I'm back

Yes, I'm back, at least partially.  Not from a vacation, but from some sort of summer cold/scourge/plague given to me by the little girl we babysit.  Don't blame her though.  My grandson picked up what seems to be the same bug where he works; so I could have gotten it anywhere.  Others have told me it's going around in all parts of the country.

Any time I catch a bug from Cora, I can't help wondering how such a small child put up with such pain and discomfort and remained fairly pleasant throughout.  I have NOT been pleasant.  I have announced to the family several times daily that I'm dying.  Because I have a sore throat so seldom, I had forgotten how extreme the pain can be.  I don't go to doctors for these things because they can't do a lot for a cold.  I've taken Mucinex, Tylenol, cough syrup, and even over-the-counter sleeping pills on a couple of nights.  I've gargled salt water.  These are the things a doctor usually tells me to do, with the exception of the sleeping pills, which by the way, were a good idea.

I've continued to babysit the little girl throughout this time for two reasons:  First, she's easy to watch, even if I'm under the weather.  I think small children somehow sense when we don't feel well and act accordingly.  When I'd double over with the racking cough that comes with this mess, she'd say, "You OK, Donna?"  The second reason I kept her through this time is that Cliff can take over watching her to give me a break, and he did that several times.  He also washed dishes once, which I know is one of his least-favorite things to do.  

After a drought that looked like it would never end, we got an inch-and-a-half of rain a couple of nights ago.  The forecast had only given the area a slight chance of significant rain, so it was a pleasant surprise to look at the rain gauge, although in my dying (cough cough) condition I read it as one inch.  Cliff later looked and told me the proper total.  It was very a very spotty rain:  people within a ten-mile radius got totally different amounts.    

Cora and her mom bought a chicken harness recently and presented it to me.  I think the child and I will have fun with it once I'm totally back in the land of the living  (aren't you glad I'm back to complain about my miseries?).  

As soon as I get back on course and actually start doing some things to report I'll be here to do regular entries.