, thankyouverymuch.

Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons were spent at a local church, sorting and packing donated food for distribution. Josh found his calling in life assembling boxes. Yep, a pile of broken down boxes and a tape gun and that boy was in his element.

It was really cool to see the willingness of kids – not just my kids – to help. There would be teenagers standing around just hanging out and somebody would holler that they needed some help with whatever and immediately a dozen kids would jump up and be right there.

Trucks were unloaded in mere minutes thanks to huge lines of teenagers carrying boxes. Floors were swept and mopped, supplies unloaded and sorted with nary a complaint.

I know they have their moments, but overall, I think teens have gotten a bad rap. Most of them, I think, are really willing to help, they just don’t always know how. I think they have a deep need to feel needed. They were this week.

Thursday we stayed home to get some schoolwork done and, I thought, to give me time to donate blood. Hey, I was going to.

Also, Brianna had her first job interview Thursday afternoon – at Chick-Fil-A. She’s supposed to hear from them Monday if they want her back for a one-on-one interview. The one she had Thursday was a group interview. I’d love for her to get a job with such a good company. I think it could be a great first job experience.

Today we stayed home to catch up on schoolwork, housework, and laundry, all of which were in bad shape since we were gone much of the week. The kids were eager to go back and volunteer some more, which I was glad to see, but I really think the church where we’d been serving pretty much had it together for now. I figure they’ll need our help next week when many people return to work and school. I’m glad we have such a flexible schedule.

I’m also really glad to be back online. Did I say that already?

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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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18 Comments

  1. I think this is the first time I have ever been the first link for Weekly Wrap-Up. 🙂

    I am having a quiet morning so it was nice to get my entry done by lunchtime.

    You had an incredibly busy and interesting week! I am so glad that your home is fine and that things are getting back to normal at least in your house. I know how hard it must be to see the devastation. These things just seem to be happening one right after another.

    Thanks for hosting.

  2. I am so glad to hear you weren't more affected by the tornadoes. It is wonderful how communities work so hard to help each other when disasters happen. What a great learning experience for your children. Have a blessed weekend.

  3. I always prefer to hang on to my blood. Just reading your post made me feel exhaused. I don't know how you manage to do it all!!

    Thanks for hosting this linky!!

  4. I so feel the Lack-of-Internet pain. It's especially frustrating when you call tech support for help and they refer you to THEIR WEBSITE!

  5. I see thru your ulterior motives in trying to get Brianna to work at Chic-fil-a! You just want a free supply of their sweet tea!

    Glad to hear you found great ways to volunteer, that your Internet is back, & that you got to keep your blood. And that boob squish thing? I'm stalling on that myself..,

  6. Totally with you on the boob-squish thing…on the imperative that we do it yearly even if we don't want to, that is! I had a scare last year, shortly after watching not one but two friends not much older than I die of cancer – neither breast cancer but cancer in young women nonetheless. Turns out mine was the equivalent of a boob zit, but I had it removed anyway when it didn't go away on its own. Who needs to feel nervous about any lump or bump there, after all?

  7. I'm so glad that your "test" turned out to be fine. I've had my own set of worry moments with that and it's amazing how your mind runs away with you! Good luck to Brianna with Chic-Fil-A.

  8. How wonderful that you were able to help out so much. Glad you were able to get some learning in within all of your chaos. So glad your family is safe and life is sort of getting back to normal for you.

    Have a wonderful week and thank you again for hosting the link weekly. I love reading what everyone is doing.

    Renita
    http://www.krazykuehnerdays.com

  9. I was wondering about the tornadoes too, since you fell off the internet!
    I will agree with you, teens need to be needed, and if you can find opportunities for them to volunteer, BIG things come from it. My daughter volunteers regularly at a local no-kill animal shelter. She loves it. We do other things too when they come up, but that's her regular one.:)

    I was hoping to see a Relevant button on your blog today. 🙁 I hope you're able to come!
    [email protected]

  10. Mammograms actually can cause cancer – so they are not to be recommended.

    As for cancer – Apricot seeds and a non processed diet.

  11. What a week you've had! I have to admit that when our power was out, it wasn't the kids freaking out because they couldn't play Xbox or watch TV, it was me freaking out because I didn't have internet! I learned from the experience. I am a control freak that has "to be in the know". It drove me nuts that I didn't know what was going on. I kept getting text messages and I did listen to the radio, but I wanted to know everything that I was missing.

    My daughter's dream job is to be the cow at Chick-fil-A. How funny is that?

    I agree about teenagers- they do get a bad rap. I used to think teenagers were evil. Now I have three. And I really like them.

  12. We moved about 2 months ago and I was without internet for a week. No fun!! Course the house was cleaner. I'll still take it over the week without power in 06! I hope your DD gets the job! I love Chik-fil-a!

  13. Good for you getting your Mam done. I'm a big chicken and have never gone in for a check up since my 6 week check up after having my daughter. And she's 9!!

  14. Yeah…too many "close calls" for you lately. I know though that these times BUILD your FAITH! Easier said than done. I know though that God is working good out of all of this 🙂 Worst part, no internet. LOL! Love ya lady.

  15. The mammogram story was humorously told yet inspiring.
    And I agree on the teen comment–they get a bad rap! 🙂

  16. Sounds like a crazy week! Wow! It's amazing to see whole communities pulling together like that.

  17. Glad your Internet is working… I alwasy go through "detox" but after a few hours I"m ok with the "unconnected-ness" and thankful for the break!

    Just wanted to say I LOVED working for Chick-Fil-A as a high schooler and through college!! I learned soo much about customer service and hard work that I've always been very successful at other job opportunities I've had since!!

    And I think it's awesome to have your kids help out! I am right there with teens… so many have such serving hearts and want to feel like they can contribute.

  18. I'm glad you all are fine and that you now have your internet back. 🙂 Sounds like a busy, but good, week.

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