When life hands you a ...

  lemon    PEACH !

Over the weekend I came down with "something" so suddenly I couldn't believe it.  We were on our way to a function on Friday night and five minutes after we got into the car I told my hubby I was just exhausted! I chocked it up to a busy week and didn't think much more about it until, as the evening wore on, I felt like I might actually collapse unless I got home and into bed.  We got home within 1/2 hour and by then my throat was on fire, my body ached from head to toe, and I started running a fever, which went up to 101.8℉.  I stayed in basically the same condition all through Saturday and a good bit of Sunday.  By Sunday night most of the symptoms were gone except that my throat felt like it was closing up on me and my glands remained swollen.

I was ready to function on Monday, more or less, and the three grandkids that I watch arrived bright and early.  I was so happy that my d-i-l was exceptionally organized that morning and had them all prettied up for the day.  We had a low key morning and then it was time for the oldest to get to Kindergarten.  The other two got a nap.   Thank God for "easy" days now and then, and especially when we need them the most!

Tuesday morning found me feeling much better except for the nagging swollen glands and thick throat.  One of my friends asked me point blank if I was going to call the doctor, or was I in this for the long haul?  (She knows me too well.)  I decided in a split second that this day would be my only hope of having the TIME for a doctor visit, so as is my habit, when I'm feeling oh so much better, I finally go on in.  Good thing too.  Strep throat really isn't anything to fool around with.  

My d-i-l made alternate arrangements for the kids on Wednesday so I could have more time to recuperate.  Supposedly after 24 hours on the antibiotics I wouldn't be contagious anymore.  I'm still hoping and praying that all the people I came into contact with before I knew don't get it!  

Here are some of the things I was able to accomplish while on my little sick leave.  I took plenty of breaks and only did what I wanted to do and what I felt I COULD do.  I didn't push myself at all, obviously, but I am finding it amazing that I was able to tie up some loose ends, something I can't seem to find time for when I'm a lot more alive:

*cleaned out the tub/shower surround while showering.  (By using a non-toxic, natural, peppermint scented soap, this was very pleasant and easy, since I was already IN there)

*ran a couple small loads of laundry and hung them outside on the line to dry.  (We've been having some beautiful sunny but not too hot days, with a bit of breeze, so this made perfect sense and got me outside for some Vitamin D)

*hubby and I made some decisions about some of our insurance policies, and I spent some time on the phone implementing them.  (amazing what you can get done in a quiet house!)

*on the way home from the doctor appointment, we stopped at Swenson's for lunch. It sure tasted good to finally eat some real food after mostly subsisting on water for a couple of days. (No, I didn't intentionally expose more people to strep throat.  Swenson's is an old-fashioned drive-in that serves the best burgers on the planet~picture in my header!)  

*made another stop on the way home to the jeweler's.  My engagement ring, which is 35 years old this month, needs some work.  (My estimate of how much that might cost was WAY off...and so it will stay in my jewelry box a while longer until hubby gets re-employed.)

*after stopping for the burger in the early afternoon, we weren't hungry again until it was time to go to bed! I made a quick pot of tortellini soup ~ here's the recipe if you are interested ~ and we each had a bowl.  (I've had my days and nights totally mixed up since I was semi-comatose over the weekend and slept in 15 minute increments mostly around-the-clock!)

*paid some bills and balanced the checkbook.  (again, think quiet house)

*ordered a free credit report on-line to make sure we were squeaky clean, since hubby is job searching (we learned that potential employers look at these too!) 

*hubby and I together wrote and published a blog post for our church ~ which you can see here.

*cleaned out the fridge 

*finished a 500+ page (really good) book I've been trying to read all summer.  (Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy) When I try to read at night when the house is quiet I end up reading a couple pages and then fall asleep! 

*signed up for a fall ladies bible study

*and last but not least...drum roll please...I made a fresh peach pie today! Is it that food is just starting to look and taste good again, or could this possibly be the best pie I've ever made?  I do make my own pie crust (recipe here ~ scroll down, you'll see it) and this is how I made the filling, done according to instructions by my FaceBook friend, Vicki:  5-6 cups peaches, peeled and sliced, 3/4 cup white sugar, 3 Tbsp. white flour, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg.  Dot with 2 Tbsp. butter before adding top crust.  After sealing top crust, I brushed it with a little milk and sprinkled on a small amount of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Then I baked the pie for 30 minutes @ 400℉, then lowered the temperature to 325℉ and baked it for 40 minutes longer.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13