What A Week

I hardly know where to start. Boy was I sick...I had the whole thing going on. Fever, congestion, sore throat. If Art felt that bad he should have been in bed. Speaking of him, the one that gave me the dreaded summer cold, he stopped by yesterday. Oh yeah, I was still in my nightgown so I threw a blanket around me to answer the door. He was stopping by to leave some empty egg cartons and some vegetables from Jim and Linda, the hay and cattle farmer and his wife. Last time I talked with her I know we expressed to each other how we were both overflowing with cucumbers and squash...nevertheless, the bag was full of cucumbers...but thats alright because I have been making pickles out of ours, and I can always make more.

Shelby got my cold. I don't know how. She secluded herself upstairs from all the germiness...going as far as to make herself a make shift mask of sorts that went over her mouth and nose if she came down to get something to eat or drink. Thank goodness hers doesnt seem to be as bad as mine. My congestion was so bad I got an ear infection...but nipped it in the bud pretty quick.

Then of course I had to get a bladder infection. Nothing is ever simple either. Everyone has heard of the old cranberry juice method. Well, I gave it my best shot. I even went and bought three EXPENSIVE bottles of Just Cranberry. Ohhhh that stuff is just nasty...and if you drink enough of it...it will clean you out alright...just not the way you intended...speaking from personal experience. I was also trying these pills Cranberry pills from Sundown. I don't think those helped my uhhhh...cleaning out so to speak.

With all this effort, I still managed to have the infection...so I finally relented and went to see the doctor on Monday. That was an ordeal too of course. I called and called...never got a real person...but got to be on hold for 25 minutes the first time and then 15 minutes the second try. Fortune was with me...as I decided to just wing it and show up on their doorstep. I was in in five minutes...didnt even get to read my book I brought but just a few minutes and then I was called...in and out quick. Too quick as I left my book...went back yesterday and retrieved it.

When I am sick, the whole world goes to hell in a handbasket around here. Laundry, dishes, animals, cleaning, mowing, whatever I DO, doesnt get done. I really hate that...a lot. In a way, I like knowing I am of great value here, but it really has its drawbacks when you want to be the one taken care of.

Better save...be right back...

So, when Art came by...I  didn't open the glass door...I talked to him through it...told him I was SICK...and didnt want to get him SICK again. That I had gotten SICK from him when he came by with his cold. I don't think he really got it. Oh well.

When I get sick, I get pissy. Especially if I can pin in on someone. The one that got me sick...outside of my family members...and if it was preventable with a little common courtesy. Then I get pissy because I know when I get to the point to where I don't feel like I am going to die I have to start catching up on my chores. I am not as pissy as I was, but still have a little bit left in me...that of which I am leaving on this page hopefully and will be free of it after this morning. ;)

So, I finally got a hold of Sherry...and I was right on the money. That lady Tracy...she is crowding Sherry, in her business day in and day out. Sherry is too nice to people. She lets them run her over after a while. This lady is lonely. Her son is 18 and so now she is all alone. Sherry would go to the pool with her and things like that if she asked. But then, after the pool time, it was time to go home and do some laundry, cook supper, sit down with your husband and watch tv, whatever the norm is. But Tracy was still there...and there and there. Always knocking on the door, calling, coming over...helping her clean her house. I appreciate help from time to time, but I really dont want to have to entertain and talk to company the whole time I am folding clothes and washing dishes even if they are alongside me. You know how it is. Sometimes you just want to stand at the sink and wash your dishes BY YOURSELF. Sherry has been overrun by this lady. She has resorted to not answering the phone or the doors at times when she knows it is her. I feel for her because I have been there.

When we lived at the old house we might as well put in a revolving door at one point. I thought I was having a second child after a while. I was keeping this child a lot...and summer was coming..what to do..well..WE MOVED. LOL Not because of them, it just happened that way. But the mom was always over helping out too, so I been there.

So on top of this hassle, the anniversary of her moms death is upon her...been one year now. She got pretty down about that and shut herself down for about a week about that.

