If Ya' Gotta Be Sick or When it Rains, It Pours

I can promise you, I didn’t feel like I had time to be sick this week and who can schedule that anyway? I’d had a wonderful trip to Virginia to celebrate my daughter’s graduation from her Masters program. It was a weekend full of girl time and fun with my littlest granddaughter. I’d also endured one of the worst drives home ever with the last 2 hours growing to 4 hours fighting horrendous rain and Atlanta traffic, but that, as they say, is another story. 

Let me just say that when I get up in the morning and don’t have any desire for coffee, something is definitely amiss. And that’s what happened to me. I awoke to a queasiness and though I made my cuppa, had zero desire to drink it. Hello. Something is going on here. It didn’t take long for the virus to make its presence known and before long I was napping on the couch.

I tend to run my life at a reasonably busy pace. I’ve recently made some changes that keep me at home more, but still, I expect a good deal from myself and like to stay engaged with people and meaningful activities. I manage 2 businesses, am involved at church and love opening my home, especially to family. I’m also a college student and my online classes began Monday. Also, this week is my birthday week. Here’s to 57 trips around the sun! I love my birthday and it often falls on Memorial Day weekend, as it does this year and that gives me a great excuse for a big family party, especially since many of us have May birthdays, my daughter in law and oldest granddaughter included. (Is that sentence too long?) This year we’re expecting between 30 and 40 close family members for our cooperative birthday bash on Sunday. In addition, seeing as we live on a lake, my son who’s in Army aviation school, is bringing home a group of buddies to relax for the weekend. What that all actually signifies is that I had a pretty full schedule planned out for the week, to include a haircut, which ranks darned high on my priority list.

Having said all of that, I also had very little that was hard scheduled this week. Blessing number one! Secondly, I wasn’t so sick that I couldn’t function at all. I had trouble focusing and had about zero energy, but I could read between my (frequent) naps. Blessing number two! And, for some strange reason, I was able to eat certain foods (carbs!) and still lose weight. Blessing number three! Oh! And our area got hit with a tremendous amount of rain (made the national news) and kind of shut down a lot of activities. Blessing number four? (It sure made good sleeping weather!)

I’ve been sleeping a great deal. 4-5 hours a day plus my standard 8 hours at night. I don’t think I was particularly worn down, except for my harrowing 11-hour drive that should’ve been about 9, so I’m blaming the virus. Throughout the week, I’ve spent countless hours on my porch watching the rain and the hummingbirds and the geese. I’ve enjoyed hour upon hour (too much, really) of quiet time. I’ve been able to get my reading for classes done and I’ve been able to eat off-plan foods and still lose weight. (Yes, I know it will likely come back, but I’m still enjoying it!) I stayed awake long enough yesterday to watch Mamma Mia, which was pretty perfect and am up to speed on your Facebook lives. So, while, concentrating has been challenging and I haven’t felt like writing, I’ve managed to have a decent week in spite of being ill.

Posing in front of the mall at my university.

Tomorrow is my 57^th birthday. I’m celebrating the joy of my life and the beautiful people who are a part of it. My husband is sending me and my girls out for dinner Saturday night and then they’re taking me to a paint class for fun (I’ve always wanted to do that!). Somehow, between now and Sunday, I’ll get my schoolwork done, grocery shop (with my hubby’s help), finish the housework (Army guys aren’t too picky, are they?), and get ready to open my home to the people I love the most in this world. I mean, if ya’ gotta be sick, this is not too bad of a way. Feeling Thankful.