A little of this, a little of that

My mother is doing just the slightest bit better.  They think now that it's possible her trouble started, not because of the flu, but because of the fall she had when she got the flu--she basically just fell out of her chair because she was so sick she couldn't sit up.  The doctors have also said that the reason she's having trouble communicating is that she's delirious because of the flu.  Something I can understand, having lost little pieces of my own life the first week I had it.

I'm doing pretty well--all right, I'm not doing that well (I'd thought I'd try a smidge of denial), but I'm doing pretty well for me in January.  I suppose my definition of 'pretty well' is different that some people's.  I just went outside to take out each dog for the last time tonight, and fill the bird feeders, and stick a bag of trash in the dumpster by the door.  All in the cold air.  And now I'm having a fifteen-minute asthma attack as penance.  But at least I've been able to play a fair amount of piano and keep up with the housework.  It's better than being stuck in The Chair.  Last winter I spent way too much time in The Chair.

I had the twins bring in firewood this morning.  Just being in the house while the door was opening, allowing a bit of cold air to waft in from time to time, was enough to start me coughing.  Cold air is definitely my nemesis.  One of the villains of my story.

We had a tiny bit of good news here.  I'm not allowed to say where it's coming from, but we're going to get some help with groceries for the next three months.  And my sister is sending her monthly cash, so we'll be able to put gas in the vehicles and buy a few staples that we don't get with the help we're getting.  And hopefully we can pay the mortgage with the next paycheck.  My husband only gets paid every other week.

That W-2 can't come soon enough.

Maybe next week I'll be able to actually go out and get the groceries.  And go to the doctor.  An ambitious schedule of outings for me in my current condition.  And next week the temperature is supposed to go down to single digits.

I think an average person would go nuts here.  I haven't been out of the house in two weeks.  But I'm quite used to this.  In fact, going out and trying desperately not to let on how sick I am, and trying not to get any sicker, isn't really all that much fun.  The important thing is to keep busy.  There's another one of my arch-nemeses--Boredom.  I've been busy working on my latest nocturne, though, and trying to work on my memorizing skills, and reading my book on Tao, and cleaning the house, and homeschooling.  I can usually find plenty of things to do, especially if I can spend half the day out of The Chair.

It's been two weeks since the start of the influenza adventure, and at nine-thirty at night I am tired.  'Night.