The official blog of Denise M. Baran-Unland, author. Discover her books for all ages at bryonyseries.com.
Merrium-Webster gives several definitions for the word "hero."
Here are two: "A person admired for achievements and noble qualities" and "one who shows great courage."
Heroes typically have clay feet and live in glass houses. Yet we are often surprised to discover that.
Nevertheless, flaws don't cancel out achievements, noble qualities, and great courage.
That is good news indeed.
Today is my first day back to work, and I'm happy to be back.
In fact, I spent part of yesterday catching up on email and getting organized, so I'm ready to roar (and write) this morning.
Today, I'd like to share some good news that happened in my community during the holidays and some blogs I enjoyed.
And I'd also like to remind you about the BryonySeries Holiday Sale that ends on January 7.
Be sure to check out the photo at the bottom, too, as it's full of "random bursts of goodness."
Happy reading, happy Monday, and happy 2021!
Some good news around the community:
The Irish American Society of County Will shares holiday donations with local food pantries
Joliet Junior College nursing students earned the program’s 2020 Citizenship Award
Central ES physical education teacher brings lesson to life with video
Santa visits Troy schools: Troy students and their families enjoy a drive-thru visit with Santa
And check out these blogs:
"Positively Sneaky Christmas" by Maureen Blevins
"Santa Claus Is Real… I Met Him In Person" by Kenneth Lee McGee
"Finding Joy" by Tom Hernandez
"Snapshot of God" by R. Michael Markley
do you see what I see? By Holly Coop
BryonySeries Holiday Book Sale:
From now until January 7, you will receive a $1 credit to The Book Market for every $5 worth of books you order directly from me. I have approximately twenty titles of books for nearly every age, so perhaps you might find something that interests you (or will interest someone you know).
Timothy even generated some beautiful coupons that we will email to you. A draft is below. I am paying the credit forward to The Book Market, so money only flows toward the store, not away from it.
This year has been a tough year for many people and businesses, especially small businesses and their owners. By working together, we can bring some holiday cheer to this indie bookstore in Crest Hill.
For step-by-step instructions on how to participate, follow this link: bryonyseries.com/promotions.
The blue tea cup is a gift from Sue Midlock, and the tea cup in the foreground is a gift from Timothy. The potpourri is a gift from Rebekah, and BryonySeries artist Christopher Gleason created the BryonySeries music box to its right.
The tall purple box contains a BryonySeries purple rose from Jasmine, and the BryonySeries purple rose under the clear globe by the blue tea cup is a gift from Cindy.
The yellow scroll art was a project I did with Rebekah at Sue's house - with Sue making one for her book Elspeth.
The dresser was sitting beneath the attic stairs in Ron's Channahon home when we moved in and was holding junk. I found new homes for the junk and claimed the dresser. It's come close to falling apart many times, but Timothy always puts it back together.
If you do, you'll understand this post right away.
If you don't, I'm going to introduce you to them with this post.
Now all the facts are true. I'm just telling them to you in a different way.
It all started on Tuesday night when Timothy texted me. One of the older workers at our complex was out snow blowing. It was about thirteen hours after he'd been at our townhome installing a new dishwasher (ours broke down a week ago, yes before Christmas).
Around 9:30 p.m., I went downstairs for some water to take with my medicine. Here we go.
Me: So I stopped by the picture window to check on him, you know, to be sure he was OK.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No it's not. When I turned away from the window, I caught my right pinkie toe on a box. The toe went one way, and I went another.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, It's not. It really didn't hurt so I hobbled to the kitchen to ice it right away, just in case, to prevent swelling.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. As soon as the ice touched my toe, the zero pain went to thirty on a scale of one to ten!
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it isn't. I've done this to my pinky toes more than once over the years: I'm running to catch a rebellious toddler, or I'm rushing into a room to get ready for work. I know the signs of a sprained toe and how to buddy tape it.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. I can't do a proper job of buddy taping by myself.
You: That's terrible.
Me: No, it's not. Rebekah lives with me, and she is very good at buddy taping.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. She was hanging out next door with Timothy, and my phone was upstairs, forty-four miles away from the kitchen.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. I was able to hobble upstairs and call her. She came home right away.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No it's not. I kept catching the tape on the blankets all night, and the resulting pain would wake me up.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. By morning, the toe didn't hurt at all.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. I had so much numbness in the buddy toe that I was concerned about its circulation. Also, I had numbness and tingling in about half my foot. It didn't feel like a simple sprain.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. We kept an eye on it and decided to go to quick care right after lunch. Timothy had no problem taking me and kept distracting me with talks of buying a new car all the way out to Minooka.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. I have a phobia of having my blood pressure being taken. I flip out just by being in the same room as a blood pressure cuff. Plus, it's the holidays, and we're in the middle of a pandemic and flu season. The last place I want to go is quick care.
You: That's terrible.
Me: No, it's not. The waiting room was empty, and I was taken to a room in less than five minutes.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. The certified nurse assistant immediately started taking my blood pressure, and the nurse started asking me questions, so I couldn't practice my relaxation techniques. I did warn the CNA that I'm "white coat extraordinaire."
