Best Laid Plans

Smokey Rose knows how to snuggle up very well.

I did travel to my hometown. I did attend the baby shower on the night I arrived. (sparkly red shell + silver poinsettia cardigan). I did have a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with the family (sparkly silver T-neck + sparkly black cardigan.)

Then I got sick. Started with a deep congested cough on Friday. Moved onto overall body aches, especially a head ache. Little flirting with really bad digestive system upset.

Ill Again

Smokey Rose and I have been spending a lot of time together taking naps during the day. I became ill again and that has kind of put my life on hold. I "just" have a cold, but it's been a bad one that just will not go away. I have taken off days from work officially. I have gone to work when I felt awful and just carried on.

Refreshed and Gladdened

First of all, I am feeling much better. A few weeks ago I had my hemoglobin re-measured, and it was up to 11 which is much improved. No doubt it is higher now, but I won't have another test until April or so. My symptoms have mostly gone away, and now I just need to get some strength and stamina back.

The weather here seems to have turned a corner, and it looks like spring IS on the way in. I can go out and walk just fine now, and I have returned to my usual activities like taiko drumming and Tai Chi. Soon I'll be back to gardening at Red Butte too, and life will be back to normal.

"How are you?"

I ask it myself all the time. And I get asked this all the time. Of course, it's just a conversational convention. No one really wants the true answer, & no one expects one.

Right now the true answer is "I'm not well at all." I got the numbers from my complete blood count test (CBC). It was worse than I thought. About 10 days ago my hemoglobin was 7.9. When my health care friends hear that, they blanch. Jeeze1 That's low! Very low!

SAD?

I'm not dumb enough to complain about the weather. The weather is what it is, will be what it will be. But I know for sure that this whole month (January) I have been drastically affected by the weather, not in a good way. It kind of came to a head yesterday when I happened to look up out the window after spending too much time looking at the computer screen, and I just burst into tears because it was snowing AGAIN.

Cat Naps and the Will to Cook

I have a kind of new habit which really makes me happy .... napping with the cat. When I am working at home and feeling weary in the middle of the afternoon, I find I can refresh my spirit by taking a break and getting in some kitty love time.