Yesterday we drove over to Holy Archangels Monastery near Kendalia, TX. It was an absolutely lovely day! The only thing to mar it was Mittens running into a cactus with her foot. One of the spines went through her shoe into the instep. It was obviously very painful but by this morning we were afraid the tip may have broken off in her foot. We spent several hours in the pediatric ER having it looked at. Eventually after an X-ray and a couple ultrasounds it was determined she probably didn’t have an foreign objects in her foot. Glory to God! If she had, it would have meant sedation* and minor surgery. Thank goodness for the child life specialist who cane through with an electronic alphabet toy. Mittens was in love. We came home with a prescription for antibiotics and by this evening she is doing much better, even walking on that foot. This dramatic progress is surely due to the prayers of several people and the intercessions of St. Ephraim of Nea Makri (Father anointed her with his oil this morning). Glory to God in His saints!

* * * * * * * * *

*She cried hysterically any time anyone entered the room or when we changed rooms, simply in anticipation of more pain. When it came to actually touching her foot she raised the roof. Poor baby.