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. The CNA simply kept taking my blood pressure until she got a normal reading. She inspired so much confidence in me that I immediately relaxed and stayed that way.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. I quickly went to X-ray where a second technician had to hold my toe waaay apart from the rest of my toes to get the proper imaging. It HURT!
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. The X-ray showed only a sprain. The nurse practitioner said someone would call if the radiologist saw a break. I was re-buddy-taped and out the door in less than an hour for the total visit.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. When I got to the car, Timothy told me he had done a "silly thing." Always frugal, Timothy had shut the car off to save gas. But he had forgotten to turn off the headlights. The battery on the car had died, and it was cold and windy outside.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. He called a brother in Morris who's very good with cars, The brother came out immediately to jump the battery.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. This brother has a medical note because he gets claustrophobia wearing a facemask. And he got in the car with me a couple of times.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. I had my facemask on, and he didn't stay long, just to check gauges. He offered to help Timothy buy a battery at an auto supply store and change it on the spot. The battery that died was the original one with the vehicle, so it's five years old.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. The cheapest battery for that car cost more than going to shop for a better battery and installation.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it isn't. The "jumped" charge lasted all the way home, and Timothy paid his older brother for his time and expertise.
You: Aw, that's wonderful!
Me: No, it's not. The brother is broke and wasted the money on lobster. In the meantime, quick care called back and said the toe was fractured at the base.
You: That's terrible!
Me: No, it's not. We got safely home due to the brother's generosity. When Timothy took the battery to the shop, the mechanic couldn't believe Timothy had been driving it. He said the battery was one hundred percent completely dead. So the mechanic quickly installed the new battery. The battery and installation cost less than the cheap battery at the parts store, and no one had to crawl around on the cold ground to install it.
You: That's wonderful!
Me: It really was.
This is why yesterday was a wonderful day.
I still felt good about checking on an older person who was outside in the cold, windy, snowy night with a snowblower, even if it cost me a broken toe in the process
I had the opportunity to face my fear about blood pressures - and I had a determined CNA who believed me and saw for herself how the BP eventually came down.
Timothy didn't get stuck in a terrible place with a battery that would have eventually died anyway. And another brother got to feel good about himself to help (and wound up with a lobster dinner).
Now here's another blessing.
You see, I have this list of miscellaneous projects I'd rather not carrying into 2021. Except I've spent a lot of time with my family this Christmas vacation (which I wanted to do and should do), and my time is running out for getting these projects done.
Well, between the snow and the toe fracture, I won't be talking ten miles a day this week, that's for sure. So just like that, the walking time has turned into project time. Isn't that marvelous how things work out after all?
Finally, I supposed you're wondering what my calico Faith has to do with this post.
The answer to that is - nothing. She jumped up on my lap while I was attempting to write this blog.
Good morning!
Few things can fill one with holiday spirit during a pandemic than making someone else's life a bit easier.
Below are two ways you can help now.
Joliet Catholic Academy student council organizes Adopt a Family gift card drive
Troy 30-C school asking for public participation in food drive
And at the risk of coming off as spammy, here's a third. My goal is to bring $100 worth of business to The Book Market. Can you help me reach that goal?
And here are some other pieces of uplifting news happening in and about Will and Grundy counties:
Students from St. Mary Nativity Catholic School in Joliet participated in academic bowl
Midewin NTP date planner for 2021 features nature dates and information
D. 202 Plainfield, Aramark serve 1.2 million free meals during pandemic
Heartland Bank in Minooka names recipient of Heart of our Community Award
Troy 30-C adds preschool classrooms
Teacher at D. 202 in Plainfield receives Award of Meritorious Service by ISBE
Students at D. 202 in Plainfield named College Board National Recognition Scholars
Plainfield Lions distributes $36,000 in Jewel gift cards to 212 families
Photo by Timothy Baran
One thing COVID-19 hasn't taken away in 2020 is the ability for people to strive for their goals and do good to and for others.
Here are seventeen local examples of that - along with two of your COVID-19 questions answered.
Have a most blessed day!
Joliet resident snaps winning opossum photo
JCA's 'Operation Take Out' supports local restaurants
Vicar general for the Diocese of Joliet appointed
Local artist painted San Damiano cross for Joliet church
Hybrid cath lab opens at AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet
ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery donates 100 laptops to local charitable organizations
D. 86 in Joliet honors students of the month for October
D. 86 in Joliet honors students of the month for September
Providence Catholic High School announces students of the month for October
Joliet Catholic Academy announces students of the month for September and October
Joliet Central High School announces its November students of the month
Joliet West High School announces its November students of the month
Joliet Junior College fine arts to host virtual winter concert on Dec. 11
Joliet churches and organization hosted food distribution event
AMITA Health provides free assistance for health care insurance enrollment
Administrator at Dirksen Jr. HS in Joliet earns doctorate degree
District 202 in Plainfield joins lawsuit against electronic cigarette makers
I need a COVID-19 test, now what?
Edward-Elmhurst Health answers the question: I have COVID-19, now what?
Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow
him at artworkbytopher.com.
