Highs and Lows

High: I sold a photograph today. Yes, I have in my possession a check for a picture I took. I think that's so cool! Last year, a magazine article, this year a photo.
Low: I'm having more trouble with my back. This time it's my neck and shoulders. There's definitely a degenerating disk there, but what's causing the pain right now is inflammation in the muscles of my shoulders and upper back. It might have been caused by an injury, but I can't remember one, and it's been going on for months. If it doesn't go away on its own (plus judicious use of the heating pad and regular doses of ibuprofen), then sometime after the New Year I'll be looking for a referral to a rheumatolgist, because then we'll be looking for an autoimmune disease like lupus, fibromyalgia, or rheumatoid arthitis.

So I need 5 graces today, and here they are:
1: getting to see Ben preach, thanks to the local cable station.
2: baking Christmas cookies. I love to bake and to try new things.
3: giving away Christmas cookies. I need to get on that, it's fun. We've got folks at 3 local restaurants, plus the coffee shop and the bank.
4: lots of youth participating in this weekend's Cookies and Carols service. 6 pm Sunday in the Fellowship Hall, if you're in town!
5: all the wonderful folks at church who love us. We've had lots of Christmas gifts and even more wonderful goodies to eat, and lots of hugs and good wishes. I really am happy here.