Really, it has been a good day. Just still dealing with that post viral fatigue. The kind that feels like trudging through sludge. In lead shoes…
But I got housework done! It’s always hard to start the little cleaning/washing/organising jobs around the house, but I usually feel happier when I can see the finish line. And it’s lovely to have clean things around me.
Today, I thought I’d celebrate my Monday with a big mug of chai (and vanilla) tea, with crushed mint leaves from the garden (steeped in the tea, overseen by my happy unicorn tea ball 🙂 ), and enhanced with a splodge of honey.
…or so I’ve heard. The moon is supposed to be bigger tonight, with a pink tinge. It does seem brighter. Still doesn’t show up well on camera.
We’ve been snuggled in duvets/jackets/unicorn-onesies the last few days. It’s a bit harder to get going in the morning – so today we…didn’t, really 😀 I think most of our virusy things are on their way out, but shivery winter mornings tend to highlight coughs and sniffles. Got a lot of talking done, though!
I love the winter evenings, when the sky turns pink just before the darkness.
As for the strawberry moon –
I took a photo earlier in the evening, when the moon was still hiding behind the big tree. It does seem a bit pinkish.
Here’s the photo I just took – straight ahead, no hiding 🙂
The week has been getting better each day, and I have been getting more done. My boys seem to be brighter and happier as well! ❤ I’m trying not to fall into relapse like last week, so there have been some quick darts out into the world, and some snoozing under the covers…
While I’ve been recovering from the Nameless Virus the cactus under the stairs has been…budding?
I’m not sure if those will become flowers?
Last night I figured out night mode on my phone camera. I think.
You have to hold it very still, but outlines seem a lot crisper.
The cold nights have seen colourful sunsets.
…and the daytime cloud formations have sparkled with sunlight.
But tonight! Fire in the sky, as the cold night fell.
The beginning of last week was great! I did stuff. I even did more stuff! And then my body said, “No.”
Somewhere towards the end of the week fatigue whacked me over the head, and I’ve been trying to sleep/rest enough to replenish. I’m glad I did all the stuff last week 😀 Just might have been a bit more than my recuperating self was expecting! 😆
So, the boys are in varying stages of recovery from the “virus-that-has-no-name”. And my Babe started coughing Friday morning, and stayed in bed for a couple of days. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to have caught what we had. Or he just heals really quick…
Today was a new day. Yay! I still needed to sit and rest. But I also managed the washing, and my share of the cleaning/dishes. Double yay!
In my sit-down-before-I-fall-down time I read some Mary Oliver. Then I put my headphones on, closed my eyes, and listened to a CD I picked up a few weeks ago ($1 at a charity shop!)
Here are two poems that sang to me. And two songs that spoke to my (weary) heart.
I Worried Mary Oliver
I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers flow in the right direction, will the earth turn as it was taught, and if not how shall I correct it? Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven, can I do better? Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows can do it and I am, well, hopeless. Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it, am I going to get rheumatism, lockjaw, dementia? Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing. And gave it up. And took my old body and went out into the morning, and sang.
How Would You Live Then? Mary Oliver
What if a hundred rose-breasted grosbeaks flew in circles around your head? What if the mockingbird came into the house with you and became your advisor? What if the bees filled your walls with honey and all you needed to do was ask them and they would fill the bowl? What if the brook slid downhill just past your bedroom window so you could listen to its slow prayers as you fell asleep? What if the stars began to shout their names, or to run this way and that way above the clouds? What if you painted a picture of a tree, and the leaves began to rustle, and a bird cheerfully sang from its painted branches? What if you suddenly saw that the silver of water was brighter than the silver of money? What if you finally saw that the sunflowers, turning toward the sun all day and every day – who knows how, but they do it – were more precious, more meaningful than gold?
I had started to wonder what happened to autumn. The last couple of days have been pleasingly chilly, though, so we’ll see how winter comes in 😀
I had a full weekend, and enjoyed it immensely. Made it to church, after two weeks of being unable to go, and it was well worth it. I even got to pick up the Mothers’ Day gift that was given out the first weekend I was sick 🙂
A tiny little succulent ❤ , guarded by Nightmare Kitty 🙂
It felt like I had turned a corner, and life would rev up into (my version of) reality. Unfortunately, I’ve tipped back into coughing tiredness. Not sure whether it’s the weather. I’ve had a roaming sore throat (first one side, then the other…then none…and back to one side or both). At this stage it’s mostly annoying rather than anything else, but still wearing. Poor Sweet Bean is still not good 😦
Today we had some areas of mould in the house cleaned professionally, which meant we had to be out of the house for most of the afternoon. Biggest Boy stayed, and spent the afternoon sitting in the fresh air in the garden. It seems to have done him good. The rest of us went to the library for the duration, except for Sweet Bean, who stayed in his pyjamas and slept in the car with his duvet and pillow.
It was a long afternoon. But worth it. We hadn’t realised the ceiling in the sunroom was actually white!
