November 3, 2008

• Monday & Bustling Around

  The wood pile is steadily growing.  We are just waiting for the temps to come down from the high 70′s, so we can burn the wood in our fireplace.  Naturally, come the end of February, we will be thinking about tulips and sunny colors!  But, I’m enjoying anticipation of the cold weather!

  

  
  Yes, it’s Monday and I’m bustling around.  Actually, I’m grateful to *be* bustling around. 

  You know how you feel when you are coming down with “something” and you
  can’t quite describe HOW you feel?  Saturday I thought, “I feel . . .
  weird.”  Then I thought, “I don’t feel exactly . . . right.”  Then . . . the big
  announcement emerged from my lips and was directed at the 4 little girls, “I don’t think I
  feel very good, AT ALL.  Let’s watch ‘I Love Lucy’ DVD’s in my bed and
  forget about home schooling for today.”  A cheer rang out from the four
  children!  Is my teaching all THAT bad???!!!  All they had to do was redecorate their binders for the month of November.

  So, to my bed we went.  One hour later I woke up to an empty bed and the
  video on “pause” on the TV’s screen.  I only remember watching one show
  all the way through.  Take out commercial breaks that video’s exclude,
  and I think I must have lasted 20 minutes before cratering.

  I heard no noise (a GOOD thing, right?) and rolled over to fall back
  asleep.  I believe I slept 2 1/2 hours!  I was pleased to wake up and
  find the house still intact!  But . . . Oh My!  I didn’t feel well at
  all.  Gunky, swollen throat, dry cough, and I ached like crazy. 
  Elbows, knees, and back hurt the most.  The flu!!!  But, from where? 
  Oh, wait a minute!!!  That’s right . . . the doctor’s office on Friday!  We were well when we
  went in and we were there for a therapy appointment, not because any
  of us was sick!!!  I’m glad I got the flu shot because it is mildly
  hanging on today and I feel like I can do “some” things around here. Three days, compared to two weeks, is tolerable!

  My ever faithful companions were making the predicted death watch that all of my
  animals make when I’m ill.  Since I’m the only one who knows how to feed them . . .
  they *DO* have that fear of starving, should they lose me!
  

  Stormy checked the bed occasionally, but mainly paced the black carpet at the end of my bed.  She gentled meowed as I told her I was fine and she could come up on the bed.  Of course she wouldn’t because Chirper was there.
  
  I know she looks relaxed and like she is stretching.  That was AFTER I arose from the bed and made my way around the end of the sofa (at the end of the bed) to head for the bathroom.  She was relieved to see me move around!  I guess she found it comforting that her starvation wasn’t imminent.

  The little girls were very good and even helped JanaLyn get her stuff together by the front door before her Mom came to pick her up.

  Stephanie took one look at me and decided she had better stay until Jesse got home (around 7:30p).  Although I was uncomfortable, I didn’t feel “that” bad.  I managed to stick some chicken breasts covered with foil in the oven, made microwaved mixed vegetables, and 2 packs of chicken flavored noodles by Lipton.  Oh yeah, I opened a can of cranberry sauce.  Amazing what I can do when not feeling well.  Jesse and Steph’ clean up and sent me back to bed.

  My ever faithful Chriper was by my side that night and all day yesterday.

  Has anyone noticed there is no “book” posted today?  I finished it yesterday!  Woot! 

  I read four “Family Life” magazines!  One thing about not feeling well, you get to read a lot!  On Sunday afternoon, Jesse took the girls to run errands and visit his mother in the hospital.  Of course he came home repeating her opinion of “She’s sick?  That’s why she doesn’t need to be raising foster children.”  Any of you have an idea as to *why* she wasn’t put on our application as a reference???  (rolling my eyes)   Those comments spew endlessly from her whenever she hears my name.  This was a mild “barb” compared to most.  I have my opinions too, you know, but I keep my words behind my teeth and tell my spirit to “stop it!”

  So, in the solitude of Sunday, I read.  And read.  And read.  And read some more.  I read with little Chirpy-boy, who was snuggled more comfortably than I felt, under the mounds of blankets!
  

  
  He thinks my camera is funny – likes the flash, I guess – and acted silly by rolling over after the first picture.  He stuck to me like glue yesterday and all night long.
  

  
  I vacillated between feeling chilled and warm and continually took two aspirin every four hours.  Jesse fixed soft tacos for dinner and called me when it was ready.  It was the best food I’d ever eaten in my whole life!!  To say I was “hungry” would be an understatement.  I had a restless night, the aches and pains continued.  Maybe that’s why Chirper stayed so close to me all night.

  But, this morning I’m feeling well enough to get a few things done around here.  Annamarie suggested that perhaps we should have no school again today!  Jesse snickered!

  Oh!  Last night, SOMEONE FINALLY CALLED US TO SET AN APPOINTMENT TO DO A HOME STUDY!!!  She’ll be here Wednesday at 4pm.  She told Jesse she’d have to make several trips to our house.  I can’t imagine why.  Usually they do the home study and then bring it to you to read and sign.  Maybe she’s thinking she’ll have to make suggestions of what we need to do differently in our house to make it “SAFE” and she’ll have to be sure those things are corrected before bringing the final “essay” to us for approval. 

  Guess I should put the covers back on the wall’s switches and outlets from when Don took them off to paint!!!  Not exactly a safe environment!   Other than that, everything is in place.  Well, that’s not true.  My house is *SAFE* but much is still OUT OF PLACE, in a manner of speaking!

  This pending appointment should be motivation for me to get those Wal-Mart sacks up into the attic.  I figure I can climb into the attic.  Annmarie can stand on the ladder, Luci can retrieve the sacks from the kitchen and hand them to Rissy at the bottom of the ladder, Rissy can hand them to Annamarie on the ladder, who can hand them to me sitting on the attic floor in the doorway of the ladder.  If I just pile them up there and don’t get the winter things down, I don’t think it will be a crisis.  The girls have long sleeve shirts to wear with denim skirts if a few days are really chilly.

  I don’t want to do too much today.  I’d like to finish one more magazine and start on some others.  While lying in bed yesterday, I looked at my bookcase and couldn’t quite decide what I want to start reading next.  I’ve read some pretty heavy stuff this summer (about the Lincoln family) and maybe something light and easy to read will be next.

  But for now, I’m enjoying my magazines!
  
  
  JUNE???!!!  Yes, I have some catching up to do!!

  Be blessed  ~

  • 11:36 am
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