What a Difference Two Weeks Make

Two weeks ago I was dragging around feeling like death warmed over.  Last night we went out dancing.  Not a lot of dancing mind you, but some.  A band we're friends with was playing here in town  so we went in to see them.  Really fun little bar/restaurant with a clientele that's close to our age and we always enjoy going there. The owner always comes to sit with us, tell us how much they love us coming in to dance.
Had a great little Greek pita pizza and listened to some good music.  Even when they play stuff we're not crazy about they always play it well.
The band leader is Jeff an escaped Yankee from Connecticut whom we met when we first moved down here.  When he's not playing great music he's the director/manager of an Assisted Living Facility.  I teasingly asked him last night that when it came time for us to move in if I could bring a keyboard with me.  He got the biggest smile on his face and told us about a lady named Ethel who lived there and had brought her keyboard with her.  He asked her to play, she demurred and then played up a storm.  So he said yes, I could bring my keyboard.
A nice night with friends, they best way to pass a chilly February night.

I've Never Seen Frozen

From The Garden

Jenny at My Life In Flip Flops wrote a great blog piece today about things she'd never done.  She said she'd been listening to a program on the radio about celebrities who had never done certain things and it got her to thinking about the things in life she'd never done.  I told her I was going to borrow her idea and give it a go.
I've never seen Disney's Frozen and it's unlikely I ever will, I'm tired of animated features with gutsy female leads, boring.
I've snow  skied, and that won't happen again, but I've never snow boarded, looks too much like an accident waiting to happen.
I've water skied, but never surfed, too much balance involved.
I can crochet, but I've never knitted and it's not likely to happen, using one needle is about as much dexterity as I'm ever going to show.
I've never eaten snails and with God as my witness I would starve before that would ever happen.
I've never been to any of the Scandinavian countries and it's doubtful that I ever will.  It'd be like going to Minnesota or Wisconsin with a foreign language thrown in.
Jenny said that she couldn't reverse her car and always looks for a pull through parking spot.  I can reverse, but for the safety of women and children I don't.
What haven't you done?

Out to Lunch

Out today for the first time in almost 3 weeks and it didn't involve a doctor visit.  It should have, but it didn't.  I picked up my B-12 shot and was hoping to have it administered at CVS's Minute Clinic, but the area around the clinic was full of coughing people and it would have been around a 2 hour wait, so we left.  I'll call my doctor tomorrow and see if I can get the shot on Friday.
It's cold and rainy here, but considering it's snowing in Atlanta ( I'm think of you Georgia Girl With An English Heart) I won't complain.
We had numerous errands to run including getting a new battery for my car, it's dead again.  That makes 4 times it's failed me so I bought a new one.  Boy batteries have gotten expensive.  I told Mac that if this had happened to us years ago we wouldn't have been able to afford a new battery.  He said yeah, we'd have been moving the one in his car back and forth between the cars.
Then it was off to lunch, nothing fancy, just some Italian.  We'd had some bad pizza last week and we wanted to drive the taste from our memories.  So Olive Garden it was, endless salad, soup, breadsticks and a small entrée, spaghetti for me, chicken meatballs for Mac.  It was quiet, the service was decent, the food was fine.  Made for a nice afternoon out.
Then grocery shopping and nap time.  A good finish to a wet day.

Still Winter

Rain off and on all day with more promised for tomorrow.  I guess we need it, but as a recovering sicky the last thing I need is to be out running around in the rain.  Missed my walk today, but it never got warmer than 44º and that's just a tad chilly for me.
So I stayed indoors.  Played piano.  Cannot tell you how happy it makes me to be able to sit down at the piano, open a piece of music and play it.  When I started teaching myself to play around 6 years ago I didn't know how it would turn out.  Would I ever get past little nursery rhymes and songs?  Well I have.  According to the music I play I am an advanced intermediate to early advanced.  I'm proud of me.  Do I play everything correctly, no, do I sit up straight and strong, no, is my interpretation of the music always correct, no.  But oh it sounds so good and it flows, I don't have to look at my hands, they know where they're going long before the rest of me knows.  In fact the best way to slow me down is to have me look at my hands.
Could I have had a teacher, yes, taken lessons, yes, learned to make it all correct, yes.  But that's not me, the journey is the best part.  I play music I use to struggle with and I play it well.
My favorite music, and it surprises me as much as it does Mac, is 17th and 18th century music.  Who knew, we thought I'd learn to play rock and play duets with him.
Can I play anything by heart, no.  I envy Mac that.  He picks up his guitar and with no music off he goes.  I have to have the music.  That's ok though, my head is stuffed with enough other stuff without putting a bunch of music in there.  Actually the music is there, I hear it and know what's to come, it's just the individual notes that aren't there.  They're in my music books safe and sound.

