Big News and little

Baby Ava Irene on her birthday

The BIG news is the arrival of baby Ava Irene in Chicago. My dear niece gave birth to her on January 20. Mom, dad and baby all doing fine. As you see she has lots of lovely dark hair...got that from her dad for sure.

The name Ava is found both in Sweden and Iran so my niece decided it was a good one to go with Ava's dual heritage. Irene was my mom, really loved by my niece. I am so happy to see that name continuing.

Let's Try Again

Happy New Year

I am better now. I still have a cough which startles people sometimes, but I feel pretty good. When I tell people I was sick, I get very little sympathy. Instead I get topped. "Oh I was too! I was in bed for 6 days and couldn't move at all...throwing up all over the place, almost had to get admitted to the hospital. etc, etc. etc." It's a bad winter for health around here.

Right now it's difficult to be outside because the annual January bad air is back. We are regularly having red and orange alert days when we are not supposed to drive. Everyone does, of course, because for most people there are no good alternatives. Those who have options, like me being able to commute by UTA, are already doing that no matter what the air alert is.

ANOTHER Week of Being Sick

I received this postcard from Russia this week. It expresses exactly how I feel right now.

This post will not be long. I wrote the last one Sunday during the day. That same night, when I went to bed, I started coughing. I couldn't sleep because of all the coughing. Monday was worse, and Monday night even worse than that.

I gave up and went to see the doctor on Tuesday. A very nice young family practice resident told me he didn't think I had the actual flu like the whole rest of the word seems to have because I didn't have a fever. But he clearly saw I was miserable. He gave me some codeine to help me stop coughing and get some sleep. It worked. My friend Jan took me to the grocery store for a big stock up of sick food.