Hey, how’s your summer going? Mine is CRAPPY. I’ve been sick all week with a cold and pinkeye (arrrrg!) The universe is definitely trying to tell me something. Possibly, “I hate you,” OR, it could be “Slow down and rest.”
Since I had no choice- pinkeye isn’t really something I can power through, given my job- I’ve been resting. And reading! On Tuesday I finished Gone With the Wind, and then Wednesday I read an entire Agatha Christie book, Lord Edgware Dies.
There’s something so fun about reading an entire book in one day. I don’t usually get to do it, so it was a treat. THEN, on Wednesday night I was presented with a BOOKISH DILEMMA. I saw that my library hold of Anthony Horowitz’s Marble Hall Murders was ready for me. Hooray! I’ve been eagerly waiting for that one. The problem was- I had finished my Agatha Christie earlier in the day, and I couldn’t get the Anthony Horowitz until the next day. That left me an entire evening to either a) start a different book, or b) read nothing at all.
Well, option B was unacceptable, so I reluctantly started Ball Lightning.
This is one of the books my son “assigned” me to read before our road trip in July. I wasn’t really in the mood for it (I really wanted that Anthony Horowitz!) but it turns out to be an easy read, much easier than the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy (which I did absolutely love- it was just some dense reading at times). I’ll finish it, and then dive into the Anthony Horowitz.
So, I’ve been enjoying my extra reading time. Other than that, there’s something supremely irritating about just loafing around the house. Especially since everyone else has also been home- this coincided with my husband having several days off, and my daughter’s best friend is in camp this week, so she’s also just hanging out. This COULD be fun, if we were a different family, and if I weren’t highly contagious. As it is I’m trying not to infect anyone else with this. My daughter is probably pretty safe, since she refuses to touch anything I’ve touched, including the cats.
My diet is still going strong. I was amused to see that sneaky, undermining part of my brain snap into action. “Oh, you poor thing. This doesn’t seem fair- you’ve been sticking so closely to this diet, you deserve to feel good and instead you feel so awful! Maybe you should have a little treat…” OH NO YOU DON’T, Sneaky Brain! I’m not falling for that. The diet continues.
Every time I get sick, I’m struck by how great my normal, everyday life actually is. Maybe I just need a little reset every once in a while to remind myself of that. I’m definitely hoping to start next week with a clean bill of health and a positive attitude.
How would you spend your time if you were stuck at home for several days? – Besides reading, I did plenty of sleeping and a little bit of cleaning. Just a little.
23 Responses
So sorry about the pink eye! Good that you got to read good books!
If I was stuck at home for several days by myself, I’d probably read and clean. With my kids and husband around, much less would happen.
I’m still working on GWTW. But I did read a sci fi book (Redshirts) and finish another Ngaio Marsh ( killer Dolphin). I’ve actually forgotten who done it for some of the books, so it’s a treat!
I hope your diet continues to improve your overall health and well-being!
Thank you! And- that’s the way I am with Agatha Christies. In most of them I’ve forgotten the killer (other than some really notable ones that stand out.) So I can enjoy reading them again.
Oh, pinkeye! Wow, I have not had that in ages, thank goodness! I hate being sick. Its not so much the fact that there is lying around; it is that you CAN’T do anything else. If you choose to lie, it is fine, but if it chooses you, it makes it less fun. I love a good “read in bed all day” day, and sometimes if it is raining and I have nothing else planned, I am secretly happy that I don’t have to be sad that I am not doing something outside!
Yes, I totally agree. I would love it CHOOSE to read in bed on a rainy day. It’s not as much fun when something forces you to do it. Oh well- what can you do.
this could be fun if we were a different family killed me. Hilarious. Pink eye is so awful. I hope it clears up soon and no one else gets it. I caught that when we flew to see Lad play water polo in college, and that was miserable.
If I was stuck in home and everyone left me alone, I’d write. I’m doing a lot of that right now. Not hot enough to go to the pool, and I rarely have a big enough window to go anyway. I’m on a mission to get churn out my chapters so that when it’s my turn to read a chapter at my writing group, I have one ready to go and I don’t have to stress about it.
So far no one else has gotten it! And, it hasn’t spread to the other eye. PHEW.
Maybe you need a nice case of pinkeye, so you can write to your heart’s content! : )
Argh that sucks.
But the reading is nice.
I just spend a whole week at home for my vacation. I would have loved to do some day trips but they didn’t happen.
But we did get a lot of stuff done. And yet it feels like so much more needs doing. Nit sure it was the best decision to “waste” a vacation on chores.
Yes- that’s the problem with a “staycation.” I could work at home for the whole week, and not finish all the chores! Still- I’m sure it feels good to get some of them done.
Oh no! Pink eye!!!! I do like the perspective that illness is your body’s way of asking for a break though. I hope you emerge from this reset feeling rested and rejuvenated.