There was a strong smell of chlorine (or bleach?) in the house when we got back, so we had the windows open and fans on until we got too cold. At least tomorrow is looking like a quieter day…
We were out yesterday morning (part of my getting-back-to-normal-routine), so that added to the fatigue. But I got a hot chocolate out of it.
Feeling better every day 🙂 Still getting very tired (and a sore throat) – but we were out briefly yesterday (my first foray into the world for a while!). I had to have an afternoon nap today 😆 I’ve been sitting in the lounge chair the last two days, putting my feet up on my unicorn, and catching up with my reading… I had a bit of a backlog of library books – I’ve been getting interesting books from the library, then running out of time to read them. These last few days has been good for my brain 🙂
Unicorns. Good for feet and books! The big book is from Kew Gardens, about endangered or vulnerable plants. The other one is about food sustainability, and various methods of food production across the world. As part of my jaunt yesterday we went to the library, where I picked up a book I’d put on hold.
Someone trying to tell me something?
Hoping to get back in to my normal rhythm by the weekend. Until then – time to read!
I’m still climbing out of the dark chasm of feeling-absolutely-horrible. Probably sitting somewhere between ordinary-icky-take-a-rest and ooh-let’s-go-to-the-shops-(if-we-don’t-take-too-long) right now. Biggest Boy is not too well at the moment, although his 4-in-1 test was also negative. So, we have/had something. Just not something with an easily identifiable name 😆 I’m able to read and watch YouTube (and enjoy both!) without overdoing it. I was even able to watch church online yesterday – yay! The week before it was too much to stay upright for that long…
The weather is still cooling, and I’m hoping to do some work this week. I’m booked for a Micro Business Skills course later in June, so it makes sense to get some work done towards the business itself!
No interesting photos to share. I have a variety of views from my window (as seen from the bed), not sure anyone wants to see a range of cloud formations… But I have a couple of new songs I’ve enjoyed over the weekend 😀
No Beyonce. Enjoy anyway!
…and here’s a way to have a laugh at yourself, while gently teasing your fans… (you’ll need to put the captions on [that little “CC” button on the bottom])
I’ve had a cold/virus of some sort since last weekend. I had a go at one of those 4-in-1 tests from the chemist on Sunday, so – not covid, RSV, or flu 1 or 2. Yay? It’s been a drifty, in-and-out week mostly, although the last couple of days have been easier. I’m able to sleep a bit better now – which is what I was doing yesterday when I opened my eyes to a big heart-cloud outside my window!
I think I took the photo, then rolled over and went back to sleep.
I’ve lost my voice, as well, which always feels odd. Lots of hot, strong tea helps immensely.
I have been reading, but it took a few days to feel up to doing anything much. I feel like I haven’t been here in a while (probably because…I haven’t been here in a while), so I don’t have a lot of sparkly, witty things to say. But I do have flowers. Lots of lovely flower photos, taken over a month or more, but not finding a space here yet. This is their time to shine! So to speak.
Wrapped flowers at Aldi. Probably for Mothers’ Day.
Also – some random street flowers.
So pretty!
And just to round off the evening…a song that found me this week.
Well, public holidays… There’ve been a lot lately. This is good for rest and relaxation – not so good for organising appointments! I have finished my course now, although I haven’t yet got my final transcript (or “testamur”, apparently) Because of all the holidays I’ve found it difficult to find out what I’m supposed to do next. I have an appointment on Wednesday that should sort it out 🙂
I’ve had a request form for some blood tests hanging around. They were due in May (presumably anytime in May) so I got those done yesterday. It was one of a few different errands that had to be accomplished, so it was easier to go to a different place than my normal one. The phlebotomist was great 🙂 Quick, no pain (apart from the initial scratch – don’t think they can do much about that), and got the vein first time! That’s not always the case – sometimes they have to wiggle the needle around a bit. Then take it out and use the other arm 😆 She was cheerful as well. And there was a hand crocheted drop of blood in the corner to cheer me up.
We voted today. The actual election day is Saturday, but we like to get in early… our area has a lot of independents running (the senate paper overflowed the voting booth), so it took a bit of research to figure out who was running for what. A friend posted a link to Build a Ballot, which we found helpful in sorting out preferences. Have a go! 🙂 There are also links there to the various parties’ sites – you can check out what their actual policies are. We didn’t want to waste our vote by not knowing who we were choosing. Sweet Bean spent ages weighing up different parties and policies – he’s happy to have made his choice 🙂
Although we usually go for a coffee on a Wednesday, there’s an appointment to stay home for tomorrow. So we indulged in a Tuesday coffee!
(… and cake! ❤ )
And, speaking of democracy – what great things can people do when they get together! I have never been to a Pub Choir evening in person (I will one day!), but I did a few Couch Choirs in lockdown. Over the last few years they have been recording a phrase or line from Bohemian Rhapsody in every place they go. Here is the end result.
a bit of creativity, a bit of eco consciousness, a bit of inspiration.... hopefully not a lot of pompousness and blathering :D
i'm not entirely sure what's going on here... let's travel along and see...
1000 Fields of Roses 