I Thought It Was Bronchitis

 Over several years I have developed allergies, which blows by itself. This summer I had the usual symptoms: slight sore throat, watery eyes...you know the drill. And then the cough started. That deep, bronchial cough. I hate having bronchitis. It was Sunday, so I knew there would be no going to work on Monday.

Monday the back ache started, right across my bra line. Ugh: all of the coughing was now causing the body aches, but weirdly not in my ribs. So I was sucking down cough medicine and taking Tylenol like a junkie. However, it didn't seem to be helping. I had no appetite and because I wasn't eating, I wasn't taking my actual daily medication. Ugh.

Then Tuesday rolled around. It's summer but I was going from hot to cold. I finally ate a banana so I could take my meds. That evening, I don't know what happened. I woke up, stood up, and felt woozy. I have never fainted in my life but this came really close. "Mom, what's the matter?" Brie asked. "I don't know." "You look terrible!" It felt like my eyes were rolling around in my head, and I had never felt like this before. "Maybe I just have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back." I stumbled to the bathroom and sat down.

When I came out I went back to the couch and collapsed. "Um, mom: do you think you need to take a covid test?" Brie asked. "Nope. I take one every week at work and it's always negative. And I'm always very careful." "I think you should take one." I didn't have the energy to fight. "Okay, if you set it up." She did.

The box said that you would get results in 10 minutes. In 20 seconds it came back positive! I was so offended, I didn't know what to do! I wanted to cry, but didn't have the energy. I told the girls to take tests and thank God they came back negative. So I was quarantined with only the dogs for company. They were so happy to have Grammy home with them! Selfish little dogs.

I think that if I'd had any idea that I had covid, I would have panicked and it would have been worse. But I thought it was bronchitis so I treated for bronchitis and body aches, which is what my doctor (when I called her the next day) said to do: just treat your symptoms. So in the grand scheme of things: I was very lucky. I never lost my sense of smell or taste, I lost a few pounds, no one else got it and I was better by Friday. God is good!

The funniest incident from this is one night the girls were begging me to eat but I wasn't hungry. I was laying on the couch half asleep and then I informed them that I was going to order prime rib from Texas Roadhouse for delivery, and also steak frites from Gaslight in Lake George for delivery. Brie said, "Um...neither of those places deliver mom. Did you want something else?" "No, that is what I want for dinner." Then I fell asleep.

When I woke up 2 hours later, I asked Brie where my food was. "What food?" "I ordered delivery from Texas Roadhouse and Gaslight." "Mom, you didn't order anything and they don't deliver. I'm sorry." "No one cares about me! TJ could have brought me my dinner from Gaslight! I have no food!" "Mom, I'll make you something. What do you want to eat?" By this time I had fallen back asleep.

The morale of the story is this pandemic has been going on for almost two and a half years. Numbers are down: but that still doesn't mean covid is gone. You can be vaccinated and boosted yet still get covid. So remain vigilant!

Lastly, here's a pic of my souvenir from my brush with covid. It's a patch of vitiligo on my wrist. It's not contagious, there's nothing you can do about it and I'm praying it doesn't spread. It's caused by a virus: just like covid. Bummer!

They're All Exactly the Same

 This morning I woke up to another hot and probably going to be humid day. It's Friday, and that means you can wear jeans to work. But I would have to be crazy to put on jeans in this weather: even a pair of the cute capris I bought yesterday at Maurice's. So again: it meant I was going to wear one of my summer dresses.

Don't get me wrong: I love my dresses. But I just want a moderate day where I can wear something else. Anything else!

Anyhoo, I went into Brie's room to get a dress out of the closet, where I keep all of my dresses. As I thumbed through them I noticed something. All of the dresses were exactly the same.

I had bought these dresses at Old Navy and Maurice's. I am so sure of my size that I can just order them online, which is very convenient. But getting back to them: they are all sleeveless tank dresses with pockets. Cute, but identical. Sure they are different solid colors (Old Navy) and different patterns (Maurice's) but they are the exact same dress. When I pointed this out to Brie, she just laughed at me. I don't know why: because she has like 5 of these dresses too! Twinning!