She is a teacher of sorts. She teaches high school students that are taking summer school. But not because they are failing...because they are trying to get ahead and get more credits to graduate early. There is a system to it all. Each student is allowed to turn in one assignment a day. They cant seem to get that through their little adolescent heads though. Sherry is getting two and three at once and being hounded the next day for those very assignments back and graded. She cant keep up with that kind of ratio. All the work is written essays mostly too...so she has to read and read before grading. She has ended up bringing some of her work home.

She also has two other ladies that are her friends...they are less intrusive...and she is thankful for that...but with all that is going on, she wants seclusion from everyone.

So she has this itchy spot on her shoulder blade. Thinks it is a spider bite...a couple of days later down the side of her back and her leg hurts. She decides to consult a friend that is going to nursing school. The friend knew right away what it was... and why. She had SHINGLES! From too much...you guessed it...STRESS. So she had to go to the doctor for that. But it doesnt end there, she too shared the bladder infection malody. So she had to go back to the doctor for that too.

She just feels pulled in so many directions. I told her she really needs to tell Tracy to get a life, nicely of course. Sherry even went with her to get a new puppy, hoping it would divert her away...and it did, for a couple of days.

I told her she needs to take care of herself, her family and her home...anything outside of that they are lucky to get the time of day from you.

People that dont have a family life, like Tracy, just don't get it. They have nothing to do all day...and Sherry is busy busy busy with her work, her family, just keeping up with daily life.

I told her that is why our friendship has worked for so many years. We both have a life, a family. We don't interfere with our daily lives...but get together every now and then...and that makes it special and fun. As an adult, most people do not have time for "friends" every day if they have a family to tend to. We understand that...but she is finding not everyone does.

She was so glad to get my letter. She said it couldnt have come at a better time and really lifted her spirits. On a good note, she did get a dollar fifty raise, and her oldest son moved out and has a room mate and is on his own now...so that is good.

Saving...be right back

I am so far behind on reading everyones goings on, and I apologize for that. I guess I stuck myself in seclusion while I was sick. Didnt even venture onto the computer much...and now I am limiting myself so that I can catch up on things around the house. I will catch up on everyone though...might just take a few days...a few mornings of coffee time.

So whats going on around here. Well...its hot and its humid. The grass is overgrown and things need doing. I got a lot done evening before last as far as fresh water and fresh food stocked up for the coming days in the mid 90s here.

I did have a stupid chicken. She is gone now. Couldnt be helped I guess you could say.

I use shallow dish pans for feeding the layers. They eat like pigs at a troth, so why not. I have (or had rather) a Silver Phoenix hen that somehow would manage to get that empty pan flipped over with herself underneath. Now all she had to do is STAND UP and she would be free. But she would remain crouched under there until I noticed the pan upside down and freed her. Well, while I was sick I skipped a day of going out there...I felt so bad and just had to skip it all. Well...next afternoon I go out there to feed...and I see a flipped pan. I lift it up...and there she was as usual...with one big difference. She had died. Yep. Too stupid to stand up to get out from under the pan...and died. What do you think about that...pretty dumb.

My hay is about gone from that big round bale. I don't think I will be doing that again. A lot of it is wasted from all the humidity and rain. It has molded and I did manage to salvage some of it for haying the muddy pens and areas around the place..but it was in bad shape. I am going to have to stick to fresh clean square bales from Home Depot I reckon. Matter of fact, I am going to get two bales today.

Alright, I know I am SO behind on pictures. I need to take pictures of those two silkie babies I hatched...and I need to take pics of my babies I hatched for myself out of the Polish, Golden Phoenix and Serama. I also need to take some pics of the cotton flowers before they turn over to cotton. Oh, and Paula, I think it was asked about the bole weavels. They spray for those periodically and I hate it, it stinks! But I know they have to do it. You will see a few of the weavels here and there on the pavement after they spray. They also have these little catchers ever so often along the road. Bug catchers I guess...I reckon to see if they are having a weavel problem by seeing how many are in the trap thingie. I will take pics of that too. I promise I am going to catch this journal up...but I have to go now and catch up on some outdoor chores before it gets too hot, then its a shower and off to the feed store, TSC, and Home Depot.

I hope everyone is having a great week...I am going to try and have me a good day...y'all do the same. :)