A Widow's Curse

I started weaning myself off of the prednisone again over the last couple of weeks. Monday I went cold turkey, and it's been a rough week. Yesterday morning I woke up in so much pain that Jesse ended up staying home from work to take care of Mia and me. All I could do was cry. Today is a bit better, but still one of the worst days for pain that I've had in months.

Every night when I write in my prayer journal I start by thanking God for the day, and I list many of the things that I'm grateful for in that day. Some days it's harder to fill that list than others, but on days like today and yesterday, it's easy to fill that list. I'm so thankful for Jesse's love and his kindness toward me. Admittedly, the guy got a bum deal when he married me. He married a healthy, fairly active woman and ended up with an sick, often depressed woman. I am so blessed in his love. Today I called Mom and asked her to pick up Doogie from the bus stop so I don't have to drive. I am thankful that I have family I can turn to and lean on when I'm troubled. I end writing in my journal with a request to God for the next day. Usually it's for the strength to get through the next day. Sometimes He gives the strength to me, other times he gives it to someone else to be strong for me. I am grateful in both circumstances.

A Widow's Curse by Phillip DePoy is the most recent title in the Fever Devilin series. Fever is a folklorist, former university professor, and resident oddball in Blue Hills Georgia. He receives a phone call from a man researching a mysterious silver coin with ties to Blue Hills, and the detective in Fever can't help but look into the coin's history. But he quickly finds that the coin's history is his own. Then he is accused of the murder of its owner and is forced to dig up, once again, the skeletons in his family's past. The character of Fever is fascinating. He constantly lectures while discussing folklore of the hills, as well as philosophy. You'll never know what subject will next be tackled from book to book or even page to page. Andrews, Fever's best friend, returns, and with each appearance becomes more integral to the series. Andrews helps balance and humanize Fever's almost otherworldy thought process. He punctures Fever's ego and regular bouts of melancholy. I love how DePoy takes common (and uncommon) folk tales and retells them as a way of interpreting society. This is a writer who truly has craftsmanship. Every description has been refined until perfect. Even the weather becomes a character through DePoy's skillful writing. This isn't your usual detective series; it's literary and compelling all at the same time.

Mia's still running a fever. It's hovering around 101-102. When we give her medication, it drops down, but as soon as the meds wear off, it's right back up again. I should have some results from the doctor later today.