The Prednisone did help my back.  It got the pain back to a tolerant level---of course it will never be pain free as I have been told, "There is nothing we can do."

I have found that I can still clean surfaces--dust and scrub counters and all the cursed knick-knacks I have on those surfaces.  I just can't lift anything.  

I had a very blessed day yesterday.  I had called Dar and asked if her house cleaning lady ever did "one-time" jobs.  I don't need someone coming in twice a month, like Dar has.  So, she said she'd check and she and the cleaning lady came over yesterday morning.  Come to find out. the cleaning lady is Monica who lives just up the street...I have known her for years.

I just need my kitchen and utility area floor mopped.  I can vacuum, if I am careful and rest, but for some reason, the scrubbing back and forth action kills my back.

She looked it all over and said yes she'd be over Saturday morning to do it.  She said she likes to get down on her hands and knees, so that she can get into all the corners.  Sounded good to me!

When I asked the price, she said, "I'll charge you ten dollars."

My jaw quite literally dropped.  I was speechless for a moment and then said, "Oh no you won't!  You'll take at least twenty!"

I had expected it would cost 20-25 dollars and that is what I had set aside from the money my son gave me for Christmas.

She said she would even move the 3 wooden carts and chest of drawers I used for storage.  I will make sure to get all the surface knick-knacks off them for her.

I just can't believe this!

===================

Then I decided I had to get to the store.  Their "10 for 10, 11th one free" sale was on.  I drove on in to Brighton and found a parking spot right up by the door.  I managed pretty well with the cart.  If I have the cart to lean on, it doesn't hurt my back too much.

Of course, I had 11 2ltr. jugs of Diet Pepsi and a gallon of milk and a jug of kitty litter.  I wondered how I would carry it all in the house, but just as I backed into my drive, the neighbor kid came home from school and I yelled across the street and he came over and carried in the Pepsi, milk and litter for me.

His Grandma Marilyn is the one whose husband died last spring.  Then in late summer, she fell and tore up her knee.  She was in rehab for 6 weeks.  She and I had talked earlier in the day and I told her I probably should have been using my walker this past week, but it was out in the shed and I didn't have the motivation to walk way out there and get it.

Shortly after her grandson carried in my stuff, her son was at the door asking me if he could get the walker out of the shed for me.  I told him that I didn't really need it anymore and then I remembered something.

I had brought two coolers in from the shed to use to carry the frozen spaghetti sauce in for my Christmas gift for the boys.  Those two heavy coolers were still sitting in my kitchen, so I asked him if he would take them out and put them in the shed, which he did.

===============

I sat in my recliner last night and such a calm and peaceful feeling came over me.  

I don't ask for help and sometimes it is hard for me to accept, but I was in so much pain that I suppose I was in a weak feeling mood.  Besides, when I thought more about it, I could see God's hand in all of those blessings yesterday.  I just smiled and thanked Him.