Thoughts on a Monday Morning

I'm better except for the lingering effects of the antibiotics and steroids.  You've done your job, now go.  My food tastes like pooh, my tongue feels like someone has shaved it and I'm still dragging my tired self around.  It's time to kick it up a notch.
I'm through with Downton Abbey, I wish they'd not only lock up Anna (yeah) but Bates too, I mute them every time they come on the screen.  I hate you Daisy, you're a pretenous little twit, so full of yourself I about gag.  Lord knows or at least you do, you could have been anything if not held back.  You are so lucky that others care for you because in my opinion you're too "stupid", naive, to take care of yourself.  Wouldn't care if "the man" was keeping you down, someone should.
The Dowager would never put up with a maid like they've given her not even if it amused her to have the butler and the maid feuding.
Isis I'll miss you and if Tom goes I'll miss him too, as for everyone else, good by and don't let the door hit you on your way out.
Finished a wonderful book this weekend, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.  He writes for adults and children, this was one of his adult books and it was incredible.  What does it mean to be a grown-up?  Fantasy, but such good fantasy, you'll find yourself thinking about it long after you've finished the book.
Also finished The Brandons by Angela Thirkell, she writes such nice books I always finish one and find myself smiling.
Didn't watch the Oscars, don't care.  We've only seen one of the nominated movies, The Grand Budapest Hotel.  I don't know who Hollywood makes their movies for, the 2 coasts I guess because we folk in the middle can't identify with their films at all.
Nice walk today, going to try and exercise later, very slowly.  Have a good Monday.

Beautiful Day

A gift from Mac, he  bought it while out grocery shopping, so pretty.  He's so thoughtful, I honestly don't know how I would have made it through these weeks without him.
Everything connected with being sick here has been thrown into the washing machine today, pillows, afghans, nighties, everything.
While laying around on my couch this last couple of weeks I thought a lot about the materials Mac kept covering me up with---he was determined that I was not going to get cold--- and it reminded me of the fabrics I can't stand against my skin.
I love wool, the feel of it, the texture, but I cannot tolerate it against my skin, makes me itchy and scratchy, drives me crazy.  If there's something between it and my skin I'm ok, but no direct contact.
Same goes for cashmere and that drives me wild, I adore cashmere.  I waited years to be able to buy good cashmere sweaters and scarves only to discover I can't wear it.  Makes me itch and wheeze.  Same goes for angora another fur I love.
I'm stuck with synthetics, they're ok, nice to look at and touch, but just not the same.  I'm ok with cotton and linen, but on a cold winter's day it's just not the same.
Too delicate for my own good.

Up and About

It feels so good to be up and about again, not outdoors, way too cold, but running about the house.  Went upstairs for the first time in forever, our bedroom is downstairs so unless I'm up in my craft room I don't go up there very often.
Others around Blogworld have been writing about their bookcases and I thought I'd show you one of my favorites.  It's definitely a "girly" one.
This bookcase is in the bedroom our daughter uses when she comes to stay, if you look to the left you'll see a painting her Grandfather did of her when she was a little girl.
On the top is a picture of my Mother-in-law on her wedding day, I love this picture, she was such a special lady.  Also up there are bears and miniatures, I'm addicted to miniatures.
On the first shelf you'll find The Morville Hours by Katherine Swift, one of my favorite books about building a garden, my Bible that dates back to my childhood, A Jane Austen

Education by William Deresiewicz,  The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson---I'm absolutely fascinated by the development of language and have read this book numerous times, Through a Brazen Mirror by Delia Sherman, good fantasy, Plato and a Platypus Go into A Bar--need a bit of humor from time to time--, The complete Alice in Wonderland, loads of Georgette Heyer, mainly her mysteries, Passages by Connie Willis, great SF writer, A Woman's Book of Days, Jane Austen's Christmas, The Go-Between, good Edwardian story told through the eyes of a child, The Blessing by Nancy Mitford, again, you need a goo chuckle from time to time., Legends a spy novel (strange company for this book), Brother Cadfael's Herb Garden--we got to visit this in Shrewsbury I believe-I don't normally read Jane Austen sequels but I do like this 3 book series (An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire, These 3

Remain) by Pamela Aidan, The Complete Miss Marple Stories, The Complete Hercule Poirot stories, Animal, Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver--if you don't know her books you should--To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, a time travel take on Jerome Kern's classic 3 Men in a Boat to Say Nothing of the Dog, The Mrs. Tim books, classics, Helen Allingham's beautiful paintings of rural England, Tolkien, British Wild Flowers, Dinner at Miss Lady, a very southern book, Fairy Tales, the Diana Galbadon series, I have this on my Kindle and I may be moving the books on, At the Bottom of the Garden, fairies of course, A Cotswald Sketch book, if I could paint like this, Houses and Cottages of England, The Medieval Garden, some day I'm going to have a walled English Garden, the minor works of Jane Austen and all her novels.