Thank you Suzanne! I’ll definitely be rested.
I am such a firm believer in yin/ yang balance, as in “if you don’t take enough yin, your body will force you to.” This happens all the time! Too much yang, and we can get overly fatigued, our body is trying to make us take yin. If we don’t listen, then often we get sick or sidelined and we HAVE to yin. So I second the thought that the universe is NOT saying “I hate you” it’s saying “I love you, and you need to slow down and rest.”
It’s frustrating being sidelined but as you say there is something wonderful about it, that makes us grateful for the everyday lives we lead! I’m glad you are able to get some reading done.
Also – pinkeye! I had that in university, again, I was totally burning the candle at both ends, I had a cold, I was in exams, and BAM. Pinkeye! My son ALSO got it during his exams in his first year university. Also he lived in the dorms which is like a petrie dish. There’s nothing like pinkeye to make you appreciate not having goopy eyes!
I’ve never had it before! First time for everything. I’ll embrace your interpretation of what the universe is trying to tell me : )
Pinkeye is the worst. The last time I had pinkeye, I couldn’t even read–it was that awful.
You’re absolutely right–nothing like a little inconvenience to make you appreciate regular old life.
Hope you’re back to wellness soon!
Oh wow. So things could be MUCH WORSE. If I couldn’t read it would be terrible!!!
I’m sorry you got sick! Pink eye really sucks — I haven’t had it since my freshman year of high school, when I’m fairly certain I got it from the pool because we had a swimming portion of P.E. class, so now I’m wary of public pools.
If I was stuck at home, I’d probably get some cleaning and reorganizing done, since I don’t like doing that with the limited free time I have, and also watching some shows because I also don’t usually have much time for that either!
Ha, I guess I should have taken this opportunity to do more cleaning and organizing! My house desperately needs it.
Thank goodness that pink eye doesn’t stop you from reading. That would be a reset that no one needs. Life is pretty great when we don’t have a couple of pesky things side lining us.
A few days at home would mean more of All the Things that I love to do. As long as I wasn’t too under the weather from the cold, there would be hiking and dog walking (possibly at the same time), there would be reading, there would be blog writing, and there would be “sitting on the couch” time.
I’m adjusting to a post-GWTW world. I read The Bright Years, which was the hot book that my library hold came in for just as we were starting. It was…a book I that I liked but that I need more time to process how I feel about it. Next up is M in the Alphabet series, and I just heard a podcast with a bunch of new books ideas that I will be chasing down.
Ugh, pink eye! You don’t even have a toddler! What in the world! Knock on wood, I haven’t had pink eye in a long time. Phil had a terrible case of it a year or so ago. It was very very painful! I somehow avoided catching it and the odd thing was that neither Will or Paul had it so one of them must have been an asymptomatic carrier! So annoying.
It has been THE RAINIEST WEEK here. Which was terrible timing as Paul is at a water-themed summer camp this week. They did get one day of good weather on Tuesday and the pool they visited Wednesday was indoor, but it was not the week of water fun that he envisioned. He has still had fun and made new friends. But I AM SO SICK OF RAIN!!! Gah. We are “camping” next week and will stay at a cabin in a state park but the forecast is calling for rain. If it doesn’t change, we’ll probably cancel or shorten the trip because sitting in a cabin while it pours does not sound like fun… The boys are so excited to camp so I hope the forecast improves and we just get scattered showers or something. We need to cook all of our food over a fire and I am not going to do that in the rain!
I hope you feel better soon! If I had some days off at home without my children, I would read and watch some shows that Phil has no interest in!
Oh, Jenny. I’m so sorry. It stinks being sick.
If I *could* be home for a couple of days (look at that reframing – not “stuck” at home!), I would read and sleep and take the dog for loooong walks. I’m actually sort of hoping to get sick (but not too sick) now because that sounds great to me. But if I don’t want to see anyone when I’m home, I can just go to a different floor of the house and that solves that problem. I’m so lucky that I have that option.
Oh no – have you got Covid? I had conjunctivitis with my first or second bout of it and thought Oh no, it can’t be Covid as that symptom isn’t included and then they said there was a new strain and it was! I hope you feel better soon.
When I’m poorly, I read easy books I pick off the shelf specially, or re-read children’s books. I never do any housework!
Oh no. Ugh. This sounds horrible, Jenny. I have never had pink eye but I’ve heard it’s terribly contagious. Argh. Well, I’m glad the small silver lining is a bit of extra time to rest and recuperate from other things and fit in some extra reading.
I hope you’re back to feeling 100% very soon!
Sorry about the pinkeyes, at least you got a lot of reading done. If I’m sick with no energy for reading, I would watch a brainless movie and sleep. If I have energy, I would read write or cook bake. I can’t stop being active if I had some energy.
Hope you feel better soon.
So sorry to hear you are unwell.
I never watch TV so I would probably binge watch some series on Netflix.