Thumbs Up!

Not long ago I saw a recipe for sweet potato chips (homemade) on Pinterest. I LOVE sweet potato fries, so the idea of sweet potato chips really caught my attention. (By the way, I only like sweet potatoes if they are salty...no sweetness to them :)

So I bought a sweet potato the other day at the store.

And yesterday I came home ready to make the chips.

I pulled out my mandolin, a gift for Christmas. I took some time getting it ready, glanced at the warnings about how sharp that blade was, tried to figure out how to get the handguard on the potato (it didn't work), and started slicing.

The first few slices were beautiful.

Thin, round, much more evenly cut than if I had done it by hand with a knife.

Not sure what happened next.

Did I get distracted? Too confident? Underestimate the length of my fingernail?

Anyway, I won't go into details other than to say I have a thumb injury. A fairly serious one. And honestly probably my most serious "injury". I usually avoid getting hurt as much as possible. :)

No, I didn't go to the ER, though my school nurse thought I probably could have used a stitch or two.

Even now, it just looks yuck. I tried cleaning it a bit ago, and I had to stop. I felt too ill. As in grossed out. Hubby is a champ though. He has been cleaning it and wrapping it for me.

I am now realizing how much I do with my right hand (which I was obviously using with the slicer since I am right handed).

And how much I can't do now.

Typing is DIFFICULT. I use the space bar a lot. I am a bit wordy if you haven't noticed.

Cutting with scissors... I have to be really creative.

Writing...well, I wasn't a neat writer before. Definitely not now.

Opening car doors.

Carrying things.

Opening Marley's crate.

Running bath water.

Brushing our youngest's teeth.

Picking up food.

The list goes on and on.

I just never realized how important the thumb is!

I could go really deep with this, creating an analogy with life.

However, that would be way more typing than I am capable of.

I will say that I am thankful.

Thankful that I still have a thumb, even if a bit deformed.

Thankful for a dad who came over to help me stop the bleeding.

Thankful for Child 3 who sweetly helped make dinner (chicken nuggets in the microwave) and carried plates for me.

Thankful for a husband who made a late night run to the drugstore for supplies and for cleaning me up each morning and night.

Thankful for Child 2 who sweetly sent me an e-mail (with her school account), checking on me.

Thankful for Child 1 for telling me if he had had a choice, he would have stayed home (from church) to take care of me.

Thankful for a mom who talks to me on the phone when I am worried.

Thankful for a dog who loves me no matter what.

Thankful to friends who have supported me with encouraging e-mails/FB messages or even just a pat on the back at school.

Thankful for the concerns of my students.

And thankful for finger guards/splints that protect my thumb from the bumps of life...

Reba