And There Were Joys?

I started this week with the intentions of enjoying Pip for a couple of days, then transforming life back to normal once they left. Well as normal as my new normal with TheHub here would be. Instead even before Pip left for Portland, life threw me a little curve. *

I am more than ready to turn the page on this week.

Monday: Pip's friend, my neighbor, came up to swim and life was perfect. They had a good time laughing and playing until it was time to go to Son2's house for dinner. Son1 and Pip had seen the house when they first bought it, before the renovation really started. They were pretty amazed at the transformation. We enjoyed eating together then they went to the boathouse to try their luck at fishing. 

As soon as we got home, M came up for some more night swimming (until almost midnight) then she and Pip went to her house to spend the night. I mean what is better than a house with 4 kids and 11 pets for an overnight?

Tuesday: Son1 had been feeling kind of bad and, not wanting to be the only one under the weather, he shared it with me. All day I was freezing and it is just too hot here to be freezing unless you are not feeling well.

I felt crappy and spent most of the day sitting in the recliner under blankets while major swimming went on outside. The girls played and swam then ran back and forth between houses several times, ending the night with another late night swim and a farewell until next time. 

Pip is coming back this year at Thanksgiving and even though the pool will be closed she and company can still have a little water time in the hot tub.

Wednesday: Sometime during the wee hours of the morning it seems like I shared this stuff with TheHub. We had a coughing duet going on until it was time to get up and help Son1 and Pip get ready to leave. I hated to see them go but knowing we will see them in August softened everything.

After driving them to the airport TheHub went into the office (so much for retirement huh) and I attacked the laundry. I continued to feel bad and by the time TheHub came home (about 3) he was feeling rotten also. We melted into the couch or the recliner and stayed that way until we summoned the strength to get up and go to bed.

Thursday: The Fourth of July came and went here, with little to no celebration. We decided one of us needed to take a Covid test so I did it. In less than one nano-second the test lit completely and there was no denying it. We had Covid. Further testing confirmed Son1, Pip, Son2 and DIL2 all had it too. 

TheHub and I lounged around (coughing and sneezing) while we watched Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest. We didn't feel like eating so we thought we might as well watch others eat. 

Then we snoozed off and on while watching whatever was on tv, until after our dinner when we actually watched (and stayed awake for the entire show ) The Capitol Fourth. 

The host kept asking people to take and post pictures of their celebrations while watching the show. We laughed that ours would be two folks wrapped up in blankets watching it. If we both did not look so horrible I might have done it. 

The only thing I will say about our appearance is that we had both showered and dressed (wearing soft laying about shorts and tee shirts).  Fashionable? Not in the least.

So much for our plans for the day. TheHub intended to hit a bucket or two of golf balls and I planned on swimming. Maybe Friday?

Friday: I woke butt early. In fact it was just a hair past dark O' Thirty. This stuff is kicking our respective butts. We are both coughing less, but have no appetites and zero zest for life. I have been doing more laundry, some reading, and taking lots of unintentional naps (while reading or should I say trying to read).

In spite of hoping to feel like swimming, it did not happen.

Saturday: Well if this was not just another day in paradise I don't know what would have been. TheHub and I had decided we would be well on Saturday so we could swim and/or hit golf balls. Covid seemed to have other plans. Though we were no longer sneezing our heads off or coughing all the time, neither of us had the energy to do much of anything. I did catch up reading blogs, but only because I could be on the couch in a prone position with my Ipad propped against the sofa cushions. I am not sure I would have even had the energy needed to physically hold it while reading. Sorry I did not comment but I cannot post them from the tablet and sitting up at the computer for any length of time was out of the question. 

Our day was spent rotating between the couch and recliner, pretending to watch tv while we nodded off for countless naps. 

As much as feeling like this sucks, I am thrilled this variant is so much less severe than the original virus.

Sunday: Another low exertion day. Both of us were feeling much better but mutually decided we would have one more day laying low. The bare minimum was done, just enough to maintain a decent standard of living but there was a good bit of reading that happened. Earlier in the week I had an Amazon package arrive. TO be honest I was so tired TheHub brought it inside and put it on the dining room table where it stayed until early Sunday morning. I was glad to finally open it for it had 3 things I really wanted. Need? Not so much but I did want them. 

Years ago I bought stainless in the same pattern as my sterling. Through the years pieces disappeared, most likely either accidentally thrown away (possible)  or disappeared in cars of various teen drivers (more likely). 

I decided it was time to replace missing settings so I keep it on my Amazon wish list all the time. Periodically the price drops 10 bucks a place setting, and when it does I buy one. Early during the week I hit pay dirt and snagged one. One more and I will once again have a complete set, but I can wait until the price drops again.

Until we visited St Barths, I never knew I would love having an electric kettle. I am sorry I was so stupid to never realize just exactly how wonderful they are. To  those of you who grew up with one and are shaking your heads, what can I say? Sometimes you never know what you are missing!

I also bought a fantastic new to me book The Everlasting Meal. I spent all day reading it and will use it as a reference book as long as I am still cooking. It is technically called a cookbook, and though it does have a lot of recipes, its main function is ideas for totally using every single bit of everything you buy, or grow. 

Now I know to save all the small bits from a bag of chips to use as salt in a savory dish.

Books read in July

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

The Everlasting Meal

Listen to the Colors

Look for your joys. They are always out there even if they are tiny (like having an abundance of Kleenex when you really really need them )

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

*Once again I apologize for leaving no comments on your blogs, but I did at least read them.