These may not be my forever books, but most of them have been with me many years.
Filling in the shelves you'll find miniature tea sets and little bear.  To the right is Mac's Father's classic guitar.

Doing Much Better

• Follow up with my Doctor yesterday, he thinks I'm doing well.  More antibiotics and steroids to keep things at bay.

Fixed breakfast for the first time in a while.  Cleaned my "sick" area, few other jobs.  Feels good to be moving about.  It's been a long 2 weeks.
Still taking it easy, cups of tea, reading, crocheting.
Tomorrow very

cold here, down to about 20 degrees, but warming up by the weekend.  Hope to be out about by then.  Thanks for all the get well wishes.

Better Today

Kind thanks for all my well wishes, I am doing better.  Probably have enough steroids and antibiotics in me to sink a ship of germs, but if that's what it takes, shoot me up.
Mac has taken such good care of me, I know I've about worn him out.
What else has helped--besides my trusty Bean and Bacon soup--always a comfort food when I could finally eat.  Well Lord Peter Wimsey, I'd never read him before and I found a book of his short stories.  They have carried the day, just long enough to carry my interest without wearing me out.  Enjoyed them so much I 've ordered the first of his novels.

I quite like that he's a bit silly, not at all like Hercules Poirot.
Well I hear a nap calling so I'm off.

Round Four

Back to the doctor again, thank God they had a cancellation.  More shots, blood tests, inhale oxygen.  The doctor told Mac that he's seeing a few cases like mine.  Not quite sick enough to go in the hospital, but not getting well as quickly as one should.  Back on Wednesday, but if no improvement back in tomorrow morning.
Do feel a bit better, finally able to eat a little, stomach has been quite unhappy.
So fingers crossed.

Sick

Been sick since we got  home from the Everglades and it ain't been pretty.  Two visits to the Urgent Care Center because my Doctor couldn't fit me in, antibiotics started, steroid shot on second visit to speed up the progress and today I finally get into see my Doctor.  I'm better, but I'm a long way from well.  My throat has been so sore I have been unable to eat solid food since the weekend, all my glands are swollen, my ears are a misery and eating makes me choke.  Are we having fun yet?
Mac was sick too, but never as bad and is now well on the way to recovery.
I blame it on the fact we sat on an unhealthy airplane for nearly and hour  and a half waiting to be cleared for take off in Miami  because there'd been rain.  It rains all the time in Florida, haven't they figured out how to fly in it yet?  The air was stale on the plane  and everyone was coughing.
No more flights during flu season, we'll drive next time.

Five on Friday

I'm late, I should have posted this already, but we've been down in Florida, in the Everglades.  It was fantastic, we went last year and fell in love with the place, but I'm wiped out.  So it's mid-day on Friday and I'm finally getting around to posting.
So after looking through my five please stop by the other bloggers who are part of the Five on Friday group that Amy at Love Made  My Home has put together, I've listed them at the bottom of my Blog.
My five are some of the things we saw in the Everglades.

First has to be the alligators.  We have alligators here in Georgia, we even have one that lives in the lagoon out back, but we have nothing to compare to the alligators their growing down there.

This was a Mama alligator with 2 or 3 young ones, if we got too close she hissed at us.

You've not lived till you've been hissed at by an alligator.

Second  are the birds.

Anhinga

Blue Heron

Flock of Ibis

Purple Gallinule

Ibis

Pelican

Rosy Spoonbill, hard to catch the color it was very pink caused by the shrimp they eat

Woodstork

Third are the boardwalks that went back into the mangrove swamps.

This was at Big Cypress Swamp

Fourth are the tree crabs

They are omnivorous and enjoy tree leaves.

And fifth is the Everglades by moonlight.

We also saw a manatee and a dolphin, but were unable to get a picture of either, couldn't predict when or where they were going to come up out of the water.

Didn't see, and we're glad we didn't, the Burmese pythons that are becoming a threat to the wildlife in the park.

Love the Everglades, this wasn't our first trip and I'm sure it won't be our last.

Please join all the other bloggers on our Five on Friday list.

Wendy from September Violets

Michelle from Michelle's Make Or Bake Love Made My Home

Leanne from Today's Stuff