What Day Is It Again?

There is one thing about being confined in a house with children who are sick for extended periods of time. You lose track of the days. It is hard to tell one from the other. I guess I have always used Sunday and Wednesday outings for church, along with a few other journeys out during the week as markers to help my old brain know where we are on the calendar. All it takes to upset that is the kind of months we have had since December.

I am happy to report that we gradually seem to be getting better, although all those who have spoken to me on the phone today would disagree. I have mostly lost my voice and can only force out a few squeaks here and there. It is embarrassing. The lady from the car dealership called me again today, and the first thing she said was, "Are you still sick?" The meanie in me wanted to say, "Oh,no, I always sound like a dying cat!" But I restrained myself, and she kept the conversation short, for which I was grateful. It hurts to talk right now.

I got an email from good blogger friend Jennifer who reports that three of her four girls have the flu. It is official---they went to a doctor! She just got confirmed what we mothers have known for two weeks----this stuff is running rampant.

Meanwhile, I had to laugh at the antics of my brother the preacher and his friends this last weekend. They decided that they had not had a good get-together in a couple of months, so they "impromptu-like" decided that the men and boys would camp out on Friday night and butcher a hog. (Now that sounds like more fun than I have had in I-don't-know-when. NOT!) Then, on Saturday, they would cook the thing, and all the lady-folk would join them for a big shindig. So, Dan, and I presume my little 4 year old nephew Ben, camped out and killed the hog. They were out with members of the congregation Mark and Mary who used to worship with us where I live. Mark and Mary's oldest boy Cord was having a fun time on Saturday chasing the girls with the pig's heart! The thing they did not take into account was this flu-bug going around.

By late Sunday afternoon, Ben was not feeling so well and wanted the full attention of his mother, who now has to hold baby Lauren, the newest niece. So, my mother took baby Lauren and let Steph attend to a clingy Ben. His temperature rose on up there, and before the night was out, he was vomiting. Ben's older sister Kelsey, who is nearly 7 now, aptly remarked the next evening to her grandmother that maybe Daddy shouldn't plan any more get-togethers for the flu season, because now Ben was sick. My other brother Doug remarked, "Out of the mouth of babes...."

Well, in sports news, the boys lost their basketball game down in Alabama last night in a last-minute free-throw fiasco. We fouled, they scored, and there were only 5 seconds left with which to try and redeem ourselves. We failed and they won by 2. I did not get to attend, of course, but I would have still liked to have seen the game but for all this sickness. The only redeeming point of losing is that maybe it will keep us more humble and cautious for State playoffs later this week.

I got a couple of pieces of sad news today. One is that an 86-year-old friend of mine that I met on eBay is not doing so well and will not be able to continue emailing for now. I have enjoyed our e-conversations so much and will miss her. I hope her health and her personal circumstances will allow her to come back when she can. The other sad news was that my friend Dot in South Carolina who has been sick with complications from breast cancer is going to have to go into assisted living, because her dear husband Fred may have to battle cancer of his own. He has had prostate cancer, and his PSA levels have climbed again, and there is a lump. My thoughts and prayers are with both of them as they face this trial in their lives. Please remember to pray for Fred and Dot.

Well, I am off to find a calendar and figure out what I have going for the rest of the week. Maybe by tomorrow, I will get my bearings and know what day it is again!