So now I wonder if other people, like my coworkers and people at church, have noticed this phenomenon. And wonder why a woman of a certain age would buy dresses with short hemlines to parade around in.

Because I can! It's hot! I only pay between $8 and $13 for these dresses, and I get free shipping. They are cute, comfortable and it's summer, for heaven's sake. According to Brie, I have the heat crazies from this weather (can't stand summer) so I need to do what I can to be cooler.  Besides, the legs have stood up over time, no pun intended! 

So I'm going to continue to wear these assembly-line dresses until the weather gets below 75 degrees. Then I can switch to something with short sleeves, or a midi dress. Can't wait!

In the meantime, I just got an email from Maurice's. My new dress is ready for pick up! 😮

 

The Real Fruit in the Garden

 I don't like to window shop, but I do like to catalog shop when it comes to food. Omaha Steaks: show me that beef! Wisconsin Cheeseman: show me those Easter cookies! (not interested in the cheese). Swiss Colony: show me those petit fours! Hale Groves: I see you Ruby Red Grapefruit!

But my absolute favorite has to be Harry and David. Their catalog has the best photographer because every picture is perfect and looks delectable: even if it's something I don't eat. Like summer sausage. Or trail mix. Or the grand Meat and Cheese box. Yikes!

The most amazing photos, though, have to be of the fruit. The beautiful, delicious, very expensive fruit! I don't even remember when I ordered my first box of Royal Riviera pears at an exorbitant price but let me tell you: it was worth every penny! Those pears arrived at the peak of perfection: not hard like a lot of pears are. I didn't have to wait for them to soften up: they were eating-ready when they arrived. And I ate! They were the perfect consistency and so juicy and sweet: the girls were lucky they got one because there were only nine in the box. Best. Pears. Ever! So every year I order one or two boxes because I deserve it!

Then I discovered something even better. I'm not a big fan of peaches: I don't eat peach cobbler (only the crust), I don't eat peach pie (only the crust) or peach jelly or jam. However, in the catalog they had this great picture of peaches in a basket with one sliced on a plate, all juicy and shiny. I read the blurb about these Oregold Peaches and I believed the hype! So I ordered a box of nine at an unheard of price and proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait until they were at the peak of ripeness where they would be rushed to me.

Let me tell you something. When that box finally arrived and I got out my scissors to cut the tape and opened that box...my olfactory senses were assuaged with the tempting aroma of fresh peaches. I picked one of the nine up: hmm, it had a good hefty weight. I thought about washing it but then figured it would be okay to at least take a bite to sample it. So I did.

That peach practically burst in my mouth with sweetness and juice. I sat there like a child: juice running down my chin and fingers getting sticky but who cared? It was the best-tasting fruit I had ever had, and that's even counting cotton candy grapes! (yes, that's a thing)

When I came out of my peach-induced trance and washed my hands and wiped my face, I tried to figure out how I could keep all of the peaches to myself. But because I'm a good mom,  after fighting with myself I did let the girls try them. And they agreed they were so good you didn't even need to peel them: just eat them skin and all. Ambrosial!

With all of this background, here's the crux of this post. For centuries people have been arguing over what Eve ate in the Garden of Eden that got her and Adam kicked out. I'm a King James Bible girl, and that version just says it was fruit. Other biblical versions say it was an apple. But have you ever had an apple that was so good you had to rave about it? Nope. Brie says she saw that it was a pomegranate. Are you for real? No such thing as an ambrosial pomegranate.  And I've never heard that, except from her. 

But I'll tell you what: after experiencing that Oregold peach, I know that had to be the fruit! Eve wasn't going to be tempted by an apple or a pomegranate, for goodness sake. Would you? However, that Harry and David Oregold Peach would have done it. So I think the reason it only says fruit in my Bible, was because no one had yet thought of a name for a fruit that was so indescribably delicious! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

So if you have an extra $40 - $60 laying around, do yourself a favor and order a box of these little pieces of Heaven before the season is over. I guarantee you won't regret it!