Celibate and Sane: How Jam Making Led to a Needle Jab

June 21, 2011

How Jam Making Led to a Needle Jab

Large fruit from the native rosella
(Hibiscus Heterophyllus)

Recently when I was helping out at the respite centre, I was asked to assist in picking rosellas so that the staff could make rosella jam - just the fruit of the native rosella is used. This old-fashioned jam is a favourite of many in Australia, and the folk across the street allow the staff here to pick as many rosellas as they want from their garden. The centre sells the jam and the small profit they make, goes back into buying craft materials.

Not realising that the rosellas have lots of tiny little thorns, I unfortunately managed to get at least ten of them imbedded into the quick next to my thumb-nail. This has resulted in a small infection and a very ouchy thumb.

Rosella Jam

Since I have diabetes and a pathetic immune system, at a check-up at the doctors today, they decided I should have a tetanus shot.

It's probably been a dozen years or so since my last tetanus injection, and I recall it hurt like blazes for a few days after that last shot, so I was a little reluctant to have it again. This injection though, didn't hurt at all, much to my delight and surprise.

I have decided that should I ever pick rosellas again, gloves are an absolute necessity. Who would have imagined that jam making could be so dangerous!

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Personal Quotes from Vicki-S

"Occasionally I find my breakfast a little bitter, and sometimes it's difficult to chew and swallow; though at other times it's sweet, but it’s very satisfying and always sustains me. My most important meal of the day, is feasting on God’s Word and drinking up His presence."

I love me, because God loves me. It's not that God doesn't see my flaws, they are like blazing torches in His eyes, but rather that He sees past my imperfections and still loves me. And who am I to argue with the perfect God that I am worthwhile, that I am worthy of love, and that He accepts me and wants me to be His child, His beloved daughter? When I understood this, I began to accept and embrace His version and His vision of me, and not the world's.

"The silent treatment and sulking are simply two other weapons in the arsenal of the manipulator."

"Often people use the metaphor of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon to describe how we can grow from difficult experiences, but what they don't mention is the fact that at first we start off as an ugly caterpillar."

"We so often just get caught up in trying to just get through each day, that we forget to pause and be thankful for the fresh one that is presented anew and untouched each morning."

"Contrary to what we might think, forgiveness isn't so much about healing our relationship with that other person, but about healing our own broken heart."

"The purpose of school reunions is to show off how much you've achieved in life, to laugh at the once popular kids who've aged more quickly than you; and to wince at the guy who was a bully in school and who aptly became a policeman."

"I've found in many organisations where volunteers are needed, including the modern-day church, that 80% of its people sit back and let everyone else do most of the work, then there's the 10% who actually make the place run, and the remaining 10% just like to whinge about the 10% doing the work, especially about how they could do it better."

"When traced back to its source, every sin, every despicable act, and every war was motivated by someone's selfishness."

"I do not want to think of man, for that would distract me from God. But if I focus on God, I cannot help but think of my fellow man, and each day God keeps the scales balanced so that I have enough within me to do both."

"Overcoming depression isn’t about changing ones attitude, or just ‘getting on’ with things, it’s like removing one’s personal black shroud one thread at a time, with ones teeth.”